Below are the citation and extracts of a recent paper in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
CITATION: Keir A, Bamat N, Patel RM, et al. Utilising social media to educate and inform healthcare professionals, policy-makers and the broader community in evidence-based healthcare. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2019;24:87-89.
Social media is emerging as key solution to increase collaborative discourse between individuals, institutions and countries...
We have attempted to do this in neonatology with the formation of a Community of Practice consisting of providers dedicated to leveraging social media for the benefit of evidence-based medicine...
Questions around the use of social media to disseminate evidence-based healthcare information currently subject to ongoing research and debate include:
- What are the most effective ways of disseminating evidence-based healthcare information on social media?
- How can trustworthy sources of social media be developed, coordinated and maintained to deliver information on evidence-based healthcare?
- Is editorial oversight possible on online platforms?
- How can we effectively involve patient and family advocacy groups in social media platforms to improve dissemination of evidence-based healthcare information and support shared-decision making?
- How do we ensure that healthcare professionals, researchers, policy-makers, patients and families have the skills to determine what are trustworthy information sources derived from social media?
- How do we create a safe environment for communication through social media between healthcare providers and the broader community?
We propose that social media can be a valuable tool to disseminate knowledge around evidence-based healthcare, including new research findings and critical appraisal of current practice. We look forward to the academic and clinical community, as well as patients and families and policy-makers, contributing to answering these questions.
Best wishes, Neil
Let's build a future where children are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information - Join CHIFA (Child Healthcare Information For All): http://www.hifa.org/forums/chifa-child-health-and-rights
CHIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is the coordinator of the HIFA campaign (Healthcare Information For All) and assistant moderator of the CHIFA forum. Twitter: @hifa_org FB: facebook.com/HIFAdotORG neil@hifa.org
