Table 2 Participants’ perceived benefits and barriers of using social media
From: Social media use by physicians: a qualitative study of the new frontier of medicine
Benefits | Quotes | Barriers | Quotes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
For Providers/ Institutions | Forward Career/Research Marketing, Publicity, Branding Networking/ Sharing ideas New Research/Career Opportunities Low Cost Repository for Information Improvement in Clinic Efficiency | It “doesn’t cost much in terms of money… and it can lead to other opportunities (for the provider). It can lead to more media outreach, speaking engagements, opportunities to teach, promotion for your practice, i.e., ‘free’ publicity.” | Time/Work requirements Keeping current with content Researching content Composing/posting content Listening to/responding to comments Needing to update regularly | “Time is a biggie. And training to some extent, although I think that most people these days get how to use social media. Using it well to communicate health information and thoughtfully so you’re not misunderstood and get in medical or legal trouble, that’s different.” |
Self-improvement Learning (staying current) Listening to patient views/ understanding patient needs Teaching (medical education) | “As soon as the new blood pressure guidelines came out, people started tweeting about them. I know about it ‘cause I’m following people who pay attention to that on twitter. It’s a good way to keep up with what thought leaders are talking about.” | Skill requirements Social media know-how Unfamiliarity with tools Unfamiliarity with etiquette/rules Constantly evolving environment Communication skills Media skills | “When I started, I literally had never heard of a blog before… and so the stumbling block was going from never even using it to being it (social media).” “Number two is that it’s an evolving field.” “Another barrier is knowing how to write. People go to college to learn how to do this. Most doctors don’t know how to do this.” | |
Increasing Reach Providing accurate information to more people (correcting misinformation) Amplifier effect (physician ‘voice’) Amplifying ideas Where patients are at, especially kids Where patients get information | “We realized that each of us could see maybe 20 to 25 patients a day, but on social media, we could reach hundreds or thousands of patients a day.” “It seems that everyone turns to social media for information. When I go to google something, I almost always end up on a social media site.” | Lack of institutional support Lack of reimbursement Ignorance of benefits Oldschool mentality Lack of models/guidelines Lack of reimbursement | “People are old in the healthcare system. They’re scared and don’t know how to use the medium…There is a 19th century mentality at the level of academic medicine. I think it’s an old world-new world mentality. Healthcare’s been stuck in this 19th century rut.” | |
Independent/Unregulated Venue Place to express opinions It’s FUN Camaraderie | “I found that I really enjoy twitter for learning and connecting with people and building relationships. There aren’t many of us, the physicians in this space. This is the best and easiest place to find them (other physicians).” | Fear of saying the wrong thing Saying something unprofessional Breaching patient privacy (HIPPA) Negative response Providing misinformation | “Barriers like if you post something that you shouldn’t have. You can take back something you’ve said, but to have something out there that can be re-tweeted or re-purposed.” | |
Lack of models/guidelines | ||||
For Patients/ Communities | Source of health information Source of ‘accurate’ health information Source of ‘trusted’ health information Source of ‘understandable’ health information Source of ‘current’ health information Source of ‘targeted’ health information Source of information outside the clinic visit | “It can provide accurate information from evidence-based research. I can provide a summary of an article in terms that parents can understand instead of them just reading information from the latest celebrity.” | Poor access Language barriers Mental disability Older generation Lower SES (Medicaid patients) Literacy/Education barriers | “The main reason I don’t use it in my own patient care is because the patients I care for have problems with access. For the most empowered, educated patients, it might be useful. That’s not the kind of people I take care of in an urban underserved hospital.” |
Low cost for patients | The benefit “to the patient is that it’s free healthcare.” | Lack of physicians with similar backgrounds | ||
Community Outreach/ Input/ Engagement | “It increases the reach of the message and allows me to interact better. It’s not about broadcasting, it’s about being there and being more accessible for people” | Distinguishing credible information | “the general public not being able to distinguish what’s credible on the internet” | |
Accessible | “Just today, I’ve gotten emails, pings, hits, likes from 8 different countries. It runs the gamut. I have people from India or Malaysia who probably make dollars per day to presidents of companies who ask for second opinions. It helps to level the playing field.” | |||
Health Behavior Change | “We’re trying to educate people who are misinformed. For good or for bad, social media is very good at changing opinions.” | |||
Both | It’s fast (quick exchange of information) | “When you email them, you don’t get a response. When you tweet them, it’s literally a one min response.” | Lack of social media know-how | “Honestly, I am my own barrier. I’d never heard the word blog until 5 years ago. I’m still learning. My 14 year-old to tells me how.” |
Improved doctor-patient relationship Breaks down professional barriers Increases communication | “It also allows you to maintain a relationship with your patient population on an ongoing basis. About half your patient population is only going to come in once a year or twice a year. How do you stay in touch with that population, make sure they come back, make sure you can provide them information? It helps them and helps them appreciate you as a physician.” | Lack of privacy | “You can almost trace everybody back. What’s that they say? ‘On social media, it’s written in pen not pencil.” |