“It takes a ‘village” to raise a child” according to Hillary Clinton.
Amazing as it seems the latest survey reveals that up to 80% of physicians use one form or another of social media to interact with patients. This despite precautionary warnings about patient privacy and confidentiality.
The study did not reveal what form of social media they use; email, instant messaging, twitter, Skype or secured Google cloud documents. Google Cloud documents can be locked except for the intended readers.
Business uses the cloud for secure transactions and sensitive data, and there will be no shortage of offerings for medical applications. In fact, the cloud may offer a more cost effective and usable platform for a national health information exchange rather than re-inventing the wheel.
Now there is a new fast growing platform, Google + and even more revolutionary is Google + Hangouts.
Google plus Hangout and Sexual Ambiguity
The following topic was discussed on a public hangout broadcast by a public television station, KOMU TV in Colombia, Mo. Anchorwoman Sarah Hill is a pioneer in the convergent media space. She discusses a personal sensitive issue with Maya Posch born as a hermaphrodite. You will notice the film strip below the large screen of the Hangout participants. The ability to express herself with support from a public audience obviously gives this person hope.
The scope and power of social media cannot be underestimated among patients who share serious medical issues with like individuals. Caution, the content may be offensive to non-medical viewers. As mentioned in a portion of the video civil rights are part of the challenge in sexual ambiguity.
Please pardon the commercial message at the start of the video.
KOMU Live Stream Hangout Video
The New Google Health Village
Health care is now much like a village, or perhaps a group of villages which need to communicate. The convergence of the internet and television, have created a new milieu. Internet or streaming video may replace classical Television much like over the air TV was replaced by satellite or cable.80% of cable television users also hold a hand held device in their hands while viewing news or entertainment programs. They are frequently polled while watching, straw votes are taken during election campaigns.
The potential is great for social media for two way interaction with doctor and patient using interactive teaching sessions for patients from your office, or clinic regarding diagnoses, treatment course and for monitoring patient compliance.
With the support of Health Train Express Google product developers will develop a new platform, an API dedicated to a Google Medical Application, yet to be named.
Google, in it’s infinite wisdom designed the Google+ platform to be secure on a one to one circle share. It is possible to telehealth one to one. Images are of high quality. The medium is extremely cost effective, free for the moment.
The project will take several months to complete, and you may read about it here when it is ready for a beta release. Please subscribe to Health Train Express or use an RSS feed to see the announcement.
We are looking for suggestions and contributions about what functionality you would like to see in the new Google Medical API. Please tweet me @glevin1 or email me at riversideeyemd@gmail.com