Is Social Media Hurting or Helping Patients?

My thoughts on the subject were always neutral, it’s just as in life there are good doctors and there are bad doctors, the same can be said for social media information.  In this day in age, patients are turning to social media more and more after a diagnosis for support groups, in depth information, and coping strategies.  In an article I found, they reference two studies, one for Facebook information and another for Youtube information.  The Facebook study was done by the May Clinic in Florida, they found that many patients turn to social media like Facebook after a diagnosis; such as, esophageal cancer.  However, there are few groups on Facebook to disseminate such information; Dr. Wolfsen even mentions their goal is to create a Facebook group for patients with esophageal cancer.  In the second study, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic watched the top 100 most viewed IBD video’s and found the videos to be educational and important, but the content was “poor.”  In the end, Dr. Wolfsen does agree that social media can benefit patients and improve their lives, even with his findings. 

This is similar to my post about the FDA wanting to regulate healthcare in social media.  As you can see healthcare in social media has a split view of it and with various forms of social media, there needs to be a governing body to decide if the information is accurate, safe, and educates the patient correctly.

The full article can be found here: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=6AB55993D2CC4281AB5A37FDCD60A6B5

E-Prescribing is on the Rise

Don't you just love when the patient hands you, the pharmacist, a prescription that looks like a right handed man wrote with his left foot? Well, now there is new statistical data showing that doctors are utilizing the E-prescribing technology more than the standard writing on a prescription pad.  Surescripts, an E-prescribing network facilitator is reporting that 52% of doctors are now using the service, compared to 10% three years prior.  With the company also reporting retail pharmacies having E-prescribing access at 94%, why not employ such an efficient piece of technology? Furthermore, according to Surescripts audits, the Bay area used E-prescribing for 43% of all prescriptions, which has cut down on medication errors, wrong drugs being dispensed, and drug interactions. The top three states using this service are: Massachusetts, Delaware, and Michigan.   To see if your state is on the top ten list or to just see where your state falls on the list, check it out here: http://www.surescripts.com/saferx.aspx .

The full article can be found here: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=BF47DE89B11F4236923EDE6AEA2B31BB

The Answers May Lie in the Clouds

I've always wondered why we can't make a virtual human similar to the patient with a disease and run virtual drug trials.  Well my friends, this is the step in that direction, which I think will only become more and more popular as the technology becomes cheaper.  So, tilt your head up to the clouds and take a look at the future, as it has already started in the research for pediatric cancer.

Pediatric cancer is a rare, yet highly fatal disease.  It affects one in every 100,000 children and kills one in every seven, annually.  Since 1980, only one new drug has come out from big Pharma for the treatment of Pediatric cancer.  Dell has teamed up with parents, physicians, and engineers to facilitate a new drug trial, specifically for neuroblastoma.  This investigational drug trial will create a new personalized medicine process in "real time" to determine which drug would work better for the patient's specific tumor.  The procedure will generate more than 200 billion measurements per patient! Even with the new cloud donated by Dell, it will take weeks to months to analyze all of the data collected. The donated cloud will increase the gene sequencing and analysis process by 1,200 percent and develop collaboration between the team. 

The full article can be found here: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=2212DA0FE7BC488BBE654C92C47F128B

A Reason To Blog: Abby's Story

I started to search the internet for blogs and social media, mainly to support my idea of blogs being a waste of time.  I have finally found a reason to blog!

I found a story of baby Abby.  When her parents, the Leach's, went in to the hospital for their sonogram the doctors noticed a malformation of her jaw.  The doctors had no diagnosis or explanations, so the parents turned to the internet and social media.  They performed search after search online for similar cases.  The Leach's wanted to be more educated on the subject matter in order to have a better conversation with the doctors at the next meeting.  Once the group met and had a concrete diagnosis of CCMS, Cerebrocostomandibular Syndrome, the Leach's again turned to the internet.  This time they turned to the social media side.  Mrs. Leach blogged about Abby's condition and even found connections with other families in similar conditions.  The blogging has allowed the family to cope with their daughters condition, share their story, and ultimately given the family hope!

I finally have an understanding of how blogging can be used and more importantly be used with importance.  My title, the pharmacy ladder, is ironic because as I go through this process of learning about social media, I am slowly climbing the ladder of social media enlightenment.

Here's the link to the story:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/04/after-grim-diagnosis-parents-turn-to-internet-social-networks/?test=latestnews

Survey Says:"Social Media Impacting Smoking Cessation"

There's an App for that! We've all heard that phrase and tend to think it's generally true, well now there is evidence social media applications may help smokers quit.  The University of Southern California's Institute for Communication Technology Management and USCs Center for Body Computing released information from smoking cessation studies, which show a correlation between social media applications and smoking cessation.  They surveyed 266 users of the MyQuit mobile application, which facilitates their goal of quitting by using a smart cigarette tracker and a supportive online community.  Some participants used just the application, while others used the application with other cessation techniques: acupuncture, nicotine replacement therapy, and prescription drugs.  The users who succeeded at quitting credited the being a part of a social network and having access to it at any time they needed it.  “More than 80 percent of successful users "received continuous positive feedback” and thought it ” was always there when they needed it."” (Healthcare Infromatics)  So, in conclusion, there is an “App” for just about everything, even helping smokers quit, mainly by allowing the user to access other experienced quitters for support.

Read the full article here: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=FB6EB22E409F42E190A2DEDFB386B695

The Doctor Can Now "See" You

In similar fashion of last weeks blog, this week I will be talking about a new way for patients to experience a doctors visit; however, this time the visit takes place at the pharmacy.  Rite Aid and OptumHealth are two pharmacies that are debuting these pilot programs. The service is called NowClinic Online services and allows the patient to see a nurse and/or a doctor virtually.  The service utilizes a private, face to face, conference over the internet, where the doctor can discuss symptoms and make diagnoses virtually.  The first visit with a nurse is complimentary and for a 10-minute visit with a doctor is only $45!  At the end of each virtual session, a record will be created which can be accessed and/or transferred to the patients primary care provider.
I have pondered the idea of starting my own independent pharmacy in a rural area of Pennsylvania and I absolutely see a use for this service, especially in my prospective situation.  Furthermore, this will give independents a tool to compete with the large chains, who can afford to pay for nurses on site.  Independent pharmacies would only need to pay the doctors and nurses for each teleconference instead of having to pay a professional, full time pay.

Here's a link to the article:
http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=C5C3A0CF661C4C62B158CDF5351E414B

"Hello Health": 21st Century Concierge Services

With health care on everyones minds, a new venture created by a group of practitioners, called "Hello Health," should be welcomed with open arms.  This group has come up with a brilliant new platform for doctors to "see" their patients using a range of social media for cheap and still have the business remain profitable.  Each of the doctors have their own Facebook account and share their detailed information for patients.  Furthermore, the Brooklyn company has created a new conference technology, think Skype, to allow them to care for their patients virtually anywhere! If the patient wants to contact the doctor for something simple, they may do so by e-mail, for free!  If the patient is feeling ill or would just like to conference the doctor, he or she only has to pay a nominal fee of $100 or $150 for an in person visit, which can be booked within a 24 time period.  In order to gain these services, the patient must enroll into a monthly $35 payment program, which is not covered by insurance.  But, that's the point, all of these services are provided extremely cheap considering the monthly program includes free labs and some generic medications.  This will also fill in the cracks of current insurance programs.  For example, if a patient is out of state and feels ill, typically the patient will have to pay "an arm and a leg" or not be covered at all to see a doctor.  This technology will allow the patient to "see" the doctor virtually anywhere with a computer, internet access, and a camera for the same low price as if they were at their home town. 

I am also an entrepreneur and foresee this new platform becoming the new standard for seeing patients in the future.  I hope to see this model translated for the field of pharmacy and hopefully expand the role of the pharmacist.  If you want to see the full article, and it is long, check it out here:http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/28/2/361.full