Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and general text messaging could help the emergency-management community respond better to disasters, according to an article in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The article said the efficacy of the public health emergency system is tied to alertness, the ability to respond to daily problems on short notice and being able to recover quickly. Social media has shown to enhance these traits in numerous cases, such as Haiti's 2010 earthquake and the 2009 flu pandemic in Alexandria, Va.
Roughly 40 million Americans use a social media website several times a day, but according to the article, there are still challenges of reaching at-risk and vulnerable populations. The authors recommended future studies on the reliability and validity of public health-related information that is distributed over social media and the reminder that social media cannot and should not supplant the actual emergency response infrastructure.
Read The New England Journal of Medicine article on social media.
Social Media Survey Shows "E-Patients" More Willing to Participate in Clinical Trial
Study: 57% of Consumers Choose a Hospital Based on its Social Media Connection
The article said the efficacy of the public health emergency system is tied to alertness, the ability to respond to daily problems on short notice and being able to recover quickly. Social media has shown to enhance these traits in numerous cases, such as Haiti's 2010 earthquake and the 2009 flu pandemic in Alexandria, Va.
Roughly 40 million Americans use a social media website several times a day, but according to the article, there are still challenges of reaching at-risk and vulnerable populations. The authors recommended future studies on the reliability and validity of public health-related information that is distributed over social media and the reminder that social media cannot and should not supplant the actual emergency response infrastructure.
Read The New England Journal of Medicine article on social media.
Related Articles on Social Media:
Survey: Most Facebook Users Don't Share Personal Health InformationSocial Media Survey Shows "E-Patients" More Willing to Participate in Clinical Trial
Study: 57% of Consumers Choose a Hospital Based on its Social Media Connection