Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus says it has become the first hospital in the state to live-tweet a surgery after it tracked the progress of a minimally invasive knee-replacement procedure on Twitter Monday, according to a MedCity News report.
Along with tweeting, the hospital's social media team also broadcasted a live video feed of the surgery on www.ustream.tv. Ryan Squire, social media program director for OSU Medical Center, said there were two reasons the hospital decided to broadcast the surgery. First, the hospital wanted to publicize the availability of its MAKOplasty procedure to patients and referring physicians. Second, broadcasting and tweeting were additional methods of education for OSU medical students.
Mr. Squire recommended that other hospitals considering broadcasts or tweets of surgeries discuss it with surgeons first, as some will not want to be a part of it. Hospitals should also establish an emergency plan in case something goes wrong during the surgery. For instance, OSU Medical Center planned to cut the video stream but continue tweeting updates. Hospitals should also run these ideas by the hospital's legal team and the patient should sign a HIPAA compliance form. It is also important that video capabilities include audio, since it may be useful for surgeons to narrate their steps or add commentary.
Read the report on OSU Medical Center, Twitter and MAKOplasty.
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Along with tweeting, the hospital's social media team also broadcasted a live video feed of the surgery on www.ustream.tv. Ryan Squire, social media program director for OSU Medical Center, said there were two reasons the hospital decided to broadcast the surgery. First, the hospital wanted to publicize the availability of its MAKOplasty procedure to patients and referring physicians. Second, broadcasting and tweeting were additional methods of education for OSU medical students.
Mr. Squire recommended that other hospitals considering broadcasts or tweets of surgeries discuss it with surgeons first, as some will not want to be a part of it. Hospitals should also establish an emergency plan in case something goes wrong during the surgery. For instance, OSU Medical Center planned to cut the video stream but continue tweeting updates. Hospitals should also run these ideas by the hospital's legal team and the patient should sign a HIPAA compliance form. It is also important that video capabilities include audio, since it may be useful for surgeons to narrate their steps or add commentary.
Read the report on OSU Medical Center, Twitter and MAKOplasty.
Related Articles on OR Efficiency:
10 Important Findings for Hospital ORs
Cleveland Hospital Tests Efficiency, Patient Flow Through "Mock Ops"
Children’s Hospitals Can Level Weekday Crowding by Adjusting Scheduling Methods