Tweeting about Outbreaks and Medical Alerts

August 27th, 2009

by Caitlin

The Center for Connected Health reports that Twitter will be an effective tool to notify the public of medical alerts and information. As we’ve seen with recent news events, including the Hudson River landing a few months ago and tales of people in trouble who tweeted for help, citizen journalism and Twitter are powerful tools to spread news quickly.

But, UPI reports that the key to Twitter’s success as a mass communication tool for such a serious subject will rely on ensuring cautiousness to avoid public panic and protect confidentiality and patient privacy.

While new media is certainly important and citizen journalism intriguing, all industries, and specifically the health industry, will soon have to take steps to remedy situations that may arise from inaccurately reported or false news  from unofficial sources that could lead to public panic. Naturally, this is an even greater concern when one’s health is at stake. I’ll certainly be on the watch for government and health agencies developing standards and protocols to protect confidentiality and ensure cautiousness while disseminating news through social media channels, will you?

Entry Filed under: Health 2.0, Media, Social Media, Virus and Disease