The Age of the Digital Doctor

Photo Credit: online.wsj.com

On a recent appointment with my daughter’s pediatrician I stole a look around his office. There were the expected things, diplomas and expensive looking leather bound books. There was also a laptop on his desk, with an external webcam clipped to the top of the screen. The laptop wasn’t there for solitaire. The webcam wasn’t there for Skype. He was using it as a tool in his day-to-day work. A few days later one of my closest friends, a world renowned rheumatologist, asked me to give her a Twitter tutorial. We discovered that a number of key opinion leaders in her field keep active Twitter accounts. A pattern was becoming clear—the rise of the digital doctor.

The push for electronic medical records certainly has something to do with it, but it’s more than that. Doctors are embracing the world of social media with an eye toward their patients. In a September 26, 2011 article, the American Medical Association’s amednews.com reported that the vast majority of US doctors are now on social media. The article cites a study by research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan conducted between April and May, 2011, which found that 84% of doctors use social media for personal purposes.

CLICK HERE to read the full article at SocialMediaToday.com.