This document discusses social media and cancer communities. It defines social media as web-based tools for interaction that allow sharing of content. It outlines risks like loss of boundaries but also benefits like improved communication and networking. It defines online communities as groups sharing common interests. Popular patient-focused sites include the American Cancer Society while Twitter and LinkedIn are used by professionals. Hashtags help coordinate discussions on specific topics. The document provides advice on getting started in social media and how it can enhance medical practice through better understanding patients and enabling collaboration.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA AND
CANCER COMMUNITIES
Matthew Katz, MD
Considerations in Clinical PracticeJune 2, 2014

2. Conflict of Interest
 External advisor, Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media
 Communications Committee, Massachusetts Medical
Society
 No financial links, leadership position with any
healthcare or social media company

3. Overview
 Social Media
 Definition
 Risks and Benefits in Medicine
 Cancer Communities
 Definition and Types
 Focus on Twitter, LinkedIn
 How it enhances your practice
 Communication
 Collaboration
 Summary

4. Definition of Social Media
“Social media are web-based tools for
interaction that, in addition to conversation,
allow users to share content such as photos,
videos, and links to resources”
-- Meredith Gould, The Social Media Gospel

5. Risks of Social Media
 Patient
 Loss of boundaries
 Misinterpreted/bad communication
 Professional
 Reputation
 Malpractice
 Personal
 Split personality (personal/professional)
 Burnout

6. Benefits of Social Media
 Patients
 Coordinate Care
 Improved communication
 Career
 Networking
 Education
 Career Opportunity
 Reputation Management
 Research
 Collaboration
 Funding

7. Definition of Community
 A feeling of fellowship with others, as a
result of sharing common attitudes, interests
and goals.
Source: Oxforddictionaries.com
http://bit.ly/1ew9g9F

8. Brave New World
 Geography doesn’t matter as
much as internet access
 Communities are defined by
interest, not location
 New dynamics for
previously isolated people

9. POST Methodology
People: Know your audience.
Objectives: Define goals/endpoints.
Strategy: Plan how you want to interact
with others online.
Technologies: Pick a platform that works for
your strategy.
Source: Forrester Research
http://bit.ly/1nm0KtN

10. Most Efficient = RSS

11. Online Community Life Cycle
Young C, JMIR 2013
http://1.usa.gov/1lYG9yb

12. Patient-oriented
 Nonprofit
 American Cancer Society http://bit.ly/1thFA4e
 ASCO http://cancer.net
 Macmillan Cancer http://bit.ly/1eHefEe
 LIVESTRONG http://bit.ly/RuBGqx
 NCI’s LiveHelp http://1.usa.gov/1f1SfPx
 For profit
 smartpatients.com
 talkabouthealth.com
 healthtap.com
 Live chats
 Twitter.com

13. Social Networks for Professionals

14. Twitter
 Microblogging platform
 140 character limit
 Founded 2006
 2007: 4000 tweets daily
 2014
 255 M active users, 1 billion registered
 11% of Americans tweet at least once a month
 80% of world leaders have an account
Source: Expanded Ramblings, http://bit.ly/1wTe2E4

15. Rapid growth of professionals on Twitter
• Now ~75,000 healthcare professionals online
• 152,000 tweets/day
Creation Pinpoint, http://bit.ly/1hU6Kqd
http://bit.ly/QOJqCy

16. Source: Creation Pinpoint, http://bit.ly/QOJqCy
Where are they?

17. Cancer on Twitter
Organization Twitter Handle Followers
World Health Organization @WHO 1.2 M
Mayo Clinic @MayoClinic 754 K
American Cancer Society @AmericanCancer 457 K
Health Human Services @HHSGov 369 K
Science Magazine @ScienceMagazine 249 K
NEJM @NEJM 177 K
Lancet @TheLancet 111 K
National Cancer Institute @theNCI 51 K
Institute of Medicine @theIOM 31 K
MD Anderson @MDAndersonNews 26 K
ASCO @ASCO 24 K
AACR @AACR 18 K
RSNA @RSNA 14 K
American College of Surgeons @AmCollSurgeons 14 K
Twitter data, March 29, 2014

18. How to start on Twitter*
* Applies to most platforms

19. Hashtags on Twitter
 Used to identify specific
data
 Twitter started using for
trending topics in 2010
 “Narrowcasting” on a
channel – but interactive
 Can coordinate live chats
on a specific topic
Source: weknowmemes.com http://bit.ly/1lwUQ7S

20. #bcsm – Breast Cancer & Social Media
 Started July 4, 2011
 Organized by two breast cancer advocates
and joined by breast surgeon to moderate
weekly chats
 Focus on advocacy, survivorship, support,
metastatic breast cancer, new research

21. #BCSM Activity, March 2014
Source: Symplur.com

22. Current cancer chats
Tweet chat When Tweets in 2013
#bcsm Monday, 8 PM CST 84391
#btsm 1st
Sunday, 9 PM CST 49077
#gyncsm 2nd
Wednesday, 8 PM CST 4374
#lcsm Every other Thursday, 7 PM CST 32339
Source: Symplur.com
Tweet disclaimer used on #gyncsm
http://gyncsm.blogspot.com/p/tweet-disclaimer.html

23. #LCSM Growth
Source: Symplur.com

24. Source: Symplur.com, http://bit.ly/1cAmuR7

25. Source: International Urology Journal Club, http://bit.ly/1io3Fx9

26.  Mainstream
 Professional
 Default = positive spin
 Lots of industry exposure
 Helpful for
 Showing expertise
 Networking and job search
 Not as focused as doctor-oriented social
networks

28. Share Your Expertise
http://slidesha.re/1hTBgk7

30. How It May Enhance Practice
 Better understanding of our patients
 Concerns
 Hot topics that come up in clinic
 May enhance communications skills
 Collaboration
 EMR or 3rd
party HITECH/HIPAA compliant
communications tools
 May help with clinical and basic science research
 Reputation/Brand Management

31. One of many options

32. Where to start
 RSS feed
 Find a way to bring interesting content to you
 Sign up for DISQUS commenting system
 LinkedIn.com
 Twitter.com
 Learn the ropes and listen first
 Content curation, creation can follow later

33. Summary
 Social media are pervasive, powerful
communications tools
 Social media fluency is a skill or tool in medicine
 Require some time to learn, but little technical
skill needed
 You can find communities online that enrich your
life and your practice of medicine

34. Thank you
 ASCO
 Don Dizon et al.
 All my teachers,
online and in
person