Have you ever felt like Alice in Wonderland? I am not referring to the beauty of an unknown world, but simply the confusion that comes with unknown territory. If you have no idea what I am talking about, I am very happy for you. See, when I first visited a hospital, I was really amazed by every little detail that is there to see. There was not a single thing that I could completely understand. Even the signposts were mesmerizing me. I just had no idea what all the terms were for, I felt like a child taking part in a business conference.
According to a reporter from newspaper 'Metro' (March the 2th, 2010) I am not the only one that feels a bit lost in the world of medicine. The Counsel of Publ
ic Health and Care believes that Social Media can be of great use for the Health Care-industry. They can be used to turn ignorant patients into well-informed patient. This could lead to people who enter a hospital with much more confidence, people that are able to actually discuss things with a doctor, patients who stand up for their rights. An example of a social network that is used to bring the everyday world and the world of medicine closer together, is http://www.deeljezorg.nl/. On this site, people can place messages about their experiences with caretakers. Caretakers, on the other hand, can also add posts to the site. This makes it a site that is focused on the dialogue between caretakers and patients. The site could be the bridge that is desperatly needed in the new Health market, where things are neg
otiable instead of already decided.
I, however, have to say that I have doubts about the use of social media in the world of Health Care. Why? Well, let's see. I believe that everything you read, see, hear etcetera can influence the way you perceive things that happen afterwards. Let's say that I am pregnant with my first child. I want to give birth to my baby in the hospital but I have no idea what to expect. I visit a social network where I read posts from people who already gave birth to their child in the hospital situated in my city. If I would read a comment, saying that the nurses took poor care of patient, the delivery was very painfull and the doctor was not nice at all, I will probably start to hesitate. I would start to worry, which is first of all not good for my condition and second of all makes it even more difficult for me to perceive the actual quality of the care that is provided to me. Therefore, I wonder....what is a better way to deal with the world of health care? Knowledge is power? Or ignorance is bliss?
According to a reporter from newspaper 'Metro' (March the 2th, 2010) I am not the only one that feels a bit lost in the world of medicine. The Counsel of Publ
ic Health and Care believes that Social Media can be of great use for the Health Care-industry. They can be used to turn ignorant patients into well-informed patient. This could lead to people who enter a hospital with much more confidence, people that are able to actually discuss things with a doctor, patients who stand up for their rights. An example of a social network that is used to bring the everyday world and the world of medicine closer together, is http://www.deeljezorg.nl/. On this site, people can place messages about their experiences with caretakers. Caretakers, on the other hand, can also add posts to the site. This makes it a site that is focused on the dialogue between caretakers and patients. The site could be the bridge that is desperatly needed in the new Health market, where things are neg
otiable instead of already decided.I, however, have to say that I have doubts about the use of social media in the world of Health Care. Why? Well, let's see. I believe that everything you read, see, hear etcetera can influence the way you perceive things that happen afterwards. Let's say that I am pregnant with my first child. I want to give birth to my baby in the hospital but I have no idea what to expect. I visit a social network where I read posts from people who already gave birth to their child in the hospital situated in my city. If I would read a comment, saying that the nurses took poor care of patient, the delivery was very painfull and the doctor was not nice at all, I will probably start to hesitate. I would start to worry, which is first of all not good for my condition and second of all makes it even more difficult for me to perceive the actual quality of the care that is provided to me. Therefore, I wonder....what is a better way to deal with the world of health care? Knowledge is power? Or ignorance is bliss?
knowledge is power,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenpeople feel much more confident if they know what they can expect