Clearly whoever said Twitter and Facebook were only for the young whippersnappers is out of touch with the real world. Everyone uses social media, and doctors are taking to it at an increasingly rapid pace, according to a study released by QuantiaMD in early September.
Nearly 90% of physicians use at least one social media site for personal use, while over 65% use them for professional purposes, the study says.
And interest is growing. Almost a third of the survey respondents use social media to connect with colleagues to learn from their peers and experts. Plus, over 20% of providers use two or more social media outlets for personal and professional use.
But while many doctors are social butterflies online, the majority is wary of interacting with patients via social media. About a third of the physicians surveyed reported being “friended” by a patient on Facebook; three-quarters declined the friend request.
How does your practice use social media?