Social Media Interactions Contributes to Patient Care

A recent study showed that half of patients admitted to not understanding what their online doctor told them after their consultation, while another 75% of ER patients said they did not fully understand their instructions either.

An online doctor needs to be able to clearly communicate with their patients. A typical online medical consultation may not be enough for some patients. They may need additional clarification or more thorough information related to their health issues. What online doctors need is a better way to communicate with patients.

This is why more patients are turning to the internet, specifically in the form of online prescription services. A recent study, performed by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, showed that an estimated 61% of adults look to the internet for their health information. The majority were looking for user-generated content that was written by previous patients with similar medical conditions.
This change has lead to Social Media websites encouraging interaction and conversation between online doctors and their patients. There are plenty of Facebook pages and blogs dedicated to connected the online physician with the patient. But, like much of the information on the web, it is not credible. This is where online doctors come in. They can help their patients sort through the deluge of misinformation to find the kernel of truth located on many websites.

Social Media presents a unique opportunity to both patients and online doctors. Patients can easily interact with their online doctor through their favorite medium. This the online doctors by allowing them total access to the thoughts, feelings and condition of the patient. There are currently 57 million Americans reading blogs, along with 120 million Facebook and Twitter users, and all of these people are voicing their opinion on health related matters.

The important thing is for online doctors to provide a reputable place for patients and physicians to find information that is factually accurate. But, 66% of online doctors do not  do follow up emails to their patients, so it’s safe to say that not many online doctors have hopped on the Social Media bandwagon. Many doctors could be deterred from using Social Media platforms simple because they are unclear of the unwritten rules associated with them. Should a patient “friend” a doctor? And should that online doctor provide diagnoses to a patient who has “friended” them? These are all very ethical questions and we will see increases of this as more online doctors begin to use Social Media in their practices.

But, access to online physicians benefits the patients. They can get a prescription from a doctor online just by submitting a prescription online. Some online doctors even offer online medical consultations to their patients. Things in the medical field are changing and many of these changes are being driven by patients as well as Social Media platforms. In a connected world patients can speak to a doctor online about whatever it is that may be bothering them. It seems like patients are in charge now, which may turn out to benefit doctors in unexpected ways.

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WARNING: Limitations of Online Doctor/Medical Consultations and Online Prescriptions, QuickRxRefills cannot Prescribe, Dispense, or Resell any and all Narcotics/Controlled Substances (this policy is fully enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)) for Pain, Anxiety, Weightloss, Sleep, ADHD/ADD including non-controlled substances or any medications that are considered controversial or recalled in nature such (i.e. Retin-A, Accutane). Furthermore, QuickRxRefills is not a substitute for an office based physician in your location nor is it a substitute for Emergency Medical Care or 911. If you do experience a "true" medical emergency your are encouraged to pick up the phone and dial 911 as soon as possible.