By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Heroism in Harm’s Way
    February 21, 2015
    5 Things Every Trainee GP Should Know
    August 27, 2019
    Top 5 Facts About CPPA Accreditation
    April 9, 2015
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Health Information Quality…
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > Health Information Quality…
Social Media

Health Information Quality…

HowardLuks
HowardLuks
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

…and your ability to interpret and apply it.

 

Contents
  • …and your ability to interpret and apply it.
  • …and your ability to interpret and apply it.

Bryan Vartabedian, MD‘s post today is quite relevant to those of us who frequently talk about the intersection of health care and social media.  His achnowledgment of the fact that 80% of patients search for health care information online is no longer news rings true for many.  We’ve known these facts for years thanks to the work of the Pew Internet Group and @SusannahFox.

…and your ability to interpret and apply it.

 

Bryan Vartabedian, MD‘s post today is quite relevant to those of us who frequently talk about the intersection of health care and social media.  His achnowledgment of the fact that 80% of patients search for health care information online is no longer news rings true for many.  We’ve known these facts for years thanks to the work of the Pew Internet Group and @SusannahFox.

More Read

New Ways to Engage with Patients
Don’t Use Social Media to Attack; Use It To Influence!
Marketing Your Medical Device to Millennials? Here’s Why Mobile Matters Most
How to Convert Gen Xers With Your Healthcare Mobile PPC Strategy
3 Ways Physicians Can Increase Their Social Media Following

The real issue that patients face when searching for information online pertains to the :

  1. Quality of the information they are receiving.
  2. Health Literacy: Their ability to interpret and incorporate the content or information they are reading.

A simple google search on many medical conditions reveals the issue of quality.   Most of the top search results are commercially biased (at best), mis-leading and occasionally even harmful.

Many physicians, such as Wendy Sue Swanson , Ves Dimov and many many others are trying hard to change the quality of the information available online to patients and interested parties.  Val Jones has started a project called HealthyRT to call attention to the poor quality of health information available online, and allow a number of physicians (me included :-) ) to help vet information sources and hopefully give patients a place to start in their search for quality health information.  Along the same lines,  I have also started a page on my website called Social Health, Social Help for the same reason.

Health literacy is a huge issue.  ”*Even basic literacy is an issue we face in the world today. Health literacy varies by context and setting and is not necessarily related to years of education or general reading ability. A person who functions adequately at home or work may have marginal or inadequate literacy in a health care environment*”. According to the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Report, Literacy and Health Outcomes (January 2004) —low health literacy is linked to higher rates of hospitalization and higher use of expensive emergency services. This evidence-based literature review highlights numerous studies that provide a detailed analysis of the correlation between low health literacy and poor health.

Health literacy will NOT be an easy issue to deal with.

Physicians and other health care professionals need  to be cognizant of this issue and try their best to present the information or the content they develop or curate  in an *easy to read* manner which enables and/or empowers the individual trying to understand what all this information means .

 

TAGGED:social media
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

Personalized Medicine: Reimbursement and Marketing Challenges

November 25, 2014
Image
Social Media

How To Use SmartStream For HealthCare Tweet Chats

May 13, 2013

How Big Data Hadoop Can Save Patients from a Crippling Healthcare System

July 28, 2014

Online Communities & Attrition from Health Intervention Programs

June 8, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?