Social Media: How to Use It Effectively.

The digital age has revolutionized how information is shared among human beings. The Internet initially provided a means for obtaining information and then evolved to allow the exchange of information between humans and Web sites. The enormous impact of these changes on health care has shifted the way physicians provide care and how patients elect for and receive care. Social media applications allow for immediate exchange of ideas between large populations, which presents many opportunities and challenges for practicing physicians. Providers must be cognizant of patient confidentiality, their own online reputation, and risk management when using social media. The future is widely unknown with opportunities for marketing, networking, and research to evolve in the coming decades.