Gould Daniel J, Leland Hyuma A, Ho Adelyn L, Patel Ketan M
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;; Diamond Health Care Centre, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada.
Ann Transl Med. 2016 Dec;4(23):455. doi: 10.21037/atm.2016.12.17.
Social media has increasingly changed the landscape of medicine and surgery and is rapidly expanding its influence in most peoples' lives. The average person spends nearly 2 hours per day using social media, consuming information about everything from family updates to entertainment news to presidential elections. The concentration of consumers on social media platforms has resulted in direct medicine and medical products marketing to consumers. Similarly, social media is increasingly becoming a platform for interaction between physicians and potential patients. Some physicians have taken this opportunity to better educate patients, while allowing patients to learn more about their surgeons online. These tools can increase internet traffic online to bonafide internet sites, as well as bolster marketing for many hospitals, hospital systems, and individual doctors. It can also serve to increase knowledge about procedures and conditions through direct outreach to patients. Social media is a powerful tool which needs to be utilized wisely to avoid pitfalls.
社交媒体日益改变了医学和外科手术的格局，并在大多数人的生活中迅速扩大其影响力。普通人每天花近两个小时使用社交媒体，消费从家庭动态到娱乐新闻再到总统选举等方方面面的信息。消费者在社交媒体平台上的集中使得医药和医疗产品直接面向消费者进行营销。同样，社交媒体正日益成为医生与潜在患者之间互动的平台。一些医生利用这个机会更好地教育患者，同时让患者在网上更多地了解他们的外科医生。这些工具可以增加合法网站的网络流量，也能加强许多医院、医院系统和个体医生的营销。它还可以通过直接与患者接触来增加对手术和病症的了解。社交媒体是一个强大的工具，需要明智地加以利用以避免陷阱。
