Comments on: Hospitals are using social media, like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, for advertising to patients http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/hospitals-are-using-social-media-like-twitter-facebook-and-blogs-for-advertising-to-patients.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Grand Rounds Vol. 5, No. 37: The June Is Bustin’ Out All Over Edition | HIPAA Compliance News http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/hospitals-are-using-social-media-like-twitter-facebook-and-blogs-for-advertising-to-patients.html/comment-page-1#comment-111497 Grand Rounds Vol. 5, No. 37: The June Is Bustin’ Out All Over Edition | HIPAA Compliance News Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:39:56 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=30131#comment-111497 [...] Web 2.0 meets the health care establishment, and KevinMD [IRL] observes that since health care is largely a business, this should not be surprising.  For a window into social media use by health care provider organizations, check out healthsocmed. [...] [...] Web 2.0 meets the health care establishment, and KevinMD [IRL] observes that since health care is largely a business, this should not be surprising.  For a window into social media use by health care provider organizations, check out healthsocmed. [...]

]]> By: David Block MD, PhD http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/hospitals-are-using-social-media-like-twitter-facebook-and-blogs-for-advertising-to-patients.html/comment-page-1#comment-91695 David Block MD, PhD Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:57:50 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=30131#comment-91695 Why do you assume that "marketing edge" and "patient welfare" are mutually exclusive? Isn't "patient welfare" the very "marketing edge" every physician and hospital seeks to publicize? There is too often that idea of "the smell of filthy lucre" in health care analysis. We assume that physicians and hospitals, for example, will never simply do the right thing; only the Common Man and Woman will, and even then, only in "the 'hood" after being reminded of "who we really are" in the face of a radical threat to identity. Perhaps every medical practice should be in Sweet Home Alabama. As a neurologist, I like fantasy even more than the next guy. "Motives are always suspect, are they not?" we ask. We are always selling advertising. We are always telling folks how popular we are for a reason. Now that the social contract of Medicine is broken, let us always ask, "Cui bono?" Right? Why do you assume that “marketing edge” and “patient welfare” are mutually exclusive? Isn’t “patient welfare” the very “marketing edge” every physician and hospital seeks to publicize?

There is too often that idea of “the smell of filthy lucre” in health care analysis. We assume that physicians and hospitals, for example, will never simply do the right thing; only the Common Man and Woman will, and even then, only in “the ‘hood” after being reminded of “who we really are” in the face of a radical threat to identity. Perhaps every medical practice should be in Sweet Home Alabama. As a neurologist, I like fantasy even more than the next guy.

“Motives are always suspect, are they not?” we ask. We are always selling advertising. We are always telling folks how popular we are for a reason. Now that the social contract of Medicine is broken, let us always ask, “Cui bono?” Right?

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