Digital Communication in Health Care

Foundations on Internet-Based Communication

• Historical perspectives
  • Technological advancements follow a familiar pattern: widespread adoption of the technology by the public often follows the development of what is commonly called the "killer app.”
  • Killer apps are software applications whose popularity is so strong that it guarantees the success of the technology on which it runs (Merriam-Webster, 2018).
  • The first network e-mail message, sent in 1972, just a few years after ARPANET was developed, became the killer app for what was to become today's Internet. Ironically, the network e-mail function was created out of a need for ARPANET researchers, not the general public, to communicate (Leiner et al., 2010).
  • In 1990, the internet became public.
• E-mail Communication
  • E-mail remains the killer app.
  • Portal: standard methods to address this concern utilize a model in which providers and patients create messages in a secure online location
  • There is also a significant concern for the privacy and security of emails.
  • How easy is it for others to access one’s medical files
  • The intended recipients receive an e-mail notification to log into the secure portal to read/act on the message.
  • The advantage of this model is that the information is never actually transmitted via e-mail. Instead, it is housed in a secure online environment (Lin et al., 2005).
  • The patient-provider e-mail communication is a reimbursement.
  • It falls under the “e-visit” term.
  • Another challenge of e-mail communication is changing the workflow.
  • It is best used for scheduling, requesting a refill, obtaining test results, clarifying billing questions, and similar topics.
• Internet as a Source of Information
  • As a society, we still value the internet as a great source of medical information.
  • Just because the internet says something to be true does not mean it is
  • It is common for patients to look up both their drugs and their symptoms and falsely diagnose themselves.
• Social Uses of the Internet
  • While a decade old, Eysenbach's (2008) five core features of social uses of the Internet for health-related activities also apply
  • Social networking: the building of relationships or connections among people
  • Participation: the direct involvement of patients in the management of their health care and health-related information
  • Apo mediation: the identification of trustworthy health-related information and services using a collaborative filtering process
  • Collaboration: the connecting of people who would not nor usually the able to connect
  • Openness: the ability to move patient information across separate systems
  • These characteristics have enabled the growth of the Internet as a social communications tool.
  • This growth will continue to impact pharmacy practice.
• Considerations for the Internet as a Communication Tool
  • With the internet being so common, it is used not only for science and research but in our everyday lives.
  • We see it in our homes and rely on it for now essential functions.
  • The newest problem arising is the digital divide.
  • Digital divide: the disparity between those who have access to technology and information and those who do not

Pharmacists’ Use of Social Media

• Social Media: bidirectional or interactive, dynamic, and utilizing push technologies
  • Reflects the second iteration of the web
• Social media is user-generated
• It enables geographically disparate healthcare professionals to communicate and collaborate.
• Studies have shown that the more the public is involved in healthcare matters, the more they are willing to participate.
• Health Conferences have noticed the more attention they get on social media, the more the public is informed.

Patient-Provider Communication

• One of the five benefits of digital communication is Healthcare.

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1. Health-related content distribution to patients from any Internet-connected device from anywhere in the world
2. Synchronous and asynchronous communication between providers and patients (e,g tele-pharmacy, e-visits, discussion forums, text alerts, etc.)
3. Provision of patient-generated health-related information to their provider
4. Portals that allow patients to access, review, and annotate their medical records
5. Collaborative arrangements using social media tools to help patients manage their medical records

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• The challenge and opportunity of using digital communication are finding what best fits the patient’s needs.
  • Suits the workflow of the provider
  • Appropriate for the patient's health care needs and abilities.
• The general use of health information technologies is typical to:
  • Establish continuity of care
  • Address time constraints
  • Overcome geographic barriers

Interprofessional Use of Digital Communication

• Healthcare providers are using digital media communication tools to:

  • Enhance or coordinate the care of patients and patient populations
  • Disseminate information to peers
  • Influence decision-making and behavior
  • Create or strengthen research collaborations

• This can happen through e-mail, listeners, instant messaging, or social media.

• E-mail listservs: electronic mailing lists

  • They can connect pharmacists to fellow providers and are excellent sources for posing questions.

• Instant Messaging: mobile device-mediated

  • Near-instant communication

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