Guest post by Mickie Kennedy, Founder of eReleases
The biggest issue facing the healthcare industry is increasing government regulations like HIPAA. The same issue applies when professionals in the healthcare industry contemplate using networking and social media sites to build a following and get more patients.
Physicians should never solicit advice through social media as that would immediately be a violation and they could face fines or suspension. Answering questions such as “Do you offer flu shots?” or “What time does your office open on Saturday?” are fine, however.
However, professional networking sites for physicians, nurses, and scientists can provide huge amounts of information at the click of a mouse, so it can be worth checking out. Another bonus is connecting with fellow practitioners in your area. There are a plethora of options to choose from so take a look around before settling on one or two.
Professional and Social Networking Sites for Doctors
- QuantiaMD
This site offers up a chance to learn from your peers by having faculty from every major institution available for connections and questions. They also verify membership so that you know who you are talking with and where they are practicing. You can also help to solve real world cases or take a medical challenge and earn points.
- Sermo
This site offers anonymous memberships so that doctors can speak freely with their colleagues. They list themselves as the top social network for doctors and offer crowdsourced answers for medical issues and a chat system between physicians. They also pay for research, having awarded over 16M last year.
- Patient Crossroads
This site is all about the data. They offer up the opportunity for patients and doctors to contribute their knowledge on different conditions and then make that information available to anyone that needs it. This is not networking, but it does provide a huge knowledge base on issue.
- Within3
Once you cut through the corporate lingo, Within3 gives physicians another avenue for professional networking and information exchange. The discussions are then recorded and tracked for future reference.
Professional and Social Networking Sites for Nurses
- Mighty Nurse
This fun website offers advice on nursing careers, practice tests, how-to articles, and cartoons. They also have forums and a submit your nurse story feature.
- All Nurses
All Nurses is for both nurses and students and has features like a career center and general topic forums. There are many articles on different nursing topics.
- Just Us Nurses
This online community features a membership directory and thousands of forum topics to search through.
Professional and Social Networking Sites for Researchers
- MyNetResearch
This site is not solely for the healthcare or medical research industry, however, researchers can use it to connect globally on their findings.
- ScienceStage
Another website that allows you to connect your research with findings from around the world. You can also watch podcasts, read the latest journals, or spotlight your work.
- LabSpaces
This site posts blogs, has forums, and allows researchers in medical fields and other fields the chance to communicate.
As you can see, there are many varied options for research and broadening your knowledge base. Plus, you get to connect with others in your field from the around the world or down the street. Building your online community will only benefit the healthcare industry in the long run, so get started today.
Do you know of any other top notch healthcare community websites? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases in 1998. He offers free ebooks and whitepapers for independent healthcare providers who are looking to take their PR to the next level.
