Emergency physicians are finding new ways to connect with patients, with some growing an audience by posting messages to Twitter.
Researchers at the University of Washington analyzed Twitter posts for more than 2,200 emergency physicians to see which ones made the most out of their 140-character posts. The team identified about 60 doctors who are cultivating a following on the site both by measuring followers broadly and by looking at who’s connecting the most with other emergency physicians.
The team also looked at the content of posts to determine which physicians are more likely to spread and share key information. The researchers hope that their analysis can form the basis of future study on how emergency doctors are interacting with patients and their peers on social media. For instance, many of the doctors driving the conversations on Twitter also have blogs or podcasts where they discuss healthcare topics.
“Understanding the balance of content on Twitter may help [emergency medicine] practitioners and educators make informed decisions,” the researchers write.
FierceHealthcare randomly selected a few of the study’s 60 top U.S. doctors to see what they share on Twitter:
Amal Mattu, M.D., vice chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland
Monday shift #WhiteBoardTeaching @UMEmergencyMed #FOAMed pic.twitter.com/I6ckBnX4eO
— Amal Mattu (@amalmattu) February 6, 2017
Today's shift with @critcareguys doing some #WhiteBoardTeaching @UMEmergencyMed #FOAMed Happy Groundhog Day! pic.twitter.com/yhHolDYbeO
— Amal Mattu (@amalmattu) February 2, 2017
Jason T. Nomura, M.D., emergency physician with Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware
Vein viewers limited by tattoo, use US #POCUS #FOAMed pic.twitter.com/xT0HW6JicD
— Jason T Nomura MD (@Takeokun) January 29, 2017
Pain GR: start opiates at reasonable levels, better to increase than to need multiple narcan doses. #FOAMed
— Jason T Nomura MD (@Takeokun) January 26, 2017
Rob Orman, M.D., an emergency physician based in Bend, Oregon, and host of ERCast podcast
What's the cure for a mumps outbreak? A mumps podcast of course! https://t.co/JYqDvRYQiv
— Rob Orman (@emergencypdx) February 3, 2017
If you have a c-spine screen in triage, what do you do when positive? Collar all and being back, collar and wait in triage, nothing?...
— Rob Orman (@emergencypdx) January 19, 2017
Lauren Westafer, M.D., emergency physician and research fellow at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts
Yes, upright intubations=feasible in the ED https://t.co/EozVOkllfk (weird study but confirms my bias that (semi)upright intubation>supine)
— Lauren Westafer (@LWestafer) February 6, 2017
We ♥ the complex things but can't do the simple things well....Killing off the pulse checkhttps://t.co/rVQleP4Aho#FOAMed #FOAMems
— Lauren Westafer (@LWestafer) November 14, 2016
Sean M. Fox, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at Carolinas Medical Center
#FOAMed #FOAMped This week's Morsel: Insipid Urine. https://t.co/poBcCrKhbI
— Sean M. Fox (@PedEMMorsels) February 3, 2017
#FOAMed #FOAMPed Oldie but a Goodie Morsel - Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO): https://t.co/ndoYfMg04r
— Sean M. Fox (@PedEMMorsels) January 31, 2017