Social Media in Healthcare: Opportunities and Challenges

Understand how social media is used in healthcare to improve communication.

Social media has emerged as a new channel for both seeking information, and for creating and exchanging user-generated content among peers.

But as the amount of information being uploaded to social networks such as Facebook, Whatsapp or YouTube continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly difficult to discern reliable health information from misleading content.

This course for anyone who is looking into the opportunities and challenges of using social media in healthcare, including as a mass communication tool during infectious disease epidemics.

This course provides practical guidance to healthcare providers, patients and researchers. It is suitable for anyone who is interested in public health, and using information technology for improving health quality and patients’ safety.

The course is taught in English but we also offer Traditional Chinese subtitles on the videos.

This course provides practical guidance to healthcare providers, patients and researchers. It is suitable for anyone who is interested in public health, and using information technology for improving health quality and patients’ safety.

• Describe what social media is in the context of healthcare.
• Interpret what is good or bad through social media.
• Reflect on the patient's role in modern healthcare ecosystems.