Social media: Conversations do not need to be regulated
According to Manhattan Research 35% of health seekers now use social media to research health conditions. The key question that has to be asked therefore is "why"? The answer I heard during our last round of research was that people want to learn from others experiences and hear what they have to say about treatment options. However the trust in social media for health remains very low because it is only a small piece of the puzzle to give them the information they need to make health choices.
Social media is not a trusted form of health
information but just another piece of
the puzzle (click to
enlarge)
Last night on Bill Maher's HBO show, for example,
he had on as a guest Dr Bill Frist. Bill Maher,
who doesn't believe in prescription drugs, had a
sustained debate with Mr Frist on the safety of
vaccines. When Dr Frist reminded Mr Maher that
vaccines have eradicated a lot of serious
diseases like Smallpox Mr Maher refused to listen
and continue to say that anyone that gets the
Swine flue vaccine is an idiot. Tell that to the
parents of the 80 children who have died from
swine flu ! Mr Frist even reminded Mr Maher that
a healthy 30 year old came into a hospital and
was dead two days later from the flue upon which
Mr Maher said that was an "antidotal story".
Should the FDA then be allowed to come on and
force Mr Maher to make a correction? The answer
to that of course is NO because it is his opinion
and that is the point of social media; it is the
opinion of individuals.
Yes
more people are turning to the Internet for
health information
but in the end the PCP is still the most trusted
source (click to enlarge)
So what if someone goes on social media and said that after taking Cialis they had the best sexual experience of their life and it provided male enhancement? Should the FDA/DDMAC force the poster to add a disclaimer? Of course not. Social media is a natural evolution of the Internet to connect people but forcing anyone to "correct" it is surely a waste of time & money and is another indication that people don't understand social media and Internet marketing.
