Hospitals and New Media Technologies - Essay Example

?How hospitals in the health care industries have used new media technology and study the social effects and cultural impact of them on the patient Communication has played an important role in the world. History is a testimony of the fact that communication has proved a key factor in development of human society and civilization. In ancient world the scope of communication was limited and slow due to the means applied for the purpose of communication. However after Industrial Revolution the situation changed and the devices for communication have developed rapidly. The role of telegraph, radio, film and television from Industrial Revolution to the present time is phenomenal and without any doubt very profound. In the last quarter of 20th Century computer has started to play its role in communication and with passage of time a new term emerged in the field of communication. This new term was “New Media”. New media technology is any type of application intended to transmit information through digital techniques, computerized systems or data networks. New media technology is normally associated with information transfers meant to be manipulated in some way. The most common examples of new media technologies consist of Internet-based concepts like websites or digital mediums such as CD-ROMs and DVDs. Anything that is considered old media, such as television, film or paper-based products, are not part of new media. According to Donna Chu (2009, p 337), ‘Although there is a growing literature on new media (Hassan & Thom as, 2006), there is little consensus on what it will actually bring us (see Gauntlett & Horsley, 2004; Lister, 2003). ..... The unsettling debates are largely due to the lack of concrete details and contextualized understandings of how new media are actually used on an everyday basis.’ According to experts New Media will be able to alter the meaning of geographic distance. Furthermore it will allow for a huge increase in the volume of communication and provide the possibility of increasing the speed of communication. It will also provide opportunities for interactive communication. The rise of new media has improved communication between people all over the world and the Internet. It has allowed people to communicate blogs, websites, pictures, and other media. The new media industry shares an open association with different market segments such as software/video game design, television, radio, and mainly movies, advertising and marketing. Again Donna Chu (2009, p 338 & 339) is of the opinion that, ‘There are high hopes that new interactive media will add impetus to various social movements. It is in this light that new media are cultivating a new social space, which is often linked to Habermas’ public sphere (Habermas, Lennox, & Lennox, 1 974), albeit in a virtual sense. Yet as noted by Papacharissi (2002), public space should not be confused with the public sphere. That new media provide forums for political deliberation does not automatically lead to the formation of a public sphere that facilitates democratic discussion. A crucial difference lies in the nature and quality of discussion found on the Internet (Fung, 2002; Tsaliki, 2002). In an era when new media is giving birth to a new social order, studies of the many for forms of collective behavio(u)r in evidence will yield a deeper understanding of how new customs and conventions are being created and maintained.’ Presenting Singapore as a model Terence Lee (2003, p 84) states that, ‘At present, Singapore's e-citizen portal, www.ecitizen.gov.sg, provides the best illustration of Singapore's successes in e-govemment. Launched in April 1999, the e-citizen website offers more than 180 e-services grouped in 16 online units based on categories that address family life, health, housing, education, employment, transport and other day-to-day issues (IDA, 2001).’ From the above paragraphs and quotations it is clear that new media is making huge inroad in the modern world. After looking at different aspects of new media, we will now shift our focus on the issue of health. Health has always been a major concern for humanity. The importance of healthy life needs no illustration for elaboration. Health is one of the yardsticks to measure the prosperity and advancement of any nation. In past health was mainly related with religion and myths but advancement in science and technology has changed this field. No one would disagree that technology has brought major changes in the healthcare industry. From new testing techniques to surgical equipment, today’s medicine is very different from that of just ten years ago.  And now, with the sudden increase of social media, the Internet and other digital communications, technology is presenting a faster and more efficient way to connect patients.  Social media and the Internet have made a wealth of health-related information more accessible to patients. This easy access is both blessing and danger. It is common now days that patients try to find information instantly and often research both disease and cure on their own.  In majority cases, this results in better informed patients by making it possible for them to take greater responsibility for their healthcare. But in some cases, if patients access inaccurate information then result can be dangerous. The belief in online information is not very high but patients are ready to have some faith in online contents. This adds to the responsibility of doctors and nurses to properly educate patients.     Communication is the power of exchanging ideas and new social media is providing a very good channel to healthcare providers in order to exchange of information between themselves and their patients.  According to William Sweetland and Susan C. Thomson (2010), ‘social media have become indispensable tools for connecting in new and personal ways with current and prospective employees and patients and with the public at large. In turn, the social media explosion has changed doctor-patient relations by empowering patients, giving them greater access to medical information and building connections among them.’ These communications with patients not only deepen loyalty, but also create a continuous feedback loop that gives providers deeper understanding of their patients’ motivations and needs, and offers the opportunity to react in real time. For example, physicians can use social media to interact with patients. Physicians can send pertinent health information and encouraging messages to patients to help them more actively administer their conditions between office visits.  They also can add to the social media posts with text and e-mail reminders to certain groups of patients who have selected this form of communication.  Patients with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure could get reminders to renew their prescriptions as well as regular tips on diet to help keep their blood pressure in check. Similarly patients, who want to quit smoking, could be motivated to join a smoking cessation program or acquire nicotine patches. These interactions are primarily for the involvement of patients. By effectively involving in a dialogue in which information and concerns can be shared, doctors are in better position to monitor the state and patients become more encouraged to take a more dynamic role in their course of treatment. Again the end result is a more satisfying experience for everyone involved. New media is a new choice that allows people to get information on-demand. Instead of having to get notice as someone walks by a poster or waits in a waiting room, a website can have detailed information that people will read, because they are doing this on their own terms. We find that people click through to several pages on a website, getting more information than they would from a poster or brochure, before responding to a call to action. The web has access to information open for everyone. Additionally this access of information is very fast and manifold. The result is clear that the web has become one of the leading sources of health information. Information from the web spreads very quickly and like a virus, from person-to-person. Not only the direct patient, but their friends and family are also involved in this process of accessing information. People attitude toward disease has changed considerably. It is common that when a person hears about a friend’s diagnosis then the person automatically looks online for more information. The ease with which people can get the information they want from the web has added to the value of the web as it is much easier to modify communications to meet the needs of each individual – through search engine optimization, online advertising, and web content. This high level of involvement can reward a healthcare provider with valuable word-of-mouth advertising that helps to reduce costs for acquiring new patients, as well as a long-term revenue for the practice or hospital. New media has given healthcare providers a new tool for advertisement. This tool is making its mark on the finances and therefore it is no surprise that more and more healthcare providers are exploring the world of new media. This view is presented in an article by William Sweetland and Susan C. Thomson (2010), ‘Mercy Health had just begun its “Mercy Health Life” campaign, which offered advice to the public on the hospital’s website on such topics as bariatrics, weight management and diabetes. Kessler decided to put up a Facebook page for “Mercy Health Life.” The response was overwhelming, “many times what we thought it would be,” said Kessler. In one year, 2,500 people signed up as fans on the program’s Facebook page.’ Educating people about health has been made easy by new media. New health-focused social networks, search engines and content distributors are making it easier for anyone to have access to the same information at the same time. The role of providing education is presented by William Sweetland and Susan C. Thomson (2010), ‘For St. Vincent’s HealthCare in Jacksonville, Fla. a ministry of Ascension Health, Twitter has turned out to be a highly effective as an educational tool. David Meyer, vice president of strategic planning and marketing, came to his office one Monday in early November 2009, prepared, but nervous, about the hospital’s first time to “live-tweet” a surgery, a mastectomy. The procedure would be chronicled with tweets every couple of minutes direct from the operating room. In an area of the waiting room specially partitioned off for them, the patient’s family would watch the tweets and follow the operation’s progress on a big computer screen. Meyer took a deep breath and went to the operating room. Yes, he had second thoughts, but five minutes into the experience, his doubts were gone for good. By the end of the day, he was convinced that live tweeting could be a “powerful tool” for improving the satisfaction of patients and their relatives.’ Consumers now have access to information that was once available only to the industry. Social computing makes it possible for almost anyone to quickly get information, ask more questions, and take charge of their health decisions like never before. This power to the people is in no way proving any obstruction in the improvement of health. People cannot take risk with their health therefore at the end they have to agree with the doctor but the information has compelled the doctors to share things, which in the past were not necessary. Some may disagree with the above presented aspects of new media and may claim that these advancements make the patient experience impersonal. It’s really quite the opposite. These technologies actually allow healthcare providers to interact more frequently with their patients, deepening their personal connection beyond the office visit or exam room. The physical distance is present but increased level of interaction is such an attraction that patients are ready to use new media devices for improving health. Now it is less expensive, faster, and easy for health groups, physicians, health organizations, and consumers to connect and collaborate, everyone is getting smarter. People are learning about new treatments, substitute solutions, less expensive choices, and helping each other. There are different devices available in the market, which are utilizing the modern technology in order to help patients and physicians. Leading companies are involved in the making of different software and hardware to help improve the health sector. According to Victoria E. Knight (2008), ‘When Tajel Shah sought laser surgery to correct her short(-)sightedness, the surgeon said she would need to use eye-wetting drops every hour and take a medication for three weeks to ready her eyes for the procedure -- a tough regimen for the working mother of two to follow. "I thought there's no way I am going to be able to do this unless I have some sort of physical reminder," said the 38-year-old from San Francisco.’ ‘Then a friend told her about the Zuri, an iPod-sized device that sends patients reminders to take their medications and records their compliance, which users and, if they choose, their doctors can track through a companion Web page.’ The Zuri is a device which is using different new media components. The Zuri reminds patients to take their medication. In this patients sign up and technicians put medication schedule of patients on a Web page and download the information into the device. When the device beeps patients could see which medication is needed to take on its screen, and, by pressing a button, confirm whether or the patient has taken it. This device is a great help to the patients in regulating their medicines and also help the physicians to keep an exact track of patients. The chance of forgetting to take dose has reduced and chance of patient’s recovery has increased. Zume Life's product is one of many "self-care" devices that companies including Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. are developing to help people supervise their own health and get feedback from caregivers. Intel's care-management tool, called Health Guide, combines an in-home patient device with an online interface that doctors can use to observe and remotely handle care. "With more people living with chronic diseases, we believe care can be increasingly moved outside of the hospital to the home," said Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Health Group as stated by Victoria E. Knight (2008). The in-home patient device collects readings from particular models of wired and wireless medical devices, such as blood-pressure monitors and glucose meters. It then shows the data for the patient on a touch screen and transmits the readings to a secure host server, where health-care professionals can check the information and provide feedback through video conferencing and email. Patients also can keep an eye on their health status, correspond with care teams and learn about their medical conditions, according to Intel. According to some health-care experts technology has the ability to lower health-care costs by making the delivery of services more efficient and by empowering consumers to take a more-active role in their own care. But technology companies need to make the tools easy to use, attractively priced and secure in order for such devices to take off. Monitoring devices can run up to several hundred dollars, and users may need to pay monthly subscriptions for some services. Some products require a bit of technological know-how, which not all patients have. Social networks are lifting the cover of an often unclear and complex industry. People yearn for to understand more about the companies providing their health care. They are learning about substitute treatments. And they are demanding a more open and straightforward culture from the industry. Social networks are breeding knowledgeable consumers, who are giving their trust to those who are ready to put the things in open. New media is proving its worth in different fields of life. One common aspect of this new tool is its ability to give people choice. The power of choice has made new media very popular all over the world. The role it has played and is still playing in politics is for everyone to see, however in the health sector the role of new media is increasing with an amazing pace. Health care industry may have its fears about the use of new media, however thus far the apprehensions of people are proved wrong. The attitude of patients has changed but this change is very positive. The knowledge about disease and the ability to understand things said by health experts are giving new confidence to the patients. Social media is here to stay and it cannot be denied. Healthcare industry must change itself according to the new situation otherwise it will be forced to change. The power of social media has transformed every sector and segment of the society therefore it is no surprise if it is changing the attitude of people linked with health. It is a fact that cannot be denied and according to William Sweetland and Susan C. Thomson (2010), ‘The social media age is in its infancy, its future open-ended. Bennett predicts a process similar to what happened with websites, once considered cutting-edge. Now all major hospitals have them. With the possible exception of hospitals too small or with too little staff to take on the extra work that goes with social media, he said, “in three or four years, almost every hospital will be doing this.” References Donna, Chu.,2009, Collective behavior in YouTube: a case study of ‘Bus Uncle’online videos, Asian Journal of Communication, Vol. 19, No. 3, September 2009, pp.337-353. Terence, Lee., 2003, INTERNET USE IN SINGAPORE: POLITICS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS, Media International Australia Incorporating Culture and Policy, No. 107 - May 2003, pp. 75-85. William Sweetland and Susan C. Thomson., 2010, Social Media NEW TOOLS BOOST MARKETING, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, Journal of The Catholic Health Association of The United States, Health Progress, November - December 2010, pp. 31-36. Daya Kishan Thussu, International Communication ,2nd Ed. Blooms Bury Williams, Raymond 1974, The technology and the society, Fontana, Hanover. James Carey 1999, Time, space and the telegraph, Longman, New York. Michael Galvin 2003, ‘September 11 and the Logistics of Communication’, University of South Australia Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2003 Audrey, Yue 2006, ‘ The Regional Culture Of New Asia Cultural governance and creative industries in Singapore International’, Journal of Cultural Policy, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2006. Weighs in on the growth of new media tools and how choice is essential to patient outreach. Available at . Flew, Terry (2002), New Media: An Introduction, Oxford University Press, UK Holmes (2005) "Telecommunity" in Communication Theory: Media, Technology and Society, Cambridge: Polity. Victoria E. Knight (2008), ‘Tools Help Patients Interface With Doctors’, The Wall Street Journal, 19 August, accessed 17 July, 2010 from Read More