Social media has become the new platform where people from all walks of life are interacting and sharing their experiences. Be it the micro-blogging website, Twitter, the more interactive and engaging Facebook or even the video-sharing portal YouTube, there are millions of gigabytes of data being shared across some of the most famous social media platforms every day.

Healthcare industry has benefited immensely from the advent of social media. Physicians, hospitals, healthcare centers, specialists and professionals are using the platform to connect and share knowledge-base in order to improve the health of an average American. As per an estimate, nearly 44% of US adults are using social media platforms to conduct research about their illnesses and seek answers for their issues.

Let me share a few tips for aspiring physicians who have not joined the social media bandwagon yet.

1. Join LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the biggest professional networking platform. It helps you connect, share and receive updates from not only healthcare providers, but also from industry leaders and professionals. Join as many groups related to healthcare industry as possible, and it will serve as a great source of news every day.
2. Follow hashtags on Twitter: Look for specific hashtags related to a practice or medical topic, and start following it regularly to receive updates from everyone present on the network. It can serve as a great source through which up-to-date information can be shared or discussed.
3. Related videos on YouTube:A picture speaks a thousand words. A video? Maybe a million. Videos are a great source of learning for anyone. Look for videos related to the industry and any particular specialty that is of concern. Many EHR vendors are promoting their videos on the network in order to educate the physicians and help them understand the industry better. One such vendor is CureMD. Click here to find out more about the product on YouTube.

In addition to these, there are many other social media platforms which a physician can use to enrich his understanding of a subject and remain updated with industry trends. Social media is the future of communication for sure, and physicians who are not familiar with the trend might be left behind.