The internet is often a source of entertainment, something we use to get lost in cat videos and amusing gifs. But of course, once in a while, it still serves its primary purpose as a platform for the dissemination of information and a home for public discussion.
In the case of the latter, social media has become a hub for discussions about all things in life, from politics to sports, to belief systems and industry topics. Such is the case with health IT. In an evolving and ever-growing industry where technology is having a major impact on the quality of the lives people lead, there is no shortage of topics to discuss.
Twitter chats are a popular space for healthcare professionals, thought leaders, content producers and private companies to discuss the possibilities, gather public opinion and collaborate on all things health IT, from payment models to artificial intelligence to telehealth and interoperability.
Finding these chats in health IT’s corner of the internet is pretty easy, but we thought we’d compile a list of our favorites that you can refer back to as you diversify your health IT social media interactions. Here are six chats to put on your social media calendar.
Health IT leaders, social media influencers and health IT professionals take to Twitter each Friday at 12 p.m. ET, to discuss all things related to healthcare technology. The chat is moderated by the team at Healthcare Scene with topics ranging from payment models to connected care solutions and patient portals, to name a few covered so far in 2018. Using the hashtag, participants share their questions and opinions with expert hosts, sparking debate among their fellow health IT pros close to the issues.
Organized by HIMSS Europe, this chat provides a global range of perspectives on all things health IT. Topics are often a preview of more in depth discussions to come at HIMSS Europe events and involve people from all areas of health IT. It is not organized on a regularly set schedule, so you’ll have to follow HIMSS Europe on Twitter for updates.
This chat, moderated by HIMSS, is focused specifically on interoperability. The hashtag itself is an ongoing source of discussion even without an organized chat in session and with HIMSS18 just around the corner, this hashtag is seeing a lot of activity. The most recent chat was hosted by Healthcare IT News.
This Twitter and LinkedIn group holds monthly chats for women in health IT, though men are allowed to participate as well. There are regular posts under the hashtag and the community is noticeably involved in a number of HIMSS events. Chat topics can vary, but mostly remain central to issues that women specifically face in this industry. The chat has been so popular, and community grown to such an extent, that Health IT Chicks now has an accompanying website.
Taking place each Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, this chat includes patients, physicians, nurses, CEOs, caregivers, policy makers and students from across the globe in addition to the usual health IT crowd. Like Health IT Chicks, this chat is so popular it formed into a community that supports the need for a website. Short for healthcare leadership, #hcldr has recently covered topics ranging from clinical leadership needed to affect real change to the impact of technology on healthcare. It is moderated by its own team of contributors.
A product of the #hcbiz blog, these chats are hosted by industry thought leaders who can help audiences understand critical business issues that healthcare faces. Taking place every Wednesday from 12-1 p.m. #hcbiz topics have recently covered how business operations can impact care, personnel management tips and more. The blog is updated on a weekly basis and features stories written by subject matter experts and moderators of the chat.
