Introduction To Social Technology and Healthcare A Merged Universe

  It is hard to deny that social media has become mainstream and a part of many of our personal lives. For some of us, it also has become a part of our professional lives. My name is Drew Griffin, and I am a Wound Care Certified Nurse. I’ve been practicing clinically for approximately 20 years and have leveraged social media to advance my career through various methods and professional networking.

  Developing a skill set outside the clinical setting using social media technology and social media networking has afforded me the opportunity to secure employment and contract work with integrated marketing on behalf of healthcare institutions. The job responsibilities varied but included such tasks as content curator through blogs, videos, status updates, interviews with other clinicians, analytics, advertising, and much more.

  Although these new opportunities aren’t directly related to clinical wound care, leveraging social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs, and many others has allowed me and the companies I represented to connect and engage with associated individuals and companies within the industry.

  Nurses, therapists, physicians and patients are using social media to get and share information. Case studies, photographs, quizzes, and questions about problems clinicians face with patients are shared, discussed, and solved on these platforms. Notifying groups of upcoming seminars, conferences, and presentations through these platforms has become a quick and readily accepted form of communication. Social networks are becoming an extension of our professional lives and an option for learning. It’s not surprising that many clinicians are having robust discussions and participating on social networks, finding out about new procedures and products as well as employment opportunities.

  The feedback I receive is typically positive, as evidenced by the level of engagement and comments. Although HIPAA is a concern, the discussions, photographs, and the like are scrubbed, and no personal identification is ever shared.

  Such activity facilitates amazing indepth engagement from the community members who participate and learn. Social networks have forged strong friendships and fruitful professional relationships.

  I merged my career as a wound care nurse with the technology and social media industries and founded my company, Mobile Apps Labs, which develops iPhone, iPad, Android and HTML5 (Blackberry) mobile apps for businesses. I am currently developing a wound care mobile app that will operate on all of the previously mentioned operating systems. I now consult with individuals, businesses, and organizations to help develop leads and better and more intimate relationships with their customers and clients by delivering value through social media, video, and mobile marketing. My goals are to develop my clients’ digital exposure value (DEV) and make them the local experts in their field or industry.

  To proliferate my knowledge, I’ve addressed SCORE events, local chambers of commerce, and national conferences on topics related to internet marketing, video, and mobile marketing for businesses and the medical community.

  I remain a Wound Care Certified Nurse by trade. I’ve treated countless patients utilizing evidence-based wound healing processes and helped their families cope with their afflictions. Perhaps the 20 years of teaching individuals and groups in the healthcare setting honed my true passion: helping others. Now I’m providing information in the broader (and growing) sphere of digital and social media.