VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, and BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA  — Hootsuite, the most widely used platform for managing social media, and the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media (MCCSM) today announced an industry-leading social media credential for medical and health care professionals. This joint initiative is being launched at the first-international Healthcare and Social Media Summit presented by Mayo Clinic in Brisbane, Australia, Sept. 1-2.

Social media has become a vital communications tool in the health care industry. More than 40 percent of consumers say that information on social media affects the way they deal with their health, and another 41 percent of people said social media would affect their choice of doctor, hospital or medical facility. The training program developed by Hootsuite and Mayo Clinic will teach medical and health care communications professionals how to effectively use social media technologies within the health care industry.

“It’s important for physicians and other health care professionals to understand how online social networks matter to them,” says Farris Timimi, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and medical director for the MCCSM. “Even if they’re not yet active online — or maybe even particularly if they’re not involved — what others say about them affects their practices.”

Media Contacts:
Julie Huang, @juliewh11, Hootsuite Corporate Communications media@hootsuite.com
Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

“This certificate program will help providers develop practical competency in social media to help influence their online reputations and will help them begin to see ways they can use these tools to improve their delivery of care and the patient experience,” adds Dr. Timimi.

To meet the demands of today's fast-paced health care profession, students can take the course through a web-based format or from a fully optimized mobile experience. The course is offered online through an elearning development agency. Among other things, students in this course will learn:

• The basics of major social networks
• How these social networks fit into the health care industry
• The basics of social media monitoring and analytics
• How to maintain professionalism as a health care worker on social media

“Social media can have massive impact on health care — it can help promote health, educate people, advance science and connect health care providers with patients. Hootsuite has always championed social media education, and this course will make it easy for professionals in the health care industry to learn how to connect with their audience and amplify their messages on social media in an effective way,” says Greg Gunn, vice president of new product growth at Hootsuite.

Continuing medical education credits for this course will be available to physicians and other health care professionals through Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development.

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About Mayo Clinic and the MCCSM
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

The MCCSM was established to improve health globally by enhancing the use of social networking tools throughout Mayo Clinic, and providing training and resources to other health care organizations and professionals through its Social Media Health Network. To learn more, visit http://socialmedia.mayoclinic.org.

About Hootsuite
Hootsuite is the most widely used platform for managing social media, loved by over 10 million people around the globe and trusted by more than 800 of the Fortune 1,000. With Hootsuite, brands harness the power of social. Our platform brings together your social networks and integrates with hundreds of business applications. It’s the one place to build customer relationships, listen to the needs of the market and grow your revenue. To learn more, visit http://www.hootsuite.com.

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Mayo Clinic presents its First International Healthcare and Social Media Summit
Sept. 1-2, 2015 in Australia at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
The #MayoInOz two-day event will feature speakers and panelists from four continents.

Keynote speakers include:

• Marie Ennis-O’Connor, social media consultant, health blogger and patient advocate from Ireland
• Wendy Sue Swanson, M.D., executive director of digital health, Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Simon Trilsbach, vice president, Asia Pacific, Hootsuite

Norman Swan, M.D., a medical journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Company, will be the master of ceremonies.

Mayo Clinic created its Center for Social Media #MCCSM in 2010 to promote effective and appropriate application of social media tools and strategies in clinical practice, education and research. The center provides training and resources for Mayo Clinic employees, and, through its Social Media Health Network, offers those same opportunities to health care colleagues globally.

MEDIA CONTACT:Mayo Clinic: Rhoda Madson 507-284-5005 newsbureau@mayo.edu

“Social media is all about collaboration,” says Farris Timimi, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and the center’s medical director. “We see this summit as an important next step to strengthen ties within the global health care community.”

The Australian Private Hospitals Association, a member of the network since 2012, is hosting the summit. Lisa Ramshaw, marketing director for the association and a member of the center’s external advisory board, chairs the summit planning committee. The event will be at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

“While we’ve had significant international participation in our previous summits, this is our first one held outside of the U.S.,” says Lee Aase, director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Social Media. “We’re grateful that so many of our U.S. colleagues have committed to being part of the program and that our planning committee has also gathered strong stories and important perspectives from Australia.”

On Sept. 3, the center will provide a one-day social media residency workshop that offers participants intense, hands-on experience in using social and digital tools, and consultation in developing appropriate strategies.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

The post First International Healthcare and Social Media Summit #MayoInOz appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Appearing on Mayo Clinic Radio, Dr. Farris Timimi, medical director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, said this demand for medical news creates an unprecedented opportunity to improve the patient experience. He believes that health care professionals have a moral obligation to journey with their patients and that the future of health care can deliver better outcomes with five social media actions:

1. Physicians engage with patients as partners on social media
2. Health care organizations create a clear pathway for credible health information
3. Empowered patients find a trusted brand for their medical content
4. Medical centers make social media accessible for employees
5. Providers utilize social media tools and video to educate patients

A cardiologist who specializes in advanced heart failure and collaborates with patient advisory councils, Dr. Timimi says that social media benefits physicians and patients because providers can go to the patient and they can connect anywhere, “One of the fundamental concepts of social media, in particular, is those whom geography would isolate, social media gives companionship.”

Dr. Timimi stressed the responsibility of delivering accurate medical information and citied a recent study looking at YouTube videos that featured blood pressure. The videos in the survey had either the wrong information or would be harmful to the consumer. While providers should produce reliable content he also encouraged consumers to empower themselves and do a little homework to find trusted content sources. One potential credible source to reach a lot more patients is the workplace. The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media reports that 60% of hospitals block web access for their employees.

Dr. Timimi says that mobile devices can easily circumvent this, but if leadership supported their staff to go online they could dedicate more time to sharing knowledge and engaging with patients. And how can that knowledge be shared?  One way is video, which can be an inexpensive tool to improve the quality of care through education. Dr. Timimi is now researching the use of videos to reduce readmission rates with heart failure patients, “These patients face overwhelming information and demanding diet and medication regiments. It’s hoped that patients can review this video information and digest it with their families at their leisure instead of all at once, saving everyone time and energy. “

During this hour-long show Dr. Timimi listed several additional examples on the power of social media and one of his colleagues, Dr. Richard Berger joined in to share the amazing story of social media helping patients after he performed career-saving surgery on a major league baseball star. The entire program can be heard on Mayo Clinic Radio or you can read this transcript . (begins on page 7)

Dr. Timimi educates Mayo Clinic colleagues and health professionals all across the country and has played a major role in establishing social media guidelines at Mayo Clinic, which are outlined in a video produced by The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media Team led by director Lee Aase. The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media exists to improve health globally by accelerating effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and spurring broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients.

In just two months, the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media is hosting its annual Social Media Summit. Registration for this event, which always receives positive feedback from participants, is now open. In addition to the summit, if you are interested in using social media tools to improve health care, promote health and fight disease, please consider joining the Social Media Health Network. This video explains why Mayo Clinic created the network as well as membership benefits.

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