Social Networking for Physiotherapists
Social networking sites are a kind of virtual community, structured to build upon relationships that members have with each other by being part of a larger community. These sites collect data about members and store these data as user profiles. The data, or profiles, are shared among site members. People joining a social network usually create a profile and then build a network by connecting to friends and contacts in the network, or by inviting real-world contacts and friends to join the social network. These communities retain the interest of their members by being useful to them and providing services that are entertaining or help them to expand their networks. Social networks make the world more open and connected.
Take a look at this video from Common Craft which explains social networks:
Two of the most popular social networks are Facebook and Linkedin. Facebook is currently the most popular social network with over 400 million users from all ages but has recently been embroiled in controversy with regards to it’s privacy features. Perhaps the most ‘grown-up’ of the popular networks is LinkedIn, which allows users build their business and professional contacts into an on-line network. It has been criticised for not being open enough and for charging for too many of its services. Personally I use Facebook for my personal network of friends and family and Linkedin for my professional network.
There are social networks designed for health professionals, such as Sermo for doctors, BiomedExperts for researchers and Nurse LinkUp for nursing. For physiotherapists a good place to look for social networks to get involved in is in Facebook where organisations like the APTA and APA have set up Facebook Groups. Presently there are no specific open social networking sites designed for the physiotherapy profession, however Physiopedia does have this as one of their development projects.
Professionally, social networks can provide places for you to form small networks where there is a common interest and it is possible to set up your own. A good place to start for this is with a Facebook Group or for an independent network Ning is a good option. With some programming experience ELGG, an open source software that is popular in academic institutions, and can be downloaded and used for free.
Below are some examples of how you might use a Social Network within the physiotherapy profession:
Continued Education and Professional Development
- communicating and staying in touch following attendance at a CE or CPD course
- networking with other professionals with a common interest
Education
- forming a network for specific student groups, such as a particular year group or as a pre-induction tool
- creating a means for students to stay in touch and collaborate with colleagues and tutors whilst on clinical placement
- communicating with potential applicants, and current and past students
- support for a distance-learning programme
Research
- forming a network for remote colleagues working on the same research project
- creating for network for research participants to communicate with researchers and each other
Business
- reaching out to service users by setting up a Facebook group or page
- a clinic support network could provide way for patients to communicate with their physio and also with others with the same condition
If you have any other ideas for professional uses of social networks or have examples to share, please do add them as comments below.
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