Tell™ newest feature - public posting - functions as a robust community outreach tool for verified physicians to educate and engage with their patients in a social media format.
The feature is similar to #MedTwitter - a segment of Twitter where physicians discuss pressing medical topics, exciting new research, and healthcare news.
A Journal of Clinical Medicine report on “Social Medicine: Twitter in Healthcare” argued that “the sharing of information on Twitter can create a communicative and collaborative atmosphere for patients, physicians, and researchers and even improve quality of care.”
However, since any individual can post on the hashtag #MedTwitter, the platform is vulnerable to widespread misinformation and inaccurate non-evidence-based information. Non-expert celebrities and social media influencers can leverage their following to promote misinformed ideas.
The social medicine report also examined the risks of Twitter usage in medicine. The report cited high rates of misinformation and difficulties verifying source credibility as major risks.
Additionally, when physicians share accurate medical information on social media, they are frequently harassed for sharing their knowledge. A pre-pandemic JAMA survey showed that one in four physicians report having been personally attacked and harassed for posting medical recommendations.
Tell Health allows for all the positive aspects of medical Twitter - community engagement, outreach, and education - while simultaneously stopping the harmful effects of non-credible sources posting inaccurate information.
With only verified physicians and providers permitted to post, public feeds are trustworthy sources of scientifically accurate information. The public can follow their doctors or other physicians specializing in areas vital to them, staying up to date on the latest news.
Likes and comments on posts are disabled - preventing harassment and backlash that many physicians experience on social media and emphasizing the content of the post rather than the popularity.
