Evidence-Based Social Media In Medicine And Healthcare
I’ve started a series on evidence-based social media in which I share peer-reviewed articles that focus on using social media in medicine or healthcare:
The key words used as well as the number and geographic location of searches can provide trend data, as have recently been made available by Google Trends. We report briefly on exploring this resource using Lyme disease as an example because it has well-described seasonal and geographic patterns.
We aimed to explore patients’ and parents’ attitudes toward a local Web 2.0 portal tailored to young patients with type 1 diabetes and their parents, with social networking tools such as message boards and blogs, locally produced self-care and treatment information, and interactive pedagogic devices. Opportunities and obstacles to the implementation of Web 2.0 applications in clinical practice were sought.
In this pilot, randomized, single-blinded clinical trial with 2 parallel groups involving stroke patients within 2 months, we compared the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of virtual reality using the Nintendo Wii gaming system (VRWii) versus recreational therapy (playing cards, bingo, or “Jenga”) among those receiving standard rehabilitation to evaluate arm motor improvement.
No doubt that Google always ”finds” something and sometimes it is the only way, or it retrieves real pearls but where does it search? How can a researcher refine or limit the search? That is why we’ll explore some Google features not so widely known, and other search engines with useful devices to perform a more efficient search in the biomedical field.
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
Return to article »