MOVE ASIDE, TWITTER! DRS. HAVE THEIR OWN SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES.

In one on my February 25th posts, I talked about the emerging use of Twitter by surgeons in the operating room.  But this morning I learned, courtesy of KevinMD , that physicians are using other sites tailored to their profession, to do everything from requesting advice on making a diagnosis, to what wine to serve with particular dishes.   Of particular concern to Kevin is the potential fodder for medical malpractice lawsuits that exchanges on such sites could provide if they reflect poor practice.

Reporter Brandon Glenn, of Medical Economics , discusses the sites themselves:  www.Sermo.com ; www.Ozmosis.com ; and www.iMedExchange.com , and shows how they have become useful in the every day practice of medicine.  While clearly beneficial to many physicians, Mr. Glenn points out that some remain wary, and not just because of the medical malpractice implications.  There is concern about Sermo’s practice of “selling access to investment firms and other outside groups to observe physician interactions.”