Internet and Social Media in Modern Medicine
Medicine has changed. It always does, evidenced from the advent of modern day minimally invasive techniques that don’t require stitches to new telemedicine consults. We can now replace your entire knee in less than 45 minutes and you can sleep in your own bed the same evening. Technology is amazing, especially in orthopaedic surgery that is so heavily technology driven. Most changes are good and we are fortunate to be able to use the internet to get information on just about everything. Sometimes, however, the information given is not fact-checked, and frequently, it is biased by advertising or the author’s personal opinion. As doctors, we are scientists, and our brains scrutinize data, reviewing studies and finding answers that aren’t readily seen. We learn and then, in turn, we educate the patient on what the data really says. Is endoscopic carpal tunnel any better than traditional surgery, and are robots really needed to do proper joint replacements? It is our job to figure that out for the best outcome for you. Social media can be a great way to get a reference from someone who has been to a certain doctor and had a great visit or a flawless surgery. However, with corporate money in social media, advertising bias is now rampant throughout the pages of these sources. We love the educated patient. Contrary to what we occasionally hear from patients, we find it easier to explain some of the more complex things we do when the patients has done some homework on their own. Thanks for taking the time to read and hope we can be here for you!!
