The hospitals use a third party “patient messaging service” that is tied into the hospital systems patient database. Use of such a platform to communicate Swine Flu specific information is a great way to use text messaging, which has already proven to be both a highly responsive and by definition, personal method of communication, which patients appreciate.

Furthermore, text messaging such as this allows practitioners large and small to send targeted information to specific patient groups that need it most.

Here in the States, Federal agencies are turning to the big social networking sites such Twitter and YouTube to disseminate responsible information about Swine Flu. The Centers for Disease Control is posting alerts through its Twitter account CDCemergency, which has about 45,000 followers. CDC’s YouTube video “Swine Flu” has been viewed close to 200,000 times, and the most popular podcast put out by the Department of Health and Human Services is on the swine flu.

So, while the Internet and social networking can often be a bane to practitioners, who have to deal with patients coming in “knowing it all” – these technologies can also be leveraged responsibly. This allows not only healthcare agencies, but also individual practitioners, to ensure that patients receive accurate, reliable, and timely information during a real or potential health crisis.