The emergence of social media as an essential tool for safety and security continues to expand in a variety of markets – including healthcare.
According to an article in the May issue of Health Facilities Management magazine, 40 percent of hospitals are now using social media, like Facebook and Twitter, to communicate important information during emergency situations. From the article:
“Clearly, social media is changing the way people communicate not only in their day-to-day lives, but also during disasters that threaten public health,” states a report written by researches from the University of Pennsylvania and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. “Engaging with and using emerging social media may well place the emergency management community, including medical and public health professionals, in a better position to respond to disasters.”
One notable example of this growing trend was the expanded use of Twitter to notify the public during the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy. Boston-area hospitals were able to not only diffuse rumors, but also answer questions and relay important information.
Social media integration is a key component for an effective mass notification system, which is one reason it’s a key feature with Blue Alert® MNS from Code Blue. Designed specifically for healthcare, school, corporate and municipal campuses, the sophisticated software solution quickly informs and directs people in emergency situations. Blue Alert MNS provides notifications to an array of systems, including blue light phones, public address speakers, digital signs, fire panels, email, text message, desktop alerts and, of course, social media.