http://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=61Recent posts in Healthcare and Social Networking? The Case for Twitterhttp://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=61#post107pOK You convinced me. I just sent my first CFHA tweet.nbsp Im a titleRandalls twitter hrefhttpwww.twitter.comreitzrandallreitzrandalla.nbsp Will I now get followed by all the girls I dated in high schoolphttp://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=61#post97pGreat question Lets go with CFHAppAs a matter of fact I am going to start using this on Twitter now. Wonderful suggestion Make sure you connect with us in San Diegophttp://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=61#post96pWhat will be our hashtag for the conference I propose CFHA thats simple. a titlebacigalupe in twitter hrefhttptwitter.combacigalupe targetblankhttptwitter.combacigalupe aphttp://www.cfha.net/forum_thread.php?t=61#post90pIts all the rage - you know or else you would likely not be looking at this blog right now. You see a hrefhttpen.wikipedia.orgwikiSocialnetworking targetblanksocial networkinga is one way to continue to ensure that our voices are heard. There has never in my professional life been an opportunity as timely as now to take advantage of social networking and engage in the national dialogue on healthcare and health reform.nbspppnbspppHarvard Business School posted a nice article outlining social networks. For the full article a hrefhttphbswk.hbs.eduitem6156.html targetblankCLICK HERE.appnbspppOne of the points the author makes in this article is that online social networks are most useful when they address failures in the real world. Hmmm. Failure in the real world You see the healthcare tie in now dontcha As the IOM stated the health-care delivery system is incapable of meeting the present let alone future needs of the American public. Ah now you see where I am going.nbspppnbspppWe are all looking for solutions to the healthcare problem. We need more a hrefhttpwww.aafp.orgonlineenhomeclinicalresearchnatnetccrn.html targetblankevidencea and we need an a hrefforumthread.phpt53 targetblankoutleta. We need more stories and we need an easy way to disseminate our information.ppnbspppLets start with a hrefhttptwitter.com targetblankTwittera. Twitter is like texting but online - and almost anyone can see what you have said. In 140-character messages Twitter allows users to get their message out there as often as they would like. Being a Twitter neophyte I am new to much of the Twitterease but can tell you that tweeting can have great benefit to healthcare engagement. My a hrefhttptwitter.commiller7 targetblankTwitter namea is not original or witty but I knew once I heard about Twitter I had to at least check it out. nbsp nbspppnbspppAt first Twitter was like an old college roommate you had not seen in some time. You were comfortable read texting but you werent sure how your new life would interact with their new life read everyone reading your tweets. You exchange anecdotes Del Mar is not a bad place for lunch but there is something dramatically unsatisfying about this. You want to go deeper but youre not quite sure how or what to say.ppnbspppThen it dawns on you I am passionate about healthcare I work in healthcare I need to know whats happening in healthcare at all times maybe I should tweet about healthcare WARNING - actual tweets In all the a titlehealthcare hrefhttptwitter.comsearchq23healthcare targetblankhealthcarea debate we cannot forget about the inclusion of mental health in the patient centered medical home. You learn the lingo placing before any word means that anyone searching for the word following will see your tweet - try it by clicking on healthcare above. You learn how to shorten lengthy links with great websites like a hrefhttpbit.ly targetblankTHIS ONEa so that your long website now fits within the 140 character limit. You learn who else is out there sharing information you follow them. You learn about a hrefhttptweetdeck.combeta targetblanksoftware athat lets you keep track of who is saying what. Once you grasp the subtle concepts of Twitter your posts evolve What the public thinks of evidence-based a classtweet-url hashtag titlehealthcare hrefhttptwitter.comsearchq23healthcarehealthcarea a classtweet-url web relnofollow hrefhttpbit.ly4yCJFt targetblankhttpbit.ly4yCJFta amp one answer to provide more a classtweet-url hashtag titleevidence hrefhttptwitter.comsearchq23evidenceevidencea a classtweet-url web relnofollow hrefhttpbit.ly1bCAeR targetblankhttpbit.ly1bCAeR.appnbspppSo how does this all tie in to natioanl reform efforts Well I know that on Twitter there are a ton of people and very few of them are talking about a hrefhttpwww.springerlink.comcontent5rw143207n394h0l targetblankcollaborative carea I know that while not many people follow me many people follow some of the people who follow me you see the systems connectivity here. I want to disseminate information on healthcare the fastest way possible. I see Twitter as one avenue for doing this.ppnbspppIntrigued So am Ippnbspp