Take, as an example, social networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In and of themselves, they are neither good nor bad. Rather, it is how and for what they are used which defines their value.
The latest use of social networking is as a tool of the health-care profession. Dr. Erika Schwartz, a director and specialist in internal medicine at Cinergy Health has an opinion on this issue.
``If it doesn't serve the patient, using it (the social networking tool) is unacceptable. Sometimes, we all get carried away with the novelty of something.''Her caution does not mean that she is against the use of social networking tools when they do enhance communication, information distribution and well-being. Dr. Schwartz has her own Facebook page, and she uses her e-mail account to keep in touch with her patients. She has found that many doctor visits can be eliminated when patients can ask their questions and express their concerns through her email account.
``The Internet is a great opportunity to create a better connection between doctors and patients,''Schwartz says.
``I'm a big fan of social networking. It reaches people. There's a lot of information that can be shared. But it's got to be done with respect to the doctor-patient relationship.''