TOPIC: ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

Assignment 2 Information Search and Evaluation

Submitted on: 27 March 2012 Prepared for: 31265 Communication for IT Professionals Subject Coordinator: Dr Sam Ferguson Workshop Tutor: Marc Sakaguchi

Prepared by: Rami Younes Student ID: 11418617 Course: BScIT Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology University of Technology, Sydney

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

INTRODUCTION
Healthcare around the world is changing rapidly. Massive companies involved with technologies such as Google and Microsoft have suggested new ways of storing medical records in the form of personal health records (PHR). The main difference of PHR from the current method of electronic health records (EHR) is that it is controlled and owned by the patient not the medical centres. The application of social networking within healthcare raises ethical and social issues. The main issues that emerge are privacy, security and credibility. Personal health information is probably the most valuable and cautiously protected information to individuals. The developments of these social networking sites can have major effects on society such as social embarrassment for the individual and/or leakage of private information to third parties. Within the articles SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare (2009) by Darin Stewart, and James Williams, Social networking applications in health care: threats to the privacy and security of health information (2010) we see the possible effects of social networking in health care and the possible solutions.

SUMMARY OF ARTICLE 1 - SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare (2009)
In the article SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare Stewart (2009) discusses how personal health records and social networking applications are transforming healthcare into a new age. The author also talks about the benefits of this new revolution from EHRs to PHRs, also discussing the different social networking sites in place, the privacy and the credibility of the use of social networking sites and the networking capability of this development. The author discusses the different social networking sites and how they have affected individuals facing major illness. But what they have not generally offered is access to actual data. (Stewart 2009, p.33). With the new social networking

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

applications to these sites diseases can be cured just by people discussing their experience and clinicians can use this data to gain knowledge about possible cures, or better treatment. Privacy is the main concern with online health. Many people are against this new development due to the privacy and credibility issues that rise with PHRs. the author raises questions such as is the information reliable if it is edited by the patient? Or is the data trustworthy compared to a real doctors expertise? The article discusses the privacy and credibility of health information within the social networking applications which relates to the discussed topic about the raised issues within social networking in healthcare.

SUMMARY OF ARTICLE 2 Social networking applications in health care: threats to the privacy and security of health information (2010)
In the article Social networking applications in health care: threats to the privacy and security of health information Williams (2010) discusses the risks that the development of social networking websites for use in healthcare and how they affect the security and privacy of personal health information, and recommended approaches for future research in this improvement on the old system. Within the article Williams (2010) discusses the current online social networks in healthcare, the privacy and security concerns, the current work of improving the security and privacy aspects of online social networking applications and future works to these applications. The author discusses within the paper the serious privacy and security concerns raised within the combination of social networking and healthcare. The author firstly states a brief background on privacy and security showing the reader the importance of these issues. Williams also discusses the general attitudes people have towards social networking and that they shouldnt be ignored. The author states some of the major security and privacy issues that occur within social networking applications. Also the author lists certain information within the health field that are most vital and must be taken into consideration within social networking applications.

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

The article discusses the privacy and security of health information within the social networking applications which relates to the discussed topic about the raised issues within social networking in healthcare.

EVALUATION OF ARTICLES 1 AND 2

Within article 1, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare Stewart (2009) discusses the social networking within healthcare and the issues that are raised. As seen within Table 1 below, the article is relevant to the topic and the audience targeted. The author Stewart (2009) is also authoritative, as he has a very high position within the health industry and experience in information technology (IT). The publication is by EContent which is a highly regarded magazine within the health and IT industry. But there are no sources within the article referenced, so it is unsure whether the article is reliable. The accuracy within the article still unsure of as the sources is unidentified. The article itself seems to be valid and free from any obvious errors. Within the article the author does not present both sides of the argument as within his issues section he only discusses the problems and does not discuss the solutions. The article itself does not seem to be fully complete as Stewart (2009) stated the problems within the social networking in healthcare but did not state any solutions. Also the article does not seem up-to-date as it was published in 2009 and many things within this topic have changed and grown over time, also the sources cannot be identified up-to-date as none where referenced.

Table 1 Evaluation of Articles 1 and 2

Article 1 - SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare (2009) Relevance Article 2 - Social Networking Applications in Health Care: Threats to the Privacy and Security of Health Information (2010)

Article fits topic of issues within social networking in healthcare Article is directed to a suitable audience Author was research director of Oregon Health & Science University Publication is by EContent No sources referenced

Article fits topic of issues within social networking in healthcare Article is directed to a suitable audience Author is very authoritative as he PhD in computer science and was given large grants to study consumer health platforms. Publication is from a magazine about software engineering in health care. The publisher is by ACM a reliable source as well.

Reliability

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

Accuracy

Article may be inaccurate through its unidentified sources. Yes the article is free from obvious errors. Yes the methodology of collecting data is sound

Article seems to be very accurate through its reliable sources and correct data. Yes the article is free from obvious errors and is accurate. Yes the methodology of collecting data is sound Yes the author seems to be presenting both sides of the argument.

Lack of Bias

No the author seems to be presenting one side to the argument.

Completeness

Yes the article covers most topics, but more is needed within the issues section, also if the author is stating problems within the development, then he should also state future solutions. The article is not necessarily up-to-date. It was published in 2009. No sources are stated within the article.

Yes the article covers all topics and issues and goes into very good detail.

Up-to-date

The article is fairly up-to-date. Published in 2010. Many sources used within the article prove that it is a reliable source.

Within article 2 Social Networking Applications in Health Care: Threats to the Privacy and Security of Health Information Williams (2010) discusses the issues within social networking in healthcare and the solutions. As seen within Table 1 above, the article is relevant to the topic and is also suitable to the audience. Author is very authoritative as he PhD in computer science and was given large grants to study consumer health platforms by the government in 2010, proving that this article is reliable. The publication is from a popular magazine and publisher is by a very highly regarded database, ACM. The articles sources seem to be very accurate and the data is free from obvious errors and is accurate. The author seems to be presenting both sides of the argument proving the article has a lack of bias. The article covers all topics and issues and goes into very sufficient in detail. The article is fairly up-to-date being published in 2010; also many sources used within the article prove that it is a reliable source.

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hang, D. 2009, Sharing private data in online social networks, PhD thesis, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. Pearson, J.F., Brownstein, C.A., Brownstein, J.S. 2011, Potential for Electronic Health Records and Online Social Networking to Redefine Medical Research, Clinical Chemistry, vol. 57, no. 2, p. 9. Stewart, D. 2009, Socialized Medicine: How Personal Health Records and Social Networks Are Changing Healthcare, EContent, vol. 32, no. 7, pp. 30-4. Williams, J. 2010, Social networking applications in health care: threats to the privacy and security of health information, Proceedings of the 2010 ICSE Workshop on Software Engineering in Health Care, pp. 39-49.

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

APPENDIX
1. PRINT OUT OF TURNITIN REPORT.

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

2. FULL TEXT OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: HOW PERSONAL HEALTH RECORDS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE CHANGING H EALTHCARE

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

3. FULL TEXT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING APPLICATIONS IN HEALTH CARE: THREATS TO THE PRIVACY
AND SECURITY OF HEALTH INFORMATION

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

4. FIRST PAGE OF POTENTIAL FOR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND O NLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING TO REDEFINE MEDICAL RESEARCH

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

5. FIRST PAGE OF SHARING PRIVATE DATA IN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS

ISSUES RASIED WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKING IN HEALTHCARE

6. SCREENSHOTS OF EVIDENCE.