THE SONOGRAPHY
discussions
Information sharing/Social media
Information sharing in the ‘Dr Google’ social media world/Social media and medical professionalism Information sharing in the ‘Dr Google’ world focuses on the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in an increasingly digital world where patients have easy access to both reliable and unreliable information. This influx of information presents a challenge for healthcare professionals, including sonographers, who must navigate the complexities of patient expectations, self-diagnosis, and potential misinformation. Daniel Rae, Head Sonographer at Sunshine Coast Vascular, discusses the role of sonography in the IT landscape and explores how technology can be utilised for educational purposes and the promotion of the profession.
Daniel Rae AFASA Head Sonographer | Sunshine Coast Vascular
Daniel Rae completed his ultrasound training through the University of South Australia and has spent most of his ultrasound career working in Queensland and Western Australia. Daniel has a passion for vascular education with a particular interest in vascular haemodynamics. He presents regularly at a local, national and international level. Daniel was awarded the ASA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2022.
What has been your experience with interacting with patients who consult ‘Dr Google’ before their appointments? Patients are becoming increasingly informed about the pathologies that are being scanned for and in some instances the ultrasound appearances. It does place added pressure on sonographers performing these scans. For example, colleagues have stated that they have felt the need to take extra pictures during obstetrics scans, as the parents asked ‘Were they sure they were happy?’ making them doubt their interpreting skills.
When patients compare ultrasound experiences with others online, does their heightened knowledge hold sonographers to account? Or does it contribute to increasing misinformation? We live in a world where patients like to share and compare the experiences they have with medical services. One thing that is missing when these experiences are compared is context. For example, patients don’t always appreciate the skill and patience required to get a baby into the correct 20
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You can make valuable connections within the ultrasound community from all over the world with social media. DANIEL RAE FASA imaging position or the emotional toll that the previous patient may have taken. If a patient does feel they have had a negative experience, in the past they contact the HR department, but today it seems leaving a negative review on Google is an easier avenue to air grievances. I feel this may not be the fairest of processes.
How do you mitigate the potential stress and worry from patients that may come from misinformation and self-diagnosis? I like to explain that having an ultrasound scan performed is part of the process of taking the guesswork out of diagnosis. Although we won’t always be able to confirm what’s causing the patient’s symptoms, we can help make their medical journey less stressful. Our empathic behaviours really do make a difference, as some patients just want someone to listen to them.
In your opinion, how does social media benefit the sonography profession? I think there are two answers to this question: Firstly, ‘microlearning’ on a more regular basis is one of the ways sonographers are choosing to consume educational content, and social media platforms make this easily accessible. Secondly, on the social aspect, sonographers can see that others are going through similar struggles and consequently are not alone. You can make valuable connections within the ultrasound community from all over the world with social media.
What can sonographers and patients do to ensure the content they consume on social media is legitimate and accurate? Sonographers and patients do have to be wary of misinformation or purely opinion-based content. As social media is unregulated, fact checking is an important step for sonographers and patients to take before they act upon information obtained from social media. I do find that most quality educational content creators reference sources within the material that they are producing. •
