Originally posted February 26, 2014.
This is a guest post from Jessy Troy, a healthcare activist whom I met on the blogosphere. She blogs about health and self-improvement across a a variety of niches. Follow her on Twitter where she engages with alot of Twitter healthcare chats! @JessyTroy
I am always pretty honest with my addictions. I smoked for several years and had to be open about that before I stopped. I have a rather serious caffeine addiction that takes me through almost an entire pot of coffee a day, on my own. But one that has really taken over my life – as it has so many others – is social media. Especially that micro-blogging powerhouse, Twitter.
In a single day I can spend literally hours posting on that site, in between working or going about my day, Thanks to the web capabilities of my smartphone, I am even more connected to the site when I go out. Well aware of the embarrassing excess this adds up to, I have to find ways to justify my online obsession.
Luckily, Twitter is such a helpful resource. Given the many applications for the site, I am able to partake in my addiction in a rather productive and health way. Such as through health hashtags, which help keep me and my family in tip top position.
Now, I won’t bother trying to post all of the health hashtags, because there are hundreds. Instead, here are the most popular (and helpful) that you should definitely follow.
#HITSM – Technology is a major part of health today, in many ways. In the last couple of years, social media has stepped up to further engage patients and professions. This hashtag is used for any discussion on health IT and social media. But it is also used for a weekly chat, Fridays at 11AM CT. Professionals and leaders within the industry gather to talk about the implications of this trend, and how it is changing the face of health care as we know it.
#HCSM – Another popular social media tweetchat and hashtag, this one comes out of Canada and also discusses the place of social media in health care, within that specific country. It is great for finding tips on using it for individual health purposes, finding professionals like doctors, or for those in the industry wanting to improve social media for their own devices. The talk is held Wednesdays at 1PM EST.
#MHSM chat is a weekly facilitated chat about mental health related topics. All are welcome to participate or just view. To participate you will need a Twitter account. You can set one up at Twitter.com. Volunteer chat facilitators and topic ideas to discuss are always welcome. If you know someone that would be good at facilitating a particular topic, please contact @MHSMchat with the info. Emails should be sent by DM for privacy. Chats happen weekly as follows: First and Third Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET. Second and Fourth Wednesdays at 11:00 am ET
#PPDCHAT is all about peer-to-peer support for moms suffering from perinatal mood disorders, commonly known as postpartum depression. It’s not a substitute for therapy, but compassionate support. It’s run by Lauren Hale, @unxpctdblessing on Twitter. Chat is held every Monday at 8:30 pm EST.
#BCSM – Learn to spread awareness of breast cancer and research on the disease, or meet others who havs struggle with it, or watched their loved ones battle it. Tweetchats are held Mondays at 9PM PT.
#LupusChat – Do you or someone you know suffer from Lupus? Learn more about the condition, cope with symptoms and find out about current research, all while meeting others who understand and have lived with the disease. The Twitter chat is held every other Sunday at 3PM EST, though the hashtag is used a lot through the week.
#ElderCareChat – Caregivers of the elderly, whether professional or caring for a relative, have a lot to deal with. Finding others who understand the struggles is crucial, as is learning all you can about issues related to the task. All day chats are held on the first and third Wednesday of every month on this topic.
#SuicideResearch – The Action for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) organizes twitter chats at various times. Their last one was on Februay 18th at 12 pm EST, about Suicide Prevention Research. Follow @Action_Alliance, @NIMHgov and @afspnational on Twitter.
Do you know of any good hashtags used for health? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to include schedules or links for tweetchats!
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Photo provided by: smartphotostock.com
By Jessy Troy
Jessy Troy is the health and self-improvement blogger writing in a variety of niches. You can see her tweet as @JessyTroy
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