Specialized Social Networks Connect Radiology Community

Published on the Oct. 6, 2011, DiagnosticImaging.com website

By Whitney L.J. Howell

Social networking in healthcare isn’t new, but there is a growing trend to create groups focused on particular specialty areas. And radiology is in the middle of it all.

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) recently launched ASRT Communities, a social networking site specifically for radiologic technologists who want to connect professionally and share experiences. The network offers 19 communities devoted to individual modalities, and each gives medical imaging professionals, radiation therapists, and radiology students information about radiologic disciplines.

Members can post questions, start conversations, or share ideas on what the association calls its “one-stop-knowledge-shop,” said Liana Watson, ASRT’s chief governance officer.

“The goal is to give ASRT members a place where they can come together and talk with someone who does the exact thing they do,” Watson said. “CT techs can talk with CT techs. MRI techs talk with MRI techs. It’s a one-stop shop where they can get information relevant to what they do every day.”

Participants choose one community to be a home page, but they can contribute to all 19 groups, Watson said. In addition to comparing opinions about cases, ASRT Communities provides access to news affecting the radiologic technology profession and links to certification and accreditation sites.

Nearly 30 percent of physicians connect professionally through online physician networks, according to a survey from QuantiaMD, the largest mobile and online physician community. Specialized social networks hold great potential for enhancing professional development and performance, said Garry Choy, MD, a Massachusetts General Hospital radiologist.

To read the article in its entirety: 
http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/practice-management/content/article/113619/1965360