Panelists talk about using social networks for healthcare communication at a roundtable held by the HCM City University Medical Centre on July 6. — Photo courtesy of HCM City University Medical Centre

HCM CITY — Social networks are a powerful tool for healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals to disseminate medical knowledge, promote accurate medical information and increase public awareness of risk factors and pathologies, a roundtable has heard.

Vũ Mạnh Cường, director of the health ministry’s National Centre for Health Education and Communication, told the roundtable held by the HCM City University Medical Centre on Saturday that Vietnamese spend an average of two hours and 33 minutes on social networks every day.

So it makes eminent sense for health facilities to use digital channels to communicate with patients and share knowledge and information on them and prevent the spread of misinformation, he said.

Top hospital managers and healthcare professionals need to acknowledge the role of social media influencers in helping promote medical information and improve public health, he added.

Nguyễn Văn Thăng Long, a lecturer at RMIT Vietnam, said around 66 per cent of healthcare facilities use traditional methods to disseminate information to patients, with a focus on statistics and medical jargon.

But on social media, which attracts large numbers, misinformation is rampant, he lamented.

Healthcare facilities need to transform contents into inspiring stories to attract the public and help healthcare professionals communicate on digital channels, he added. —VNS