%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I JMIR Publications
%V 20
%N 4
%P e161
%T Social Media as a New Vital Sign: Commentary
%A Young,Sean D
%+ University of California Institute for Prediction Technology, Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10880 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, United States, 1 310 794 8530, sdyoung@mednet.ucla.edu
%K social media
%K big data
%K personal health records
%D 2018
%7 30.04.2018
%9 Viewpoint
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Mobile technologies, such as wireless glucometers and mobile health apps, are increasingly being integrated into health and medical care. Because patients openly share real-time information about their health behaviors and outcomes on social media, social media data may also be used as a tool for monitoring patient care. This commentary describes how recent advances in computer science, psychology, and medicine enable social media data to become a new health “vital sign,” as well as actionable steps that public health officials, health systems, and clinics can take to integrate social data into both public and population health as well as into individual patient care. Barriers that first need to be addressed, including privacy concerns, legal and ethical responsibilities, and infrastructure support, are discussed.
%M 29712631
%R 10.2196/jmir.8563
%U http://www.jmir.org/2018/4/e161/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8563
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29712631