UPDATE: As several commenters have noted, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has already tweeted during surgeries, including during the removal of a tumor from a kidney. Still pretty sure I wouldn't want anyone tweeting during my surgery, but for what it's worth the practice is in use at some of the nation's best medical centers.
Here's the link to a CNN story about staffers at Henry Ford Twittering through a surgery.
This is a real story; one hospital communicators should probably watch with a notepad.
Staff at Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois conducted a surgery live on Twitter. While a surgeon performed a hysterectomy, staff members inside the operating room sent Twitter updates about the surgery.
For instance, “They just cauterized the infundopelvic ligament which contains the ovarian artery.” Or my personal favorite, “Anyone know what the infundopelvic ligament looks like?”
Just kidding—about that second tweet. Everything else is real.
How would you feel if your surgeon tweeted during surgery? I would absolutely not allow it.
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Comments (12)
To learn more abut female anatomy and how the female organs function, including their sexual function, read the new book "The H Word" at www.hersfoundation.org/hword.
The uterus and ovaries have important functions all of a woman's life. There is no age or time in a woman's life she no longer needs her uterus and ovaries.
Posted by Nora W. Coffey | April 17, 2009 10:26 PM
Posted on April 17, 2009 22:26
Kudos Sherman Health and Henry Ford! I think it's fabulous what can be done with Twitter. The best part about the Sherman Health surgery was that the patients family was following along in the waiting room! Here is some video footage. http://tr.im/icFs
Posted by Anonymous | April 9, 2009 12:14 PM
Posted on April 9, 2009 12:14
*Somebody* could tweet during my surgery. What do I care? As long as it is not the surgeon him/herself!
Posted by Chris Halvorson | April 7, 2009 6:36 PM
Posted on April 7, 2009 18:36
I don't get it? How is this suppose to help medical students? Shouldn't the students see the actual procedure through video (which is already being done in hospitals). One would think that in this type of "training" or education that just a description alone would not prove to be very beneficial!?!?!
Posted by jf | April 7, 2009 11:39 AM
Posted on April 7, 2009 11:39
This strikes me as completely disrespectful to the patient and a trivialization of what should be a very noble profession. I don't care if the patient gives an OK to it or not.
Posted by Audrey Kunkel | April 7, 2009 11:30 AM
Posted on April 7, 2009 11:30
Ragan should change the name of this section of the web site to Twitter Junkie.
Posted by Anonymous | April 7, 2009 10:01 AM
Posted on April 7, 2009 10:01
Henry Ford, Sherman and others have all had advance written patient consent to the Twitter communication during surgery. The actual patient identity has never been revealed online during any of the surgical events. The tweeting is always done by a resident or surgeon who is not performing the procedure and is outside the sterile surgical field. Reducing the mystery around surgical procedures for elective patients, explaining surgical outcome risks and using Twitter to help medical students be better doctors - where's the downside in all of this for you? (Yes, all of the hospitals had contingency plans in the event that the Twittered surgery had complications.)
Posted by Tom Stitt | April 6, 2009 4:02 PM
Posted on April 6, 2009 16:02
Assuming the patient gives approval and it doesn't introduce any risk to the procedure, why not?
Posted by CJ | April 6, 2009 1:41 PM
Posted on April 6, 2009 13:41
In the case of Henry Ford Health Sytem (and I believe also Sherman Health), a resident is the one actually doing the Twittering - not the surgeon. According to Sherman Health, they are the first ones to simulcast the procedure on both Twitter and Facebook, but Henry Ford has done procedures on Twitter for a while now.
I've followed several of Henry Ford's procedures in the past few months. I think it's an interesting idea.
Posted by A. | April 6, 2009 1:24 PM
Posted on April 6, 2009 13:24
As long as the surgical field remains sterile and the patient and hospital administration agreed to the concept, I don't see any problem with it (a former communications director with a major hospital)
Posted by Kelly | April 6, 2009 12:11 PM
Posted on April 6, 2009 12:11
I just don't get it. What purpose does it serve to tweet during a surgery or medical procedure?
Posted by Confused | April 6, 2009 11:56 AM
Posted on April 6, 2009 11:56
Henry Ford Health System in Detroit has been doing this for months. They were featured on Good Morning America and the homepage of CNN.Com a few months back.
http://tinyurl.com/bwe5jr
Posted by Josh | April 6, 2009 8:21 AM
Posted on April 6, 2009 08:21