Social media is reshaping healthcare and the way healthcare professionals and patients interact. In Scotland, few allied health professionals (AHPs) use these media to connect with policy makers, service users, the public, or colleagues. We aimed to establish whether social media, could be used to raise the profile of AHPs—three members of the AHP Directors Scotland Group (ADSG) and one AHP national lead. Training in the use of social media tools was supplemented by support by a subject matter expert throughout the 12-week project. Each AHP used social media in support of their own area of expertise. Over 1348 tweets and 8 blogs were posted, 753 followers attracted. Various audiences were reached; including UK and international AHPs; other healthcare professionals, professional bodies, the public, third sector and patient representative organisations. Working within an ethical framework, AHPs can use social media to promote greater awareness of their role and impact. It can also be used to forge new relationships and connect with individuals and organisations not routinely experienced.
Introduction: The Chrisitie Commission Report (2011) set out a proposition and key recommendations for the public services in Scotland to embark on a journey of transformational change, and to improve the outcomes for the people of Scotland. The scale and scope of the reform is very large and transcends, Health, Councils and Third Sector. This research is timely and investigated the readiness of chief executives of organizations from each of the 3 sectors to achieve Christie's Transformational agenda.
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