4Aug/110
Social media & disaster-preparedness
Great article from the NEJM about the increasing use of social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Flickr during and after disasters and emergencies.
Examples ranging from the revolution in Egypt, the earthquake in Haiti, and the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak are used to describe the varying ways social media can quickly disseminate information, communicate with specific populations, provide real-time updates to users and even allow health care workers to "check in" to sites where their skills might be needed.
I think it's a great idea to start considering the value of these media, and how to integrate them into already-existing preparedness strategies and plans.
