Oct 24 2024 43 mins
What is it about social media that draws the breast cancer community together? We are going to explore this question with my guest, Dr. Tasha Gandamihardja, consultant breast cancer surgeon and medical educator on social media under the name, @DrTashaG.
We will look at the benefits, downfalls, information, and disinformation provided by various social media platforms on this episode of the DiepCJourney podcast. How can you find the right community that supports both your emotional and educational needs when each person is unique and there are distinct types of breast cancer?
Why is it important for physicians to interact and be active on social media? Is it necessary for them to be on social media?
I have the distinct honor of being listed as an author on a published paper with her that we will discuss in our conversation. The paper is open access and is entitled, “The Role of Social Media and Breast Cancer: How Does It Impact Patients?” I acknowledge our fellow colleagues and authors on the paper:
· Sara Liyanage, author, and patient advocate
· Dr. Anne W. Peled, dual-trained breast cancer and plastic surgeon.
· Yazan A. Masannat of the UK, consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon and host of the iBreast webinar series.
Patients who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer often absorb a small percentage of the information they are flooded with at their first consultation. Dr. Tasha tells us how she gently navigates patients through this journey by providing resources to explore while at home and making decisions about next steps.
Dr. Tasha tells us social media can provide a complementary resource for patients to feel connected to a like-minded community to share similar experiences. But there can be limitations and challenges finding the right community. We focus on exploring communities that provide evidence-based information, so patients get the right information and tamp down the misinformation that is found on social media.
Where is the future of information for the breast cancer community? We explore the value and impact of AI and how we feel it is our responsibility as curators of content to guide the breast cancer community in the use and value of AI in finding information.
Dr. Tasha social media accounts: