HIPAA Blog

[ Wednesday, July 01, 2009 ]

 

Twitter as an Epidemiologists Tool? Chris Thorman, who normally blogs about EMR software, has an interesting piece noting how well Twitter has worked in following the Iranian unrest, and contemplating a use for Twitter in tracking epidemics. A Google-Twitter mashup was useful in tracking the original outbreak of the swine flu (or H1N1 for the politically correct). There are definitely synergies: the speed and ubiquitousness of Twitter would be useful to epidemiologists. But there are downsides: the lack of verifiability and non-standardization inherent in an uncontrolled medium. For fighting against an authoritarian regime, the nimbleness and uncontrolability of Twitter is a feature. For fighing the spread of an epidemic, there are some definite shortfalls.

Jeff [1:06 PM]

Comments: Post a Comment
http://www.blogger.com/template-edit.g?blogID=3380636 Blogger: HIPAA Blog - Edit your Template