5 Health IT Hashtags to Follow
Supporters of ICD-10 will take to Twitter today to engage in hashtag advocacy for their cause.
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is promoting a Twitter rally using the hashtag #ICD10Matters to urge Congress to stick to the October 1 deadline for implementing the ICD-10 diagnostic code update.
AHIMA claims a previous rally held earlier in the month generated ten thousand tweets.
Great job everyone! over 10,000 Tweets for #ICD10Matters thus far today! Join us on 3/23 12pm CT for another rally.
— AHIMA Resources (@AHIMAResources) March 12, 2015
ICD-10 supporters hope social media messaging will help head off any stealth amendments in Congress that could derail implementation. In 2014, language to delay the code update for one year was inserted with little notice into a Senate bill regarding Medicare payments to physicians.
HIMSS hashtags
Twitter users attending next month’s HIMSS conference in Chicago should start practicing use of #HIMSS15 as the preferred hashtag. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, last year’s attendees generated nearly 75,000 tweets with #HIMSS14.
This year, several HIMSS events and subgroups will be promoting separate hashtags to organize their followers. Mindful of keyword overload, HIMSS has published an official hashtag guide to help conferees keep their Twitter feeds in order.
[#HIMSS15Hacks] Use the #HIMSS15 Hashtag Guide to minimize Twitter-induced cramping: http://t.co/x4yvHbkRSb #ICD10 pic.twitter.com/3zeJn2FhM0 — HIMSS (@HIMSS) March 16, 2015
Health IT chats
For the uninitiated, a hashtag is a short word or unspaced phrase preceded by a number sign. It’s used on Twitter and other social media channels principally to identify messages that have a common topic, and makes that topic an active, searchable link.
Some health IT devotees use hashtags to organize interest groups or to host regularly scheduled Twitter chats. For example, women in health IT host regular tweet chats at #HITChicks:
Join me as I lead the #HITChicks Tweet Chat 3/18 @1 pm EST @drClaire @acpelletier @VentureValkyrie @SeattleMamaDoc http://t.co/kzPJ1kbLBH
— Naomi Fried (@NaomiFried) March 18, 2015
Healthcare communications and social media pros convene each Sunday at #hcsm. Organizers say their Twitter chats were the first ever on the platform devoted to healthcare.
#hcsm is live tonight at 8pm central! Interested in health & social media? Search & add the hashtag to your tweets. See you in 2 hours! — HealthSocMed | #hcsm (@HealthSocMed) March 2, 2015
HIT vendors are also active in hashtag-driven marketing and promotion. Computer maker Dell sponsors periodic online and offline events at #DoMoreHIT.
I'll be participating in the #DoMoreHIT event today. I'll be live tweeting where possible on @ehrandhit You can watch http://t.co/ReoPG07WOl
— John Lynn (@techguy) March 16, 2015
To explore even more HIT and health-related hashtags, check out Symplur and the Healthcare Hashtag Project.