With a boom in health related blogs, information sites are now gravitating toward social media.  Patients are increasingly sharing medical experiences and seeking advice from other patients who share similar health concerns.   Online communities are giving patients support, personal experiences, and direct answers – something they cannot always get from experts.

While patients are gravitating toward social media, a recent ClickZ article shares that some healthcare marketers seem to be hesitant:

Social networking for doctors is quickly gaining popularity. Doctors across the country are using social networking tools to give patients’ families, as well as the public, an eye into operating rooms, according to a recent Miami Herald article.

In an effort to educate the public on medical procedures and calm the fears of patients’ families, doctors are providing real-time updates and videos illustrating step-by-step medical procedures.

The article shares an example of social networking for doctors:

In the waiting room, the patient’s family members circled a Blackberry. About every 15 minutes, Dr. Carlos Wolf of Miami Plastic Surgery gave them a few keystrokes of information about how the patient was doing.