Vlogging brings patients, clinicians together

According to Joy L. Lee, PhD, with the Indiana University Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, clinicians should be taking to YouTube to interact with patients, who can post vlogs—video blogs—as part of an online journaling program.

An example of a successful medical vlog is “The Frey Life” which shows Mary and Peter Frey dealing with Mary's cystic fibrosis. These daily videos show the ups and downs of Frey’s condition as well as offering a platform for questions. This vlog setup allows clinicians to view the inside life a patient, take notes on their progress and provide feedback all on one platform. These vlogs also gives patients the chance to communicate with each other when their diseases would otherwise prevent that.

"It is not always easy for physicians to engage patients in their own care," said Lee. "Vlogs may be uniquely suited to overcome barriers to patient engagement for individuals with chronic illnesses, especially those under 50 who increasingly reach out to the internet in so many aspects of their lives. Given the potential impact of online information, physicians and other clinicians should consider familiarizing themselves with key vloggers who can provide a window into a disease."

These vlogs can be shared to physicians, revealing the ins and outs of the patient’s life.

"YouTubers like the Freys are becoming influential figures in the lives of many Americans, " said Albert Wu, MD, MPH, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, senior author of the paper. "Physicians should acknowledge that often they [vloggers] do a better job of engaging some patients, especially younger ones, and should we willing to add vlogs to their therapeutic toolkit."