Common uses of social media in the healthcare arena include the following: 

• Public relations and media.
• Advocacy and stakeholder relations.
• Building communities.
• Cause marketing.
• Disasters and public health emergencies.
• Customer service.
• Clinical trial recruitment.
• Data arbitrage.
• Support groups.
• Epidemiologic survey.
• Medical appliance support (eg, colostomy care, infusion pumps).
• Product safety alerts.

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