title: Social internet sites as a source of public health information.
abstract: Social media websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Second Life are rapidly emerging as popular sources of health information especially for teens and young adults. Social media marketing carries the advantages of low cost, rapid transmission through a wide community, and user interaction. Disadvantages include blind authorship, lack of source citation, and presentation of opinion as fact. Dermatologists and other health care providers should recognize the importance of social media websites and their potential usefulness for disseminating health information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, PO Box 6510, Mail Stop F703, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vance
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dellavalle
mesh_terms: D003880:Dermatology; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D011634:Public Health