Wendy Sue Swanson

Last updated

Wendy Sue Swanson
Wendy Sue Swanson.jpg
Swanson in 2013
Born1974 (age 49–50)
Minnesota, United States
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Occupation(s)Pediatrician, writer, spokesperson
Known forSeattle Mama Doc blog
ChildrenTwo sons
Awards Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Childhood Immunization Champion 2012
Swanson's voice
recorded May 2015
Website www.seattlemamadoc.org

Wendy Sue Swanson (born 1974) [1] is an American pediatrician, educator and author, known for her Seattle Mama Doc blog. [2]

Contents

As a doctor and a mother, Swanson advocates the use of online tools, such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, to strengthen communication between healthcare providers and patients. Swanson asserts that online technologies can assist patients and families in becoming stewards of their own health. [3] Swanson has dedicated her career to helping physicians learn to use online tools more effectively in helping patients make informed decisions based in science. [4] "While we don't have the capability just yet," Swanson states, "my goal is to prove that an empowered and informed patient reduces health care costs and improves outcomes." [5]

Education and training

Swanson was born and raised in Minnesota.

She attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where, in 1996, [6] she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. [7] [8]

For two years, she taught bilingual science and math to middle school children in Oakland, California, with Teach for America. [7] With this experience, Swanson developed an interest in working with youths. [7]

She went on to earn a medical degree and Master of Bioethics (MBE) degrees from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [7] [8] Swanson completed her pediatric residency training at Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington. [8] She completed her training in 2006. [9]

Swanson began her medical career at the Everett Clinic in Mill Creek, Washington,. [7] [8]

In 2009, Swanson started the Seattle Mama Doc blog for Seattle Children's Hospital. [4] [10]

In January 2011, Swanson was named to the Mayo Clinic's Center for Social Media Advisory Board. The goal of the board is to help the health care community "improve care through the use of social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. [2] [11]

Swanson is an official spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), [4] a member of the Board of Advisors for Parents Magazine, [12] and blogs for The Huffington Post . [13] She has also appeared on The Today Show . [14]

Conferences and keynote speeches

With the popularity of Swanson's blog, as well as her activism in improving physician use of social media, came invitations to speak at health care conferences within the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands.

Seattle Mama Doc blog

On November 11, 2009, Seattle Children's Hospital became the first major children's hospital to host a pediatrician-authored blog. [4] Swanson, now known as the "Seattle Mama Doc," [8] wanted the blog to be an online science-based resource for parents. [5] In her blog posts, Swanson offers general health and safety tips, discusses issues in the media like HPV, [23] vaccinations, sudden infant death syndrome, car seats, and trends in breast-feeding, [1] and shares her own experiences as a parent. [24] "The abundance of online noise invokes fear in all of us when making decisions for our children," said Swanson. "At the end of the day, we as parents just want to do what is right." [8]

Swanson is a proponent of vaccinations, which reduce the risk of contracting diseases like whooping cough, polio and measles. [25] Her interest in social media stems, in part, from a desire to counteract misinformation reported in popular media about the safety of childhood immunizations and other health concerns promoted by people like Jenny McCarthy, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Alicia Stone. [1] [26] [27] [28] "I feel physicians are obligated to be online," Swanson told reporter Carol M. Rostrum. "If celebrities are going to be online, then we educated, practicing physicians had better be there, too." [1]

Swanson uses Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Doximity, and YouTube to educate and inform parents and her adolescent patients. [26] [29] Her goal is to create a non-threatening environment in which to talk about health findings and empower families. [8] She refers patients to peer-reviewed medical information found on sites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. [30]

In 2013, Seattle Mama Doc was named as one of Time's "Best Twitter Feeds of 2013". [31]

In October 2019, Seattle Mama Doc came to an end as Swanson moved with her family to Wisconsin. [32]

"I have all of these tools at my fingertips. I can use them to see where myths are being created, stated facts and allay fears. I can connect in a one-to-many format and engage in people's lives in the manner they choose. When they come to the office and have learned from the information, we can move onto more important discussions."

— Swanson, Beyond the Waiting Room [5]

Mama Doc Medicine

Swanson's book, Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance, was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in March 2014. [7] The book is organized in four sections: Prevention, Social-Emotional Support, Immunizations, and Work-Life Balance/Mothering. [33] [34] Swanson offers tips and information on a variety of topics from car seats, sunblock, immunizations, fussy babies and tantrums, to emotional support and work-life balance. [5] [7] She also provides reputable online resources for readers wishing to seek further information on the topics covered in the book. [33] [34]

In April 2014, Swanson was a guest on Katie Couric's talk show to discuss her book and share parenting tips. [31]

Virtual Handshake

Swanson's first technological project to be put into practice, the Virtual Handshake, was developed by the innovation group, Digital Health. [9] The group, led by Swanson, studies current social tools and media and then works to develop new tools for physicians and patients. With Virtual Handshake, patients preparing for a doctor's appointment can access curated health information (e.g., PDFs, videos, links and other content) in a HIPAA-compliant encrypted space. [9]

Personal life

Swanson resides in Wisconsin with her husband, also a physician, [9] [18] [32] and two sons. [7] She has two sons, aged 10 and 12.

Awards

Books

Selected articles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza vaccine</span> Vaccine against influenza

Influenza vaccines, colloquially known as flu shots, are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses. New versions of the vaccines are developed twice a year, as the influenza virus rapidly changes. While their effectiveness varies from year to year, most provide modest to high protection against influenza. Vaccination against influenza began in the 1930s, with large-scale availability in the United States beginning in 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine hesitancy</span> Reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or have ones children vaccinated

Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others. Although adverse effects associated with vaccines are occasionally observed, the scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and effective is overwhelming. Vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the World Health Organization characterizes vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats.

Public health surveillance is, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), "the continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data needed for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice." Public health surveillance may be used to track emerging health-related issues at an early stage and find active solutions in a timely manner. Surveillance systems are generally called upon to provide information regarding when and where health problems are occurring and who is affected.

Pox parties, also known as flu parties, are social activities in which children are deliberately exposed to infectious diseases such as chickenpox. Such parties originated to "get it over with" before vaccines were available for a particular illness or because childhood infection might be less severe than infection during adulthood, according to proponents. For example, measles is more dangerous to adults than to children over five years old. Deliberately exposing people to diseases has since been discouraged by public health officials in favor of vaccination, which has caused a decline in the practice of pox parties, although flu parties saw a resurgence in the early 2010s.

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), founded under the name Dissatisfied Parents Together (DPT) in 1982, is an American 501(c)(3) organization that has been widely criticized as a leading source of fearmongering and misinformation about vaccines. While NVIC describes itself as the "oldest and largest consumer-led organization advocating for the institution of vaccine safety and informed consent protections", it promotes false and misleading information including the discredited claim that vaccines cause autism, and its campaigns portray vaccination as risky, encouraging people to consider "alternatives." In April 2020, the organization was identified as one of the greatest disseminators of COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccination schedule</span> Series of vaccinations

A vaccination schedule is a series of vaccinations, including the timing of all doses, which may be either recommended or compulsory, depending on the country of residence. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or reduce the effects of infection by any natural or "wild" pathogen. Vaccines go through multiple phases of trials to ensure safety and effectiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Ablow</span> American novelist and psychiatrist

Keith Russell Ablow is an American author, television personality, and former psychiatrist. He is a former contributor for Fox News Channel and TheBlaze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lori Swanson</span> American politician

Lori Swanson is an American lawyer and politician who served as the attorney general of Minnesota from 2007 to 2019. She was the first female attorney general elected in Minnesota. In 2018, she ran for Governor of Minnesota with running mate U.S. Representative Rick Nolan finishing in third place in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary.

A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by state or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or schools. Many policies have been developed and implemented since vaccines were first made widely available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 swine flu pandemic in the United Kingdom</span>

The 2009 swine flu pandemic was a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, first identified in April 2009, termed Pandemic H1N1/09 virus by the World Health Organization (WHO) and colloquially called swine flu. The outbreak was first observed in Mexico, and quickly spread globally. On 11 June 2009, the WHO declared the outbreak to be a pandemic. The overwhelming majority of patients experienced mild symptoms, but some persons were in higher risk groups, such as those with asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, who were pregnant or had a weakened immune system. In the rare severe cases, around 3–5 days after symptoms manifest, the sufferer's condition declines quickly, often to the point of respiratory failure.

The Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) was a method used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the United States to control spending by Medicare on physician services.

Healthgrades Marketplace, LLC, known as Healthgrades, is a US company that provides information about physicians, hospitals, and healthcare providers. Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. Healthgrades has amassed information on over three million U.S. health care providers. The company was founded by Kerry Hicks, David Hicks, Peter Fatianow, John Neal, and Sarah Lochran, and is based in Denver, Colorado. Jeff Hallock serves as RVO Health's CEO. According to USA Today, Healthgrades is the first comprehensive physician rating and comparison database. The application is part of a trend in health technology in the United States towards consumer-driven healthcare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Pho</span> American physician

Kevin Pho is an American physician of internal medicine, media commentator, public speaker, and author. He is the founder and editor of KevinMD.com, a website aimed at medical professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health information on Wikipedia</span>

The Wikipedia online encyclopedia has, since the late 2000s, served as a popular source for health information for both laypersons and, in many cases, health care practitioners. Health-related articles on Wikipedia are popularly accessed as results from search engines, which frequently deliver links to Wikipedia articles. Independent assessments have been made of the number and demographics of people who seek health information on Wikipedia, the scope of health information on Wikipedia, and the quality and reliability of the information on Wikipedia.

Robert William Sears, known as Dr. Bob, is an American pediatrician from Capistrano Beach, California, noted for his unorthodox and dangerous views on childhood vaccination. While Sears acknowledges the efficacy of vaccines—for instance, he supports the claim that Chicken pox, measles, whooping cough, polio, diphtheria have all disappeared because of vaccines—he has proposed alternative vaccination schedules that depart from accepted medical recommendations. His proposals have enjoyed celebrity endorsement but are not supported by medical evidence and have contributed to dangerous under-vaccination in the national child population. While he denies being anti-vaccine, Sears has been described by many as anti-vaccine and as a vaccine delayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roni Zeiger</span>

Roni F. Zeiger is an American physician and technologist. He is notable for his work as the Chief Health Strategist (2006–2012) at Google where he developed Google Health and Google Flu Trends. He is a co-founder of the Smart Patients project. In 2019, Zeiger announced he would be joining Facebook as the Head of Health Strategy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health information on the Internet</span>

Health information on the Internet refers to all health-related information communicated through or available on the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Anderson</span> American physician and doctor

Susan Anderson was an American physician and one of the first women to practice medicine in Colorado.

Helen Y. Chu is an American immunologist who is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington. Her research considers maternal immunization, with a focus on influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was the first physician to recognise community transmission of the coronavirus disease within the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rostrum, Carol M. (September 15, 2012). "Your doctor as a Facebook 'friend'?: More physicians find social media is key to patient care". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. p. C.1.
  2. 1 2 Haugen, Dan (January 26, 2011). "Mayo Clinic names 17 members to social media advisory board". MedCity News. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  3. ↑ Marcus, Mary Brophy (February 4, 2014). "Decline of antibiotic use among kids seems to be leveling off: study". HealthDay. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Two national experts highlight Idaho's immunization conferences". Targeted News Service. Washington, D.C. April 18, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Beyond the waiting room". National Post. Don Mills, Ontario. September 2, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Class of 1996". Kenyon College . Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Media-savvy 'Mama Doc' authors parenting manual". The Herald of Everett Washington. Heraldnet.com. February 4, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anonymous (January 11, 2010). "A Tale of Two Lives: Pediatrician mom blogs about parenthood, child health issues and breaking health news: Seattle Children's Hospital launches 'Seattle Mama Doc' blog". PR News Wire. New York. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Topol, Eric J. (March 17, 2015). "Topol, Mama Doc on Social Media's Power, Vaccines and Disease Prevention". Medscape.com. WebMD LLC. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "In the News". Seattle Children's. Seattle Children's Hospital. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  11. ↑ Haugen, Dan (January 26, 2011). "Mayo Clinic names 17 members to social media advisory board". MinnPost . Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  12. ↑ "Ask Our Experts: Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson". Parents.com. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, FAAP". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  14. ↑ "What NOT to do when your child is sick". Today . March 13, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Social media residency caps social media week at Mayo Clinic". Targeted News Service. Washington, D.C. September 13, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Vaccination Conference Set at I.F. on Tuesday". Idaho State Journal. Pocatello, Idaho. April 21, 2012. p. A.7.
  17. ↑ "Seattle Children's Research Institute Hosts 'Eight Annual Pediatric Bioethics Conference' on July 27 and 28". Target News Service. Washington, D.C. February 6, 2012.
  18. 1 2 Swanson, Wendy Sue (April 8, 2013). "Why are patients not finding their doctors online?". TedXNijmegen. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Masterclass on Physician Online Identity". Stanford Medicine X. Stanford University. September 6, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  20. ↑ "The 11th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions". Association of Immunization Managers. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  21. ↑ "The father of modern business strategy, Michael E. Porter opens the first day of HealthAchieve 2014". Canada Newswire. Ottawa, Canada. November 3, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Cerner Health Conference 2014: Featured Speakers". Cerner.com. Cerner Corporation. November 2, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  23. ↑ McCabe, Caitlin (November 10, 2014). "Federal goal is to vaccinate 80% of boys and girls against HPV by 2020; despite rising oral-cancer rates in men, many parents don't see the risk of sexually transmitted disease to 11-year-olds". The Wall Street Journal .
  24. ↑ Szabo, Liz (May 25, 2010). "Moms judge one another?". The Courier. Houma, Louisiana.
  25. ↑ Hughes, Marni (November 30, 2011). "Parents continue to question the health risks of vaccines". McClatchy-Tribune Business News. Washington.
  26. 1 2 Versel, Neil (February 23, 2012). "Feature Story: Live from HIMSS12:ICD-10, Meaningful Use and Social Media". M2 Prewire. Coventry, United Kingdom: Normans Media Ltd.
  27. ↑ Sohn, Emily (May 12, 2012). "Mind & Body: star parenting; nursing 3 1/2 year olds? Eating placenta pills? Celebrities go to extremes". Los Angeles Times . p. E.6.
  28. ↑ Szabo, Liz (July 16, 2013). "McCarthy's views about vaccines come into 'View': Critics concerned she will use co-hosting gig to spread fears of autism". p. D.2. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  29. ↑ Hoffman, Jan (October 9, 2012). "Technology that involves teenagers in their health". The New York Times . No. late edition. p. D.3.
  30. ↑ Netburn, Deborah (January 17, 2013). "How to find the best medical information online". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  31. 1 2 "Seattle's 'Mama Doc' to appear on 'Katie'". The Herald of Everett, Washington. Heraldnet.com. July 22, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  32. 1 2 Swanson, Wendy Sue (October 7, 2019). "Thank you, and a Look Ahead". Seattle Mama Doc. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  33. 1 2 Springen, Karen (March 1, 2014). "Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance". Literature Resource Center. 110 (13): 10.
  34. 1 2 "Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance". Publishers Weekly. 261 (3): 48. January 20, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson: 2014 Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame Innovative Individual Inductee". Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame . Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  36. ↑ Cowles, Stacey; Caldwell, Bert; Crooks, Gary (May 2, 2012). "Social media effective tool for medical community". The Spokesman-Review . p. A.13. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  37. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (December 4, 2014). "Why Boring Is Best: Un-Decorating Your Baby's Crib". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  38. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (October 20, 2014). "Pot in Your Pantry? Marijuana Use in Toddlers and Teens". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  39. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (October 1, 2014). "Ouchless Flu in 2014-2015: Nasal Flu Spray Recommended for Young Children". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  40. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (July 18, 2014). "LuluLemon's False Claim is a Slap in the Face". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  41. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (June 23, 2014). "You Mamas Taking Iodine?". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  42. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (May 5, 2014). "What's Your Strategy for Keeping Your Kids Alive in the Car?". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  43. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (January 24, 2014). "How to Talk to Your Kids About Justin Bieber's Arrest". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  44. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (January 19, 2014). "The Problem with Friday Night Tykes". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  45. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (January 10, 2014). "2013-2014 Flu is Here". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  46. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (December 11, 2013). "Left to Chance with the iPotty". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  47. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (November 22, 2013). "Smokeout". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  48. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (November 11, 2013). "PG-13 Movies: More Guns". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  49. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (October 24, 2013). "Buying Breast Milk Online". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  50. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (October 21, 2013). "Consistency May Be the 'Secret Sauce'". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  51. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (October 3, 2013). "Talking to a Canadian Cabbie Gave Me Insight on Healthcare". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  52. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (September 24, 2013). "An Annual Interview: 20 Questions". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  53. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (September 12, 2013). "It's Time for Flu Shots". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  54. ↑ Swanson, Wendy Sue (April 25, 2013). "I Love Being a Working Mom". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 15, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.