Social media's emergency response role

Facebook and Twitter are helping to improve and speed up responses to natural disasters and health emergencies by involving members of the public, it was claimed yesterday.

Social media allowed an "unprecedented" two-way exchange of information between the public and those given the task of preparing for and responding to major events such as earthquakes, floods and infection pandemics, said researchers.

"By sharing images, texting and tweeting, the public is already becoming part of a large response network, rather than remaining mere bystanders or casualties," said the US team led by Dr Raina Merchant, an emergency medicine expert from the University of Pennsylvania.

Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors say future social media strategies that could aid disaster preparedness and response included the use of GPS-linked mobile phone apps, such as Foursquare and Loopt. They could enable off-duty nurses or paramedics to broadcast their willingness to help in nearby emergencies.

Another idea was the creation of web-based "buddy" systems allowing friends and neighbours to keep track of at-risk people during heatwaves or cold snaps and connect them with social services and medical care.