Twitter, a popular social network and microblogging service, is rapidly being adopted by allergists. A study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Nov. 8-13 has found there has been a 470 percent increase in allergist use in just one year. Allergists are primarily using Twitter to educate their patients and the public about allergy-related information. They are also connecting with their peers.

Title: Rapid Growth of Twitter Use by Allergists and Immunologists for Professional Purposes

Lead Author: Nana Sarkoah Fenny, M.D.

Co-Author: Allergist Vesselin Dimov, M.D., ACAAI member

By the Numbers: There were 85 self-identified allergists on Twitter in 2012, compared to 18 in 2011. This represents a 470 percent increase in use by allergists in one year. Of these allergists, 80 percent have more than 50 followers, and 78 percent of all allergists followed at least one of their peers. Of the 1,307 tweets analyzed, 49 percent were allergy-related and 52 percent contained hyperlinks.