Where Do We Go From Here?

There are numerous social media tools that I have not been able to discuss over these past few weeks including LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Podcasts and many more. Medical professionals should consider utilizing these tools and networking sites to connect and engage with others among the health care industry. Over the course of this blog, I have been preaching the message of safe and effective uses of social media tools. Medical professionals must follow guidelines in order to protect themselves and follow patient privacy laws.

The University of Missouri Health System, also referred to as MU, currently has health care social media guidelines posted on their main website which protects the institution and employees.  These guidelines apply to official social media postings for MU health care, video recordings, audio recordings, photography, and personal social media communications. Placing this document on the main Web site informs both the internal audiences of MU such as employees, staff, and stakeholders, but also its external audiences such as patients and other medical professionals about its social media policies.

A social media policy not only protects individuals and institutions, but also provides the framework needed to achieve goals and objectives. For example, the Mayo Clinic breaks down each social media tool. It provides in-depth instructions and details, explaining how the content and social media site will be managed and maintained. For various blogs, the Mayo Clinic has created a Comment Policy. For social networking sites such as YouTube and Facebook, the clinic provides Participation Guidelines. Detailed descriptions such as these can prove valuable in achieving objectives. Social media is rapidly growing, so the more detail and guidance provided, the better.

Where do we go from here? The health care industry should jump into the social media world, but jump in with caution and with a plan in place. Social media provides remarkable tools to aid medical professionals in sharing information, education, connecting with others, engaging with patients, giving medical advice, and more. The list of opportunities social media outlets present is extensive and will only continue to grow. The health care industry must embrace social media and utilize it for all that is it worth.

There's An App For That

This will be the final week for my blog topic to focus on social media and the health care industry. When I read back through the past few weeks of content, the question I seem to be hearing most is “What is next in social media?” In my opinion, the answer is mobile applications.

Mobile applications have just recently, over the past few years, begun to gain popularity. I found myself wondering how a medical professional could utilize a mobile app to increase awareness and spread information. Currently, there are over 6,000 medical applications available.  One article I read found that "seventy-five percent of U.S. physicians own some form of Apple device, and that they are quickly embracing the technology for use in their practice."

After researching online for some additional information, I discovered that mobile health apps are being used mainly among patients to access health records. The accessibility to health records allows a patient to update personal documents while monitoring health activities and wellbeing. Not only are patients able to take control of their health, this app will help keep them out of the doctor’s office for non-emergency or minor issues. The physician is able to conduct an examination without the patient actually visiting the office.

Another theme of medical mobile applications currently being utilized by doctors are drug reference guides. This app is a simple idea, but contains information that every medical professional needs. Instead of looking through outdated textbooks or searching online for a drug reference guide, medical professionals can find the information in the palm of their hand. The ease and availability of this application not only saves time, but also can be used to educate health care students as well as patients. For example, how many times have you been prescribed an antibiotic but wanted more information? Instead of sitting down at a computer and performing a Google search, which could pull biased and outdated information about the prescription, one could access the app from their phone and within seconds be able to learn more.

So what is the future of social media? What is the future of social media and the health care industry? The future is mobile applications.

Leading the Way

The blog post 7 Reasons Why Doctors Should Blog contained suggestions for ways in which doctors could use blogs.  

A main reason doctors should blog is to build trust and reputation. Thanks to the Internet, blogs are available to readers globally. Blogs are a valuable tool in building trust and reputation not only among a physician’s local community, but worldwide. A physician blogger should place focus on the publics in which he/she serves, but should also remember not neglect the online medical community.

One creative and unique suggestion mentioned by the author was to lead a social cause. Utilizing a blog to lead a social cause is an excellent proposal. If a physician has established trust, authority and professionalism through their blog, why not use their status to create awareness? For example, promoting an “anti tobacco campaign” would allow for the physician to engage with audiences through exclusive content. Leading a social cause can only be successful if individuals currently read and follow the blog. The physician blogger can post content about promotional events, information, current research, and personal stories all concerning the cause.

Promoting a social cause through a blog is an effective way to not only create awareness, but to produce unique content that can target new audiences. If a physician posts content about an “anti tobacco campaign,” his/her blog may be read by individuals or groups interested in the cause. Guest bloggers can also be an effective method to generate interest in both the cause and the blog. Individuals currently participating in an “anti tobacco campaign” could post content about the current efforts and organizations involved. Also, guest bloggers could post content about personal stories such as quitting tobacco, losing family members from cancers associated with tobacco use, or tobacco addiction. This would not only give readers a wide range of information, but could also draw in additional audiences.  

There are thousands of physician blogs. One way a doctor can set their blog apart from the others is to lead a social cause. An unknown author once said, “A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list.” Physicians, let’s focus on changing the world one post at a time.

Blogging for the Greater Good

This week’s discussion involves a social media tool most of us are quite familiar with, a blog. Thousands of physicians have both personal and professional blogs. In the article, Doctor Blogs Raise Concerns about Patient Privacy, author Deirdre Kennedy discusses the fine line physicians walk when blogging.

There seems to be recurring theme among all of my posts, patient privacy. Patient privacy in the online world seems to be the number one issue. Blogs should be handled with the same guidelines I have previously suggested in order for physicians to protect themselves from legal consequences. Never mention a patient’s name, and always make sure to alter facts substantially enough to where patients are unable to identify themselves among the blog content. Legal ramifications can occur if doctors post too much information concerning a case or patient.

Blogs have numerous benefits that include free marketing promotion, recruiting aspects, information sharing, and two-way conversations. Kennedy states"Online readers can learn about the latest medical gadets, read physicians' views on health care issue,s even get a peek at the inner thoughts of surgeons." Through a blog, medical professsionals are able to share their experiences and knowledge with patients and others employed in the health care industry. It can be used to educate and inform medical students or young adults interested in the medical profession. Patients are constantly seeking out health information. What better place to educate them then a blog? A majority of patients perform an online search for physicians before scheduling an appointment. A blog is an effective way for them to learn about the physician’s views, practice and experience. Trust, authority, and influence can all be gained from a blog.

Times have changed, especially with the format in which conversations are held. What was once face-to-face- discussions is now online conversations. No longer are medical cases and experiences being discussed in private with one or two other individuals. Instead, conversations are being held publically online between numerous people. Treat a blog in the same overall manner that you would treat a patient, with respect and professionalism. Blogs are a social media tool with numerous benefits, so get out there and join the conversation!

Physicians on Facebook: Be Professional, Not Personal

Richard Martin, Times Staff Writer, recently wrote an article that got me thinking about how medical professionals can safely manage a personal Facebook page. Doctors Learn the Evolving Limits of Social Media places focus on situations in which physicians violate patient privacy laws through the content they post on Facebook.

One example mentioned in this article involves a physician who posted information about a trauma patient on her personal Facebook page. She did not mention the patient’s name, but released enough information for it to be considered a violation of privacy. She was fired from the hospital and disciplined by the state medical board. Even though this content was posted on her personal page, patient’s privacy laws still applied.

Think about this incident by placing yourself in the patient’s shoes. Would you want all of your physicians Facebook friends to know about your traumatic experience? Most would answer no. Medical professionals should refrain from posting content about a patient, no matter how small of a mention it might be. Physicians can and should have a personal Facebook page; they just need to be smart when posting content and when granting individuals access to view their page. Personal accounts should be private and only visible to those approved.

Incidents like the example mentioned are going to occur, but each situation presents an opportunity for the health care industry to learn. The health industry having to create guidelines for medical professionals to follow when utilizing social media tools should not be considered a negative consequence. Instead it should be positive. Having proper guidelines in place will leave less room for error, mistakes, and violation of privacy issues. 

One safe way physicians can be active on Facebook is by maintaining a professional page. The abilities to post disclaimers and control the flow of information are valuable tools in that respect. A professional Facebook page can be an efficient and effective promotional tool. Through this page the physician could post general health maintenance information, research updates, events such as free screenings, etc.   

Facebook can be a strong media tool if used properly. Be aware of what you post and make it appropriate for all audiences. Remember that once content is out on the Web, it remains there for all to see. To quote Dr. Lindsay Thompson, “Whatever you put up, make it something that would make your grandmother proud.”

The Dual-Citizen Approach or Dual Personalities?

When researching information about how health professionals can effectively use Facebook, I came across an interesting blog post, “How Doctors Can Use Facebook Responsibly.”

The first item mentions how medical students and attending physicians are engaging in unprofessional behaviors on Facebook. The author, Dr. Kevin Pho, suggests one solution would be to embrace the “dual-citizen” approach. This approach suggests that physicians allow only friends and families to view their personal profile, not patients. Then, the physician should create a separate Facebook account/page to serve as their public persona for patients to view.

We have been discussing the “dual-citizen” approach in my current graduate course “Social Media and Public Relations.” I believe that having two online personas, one personal and one professional, is the most efficient way for health care professionals to engage in social media.

What I would warn is this: With a personal account, the person must check privacy settings weekly and also check their friends list. Facebook is constantly updating privacy settings, which sometimes can cause current privacy or profile settings to change. Also, glancing through your friends list once every few weeks is a proactive way to identify who has direct access to your profile.

Having a professional, public account is a great way to connect with patients and others in the community. This page could be used to disperse information about health by posting context from online articles, events such as free screenings, fundraisers, etc. Also, the page could serve as a direct communication source for patients to contact a physician for any health information they might be seeking.

Just remember, a public Facebook page must be professional. Make sure that each post is HIPAA compliant and that the content is appropriate. This page should be used to create trust with those in the community as well as in the health care industry.

To sum up, I agree with Pho’s “dual-citizen” approach. Maintaining two separate pages will involve constant attention and awareness, but this is an opportunity for physicians to actively engage in social media while remaining protected.

Go Ahead and Tweet!

To continue on with the Twitter theme of my last post, I found a recent blog titled 140 HealthCare Uses for Twitter. 

One of the first suggestions that really caught my attention was the idea of using Twitter for rural area health care communication. A recent study conducted by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that, “Older residents in rural areas are more likely to have any of nine common surgeries than people in cities.” Utilizing Twitter to reach patients in rural areas is definitely a smart idea and one that deserves much more research. From what I have learned in my studies thus far, most people in these populations do not have immediate access to the Internet. With the increase in technology dispersion into rural areas, it will be fascinating to examine what portion of this population would utilize Twitter for health care communications. If patients within rural areas have access to the Internet, well, it would be a fascinating study to look at just how many really people would utilize Twitter for health care communication.

A second suggestion that I found interesting was the idea of using Twitter to broadcast infant care tips to new parents. I like this proposal because most new parents are active seekers of information. They are always checking to make sure they are doing what is best for their child. A normal Google search or even a parenting book can present outdated information, yet a Twitter search can connect them with health care professionals providing information that is current. For example, if a physician tweets that certain baby formulas have been recalled and then provide a link to the actual news story, new parents will be able to receive the information promptly without having to wait for television or radio news to report the recall. Parents will have immediate access to information they seek to find, while having the ability to connect with other new parents. Again, as previously stated, I like this idea because the possibilities for two-way communication and two-way information sharing are endless.

If you have time to read all 140 uses, I suggest you do. I may not personally agree with every suggestion, but overall I like the direction that the health care industry is moving by means of social media. Patient-provider communication and care will no longer be the same because Twitter has changed the ballgame. I am excited to see what other ideas will be added to the Health Care Uses for Twitter list.  

To Tweet or Not To Tweet? That is the Question

I recently came across an interesting blog posted by the TopRank Online Marking Blog: 5 Examples of Social Media in Healthcare Marketing. It focuses on five examples of how social media has been and will continue to be integrated into the health care industry.

The example that I found to be most interesting discusses the success of the Henry Ford Hospital tweeting a live procedure from an operating room. It was considered a successful use of social media because of the audience it reached; health care providers, students and patients as the main audiences. The blog claims that utilizing Twitter not only attracted new patients but also helped recruit medical personnel.

However, I have to wonder about the “what if” scenario. What if the surgery had not been a success and the patient died? What if the surgeon was more focused on how many followers and retweets he was getting instead of the patient’s well-being? Was the patient’s privacy compromised?

I can only assume, and hope, that a strict set of guidelines was set in stone long before this surgery ever took place. For those of you reading my blog, I am sure that you can figure out which side of the social media in the health care industry argument I am on.

A proper set of guidelines, including privacy, patient care, etc., should always be implemented before any health care professional joins the social media world. For example, a “Grey’s Anatomy” episode followed the same story line by showing the chief of surgery tweeting a procedure as it was happening. A large amount of the episode was spent debating the pros and cons of tweeting procedures from the operating room. Yet in the end, a proper set of guidelines was placed and followed, allowing for a successful use of social media to connect to the outside world.

The use of Twitter in the Henry Ford Hospital scenario also connected people worldwide by sharing an in- the-moment situation that most never gets to know about. Being one of the first hospitals to successfully tweet a live procedure not only welcomed the Henry Ford Hospital to the social media world, but also showcased them as a leader in the health care industry. 

Is Social Media Scary?

Here is an interesting article that I came across when researching social media use and healthcare: Social Media Should Be Embraced By Health Care.

In it, author Colin Son, M.D., discusses how social media is being integrated into the health care industry and the effect it has on patient privacy. He mainly focuses on how social media tends to be seen negatively by health care providers. 

The example he uses of nurses posting photos on Facebook of a stabbing victim that came to the hospital when they should have been trying to save his life. As many of us know, a few bad apples can ruin the whole bundle which is why rare situations such as this example can cause health providers to lean away from social media. 

Yet I have to ask the question, "Is it social media that caused these nurses to post photos instead of offer care?” In my opinion, no, social media did not cause these actions; the individual is at fault. However, once the media catches wind of a story such as this, it can and will spread quickly, negatively influencing the overall perceptions of health care providers. 

Son suggests that if guidelines were in place, then these problems can be minimal. In fact, guidelines do exist, but various industries may follow these guidelines differently. To protect themselves and patients, health providers should follow a social media policy. Implementing a social media policy can create a safe avenue for social media to enter into the health care industry. 

Having an effective policy in place can help reduce providers’ fears of social media use. As Son mentioned in the article, it has the potential to be “abused” by anyone. Just how integrated social media will become in the health care industry is an issue that will remain at the top of the headlines for awhile, yet I believe the benefits of using social media can outweigh the consequences.