RSS FeedPhysicians, Social Media and New Opportunities
9 December 2009Yesterday, two physicians presented an interesting Q & A session online regarding physicians and social media. Dr. Brian Vartabedian, also known as “Doctor_V” on twitter, was discussing the role of social media in physician practice. Here were a few of his observations about social media and physicians:
1) Not enough physicians are utilizing social media (yet) – Dr. V, a pediatric gastroenterologist, wrote a book about treating colic in babies, which is how he started blogging, as a platform to promote his book. However, now he utilizes social media to help convey important consumer health information to patients and parents of patients, and dispel health rumors. Recently, he has started to have direct interaction with patients via social media. Dr. V admits that he probably wouldn’t have become so active in social media had it not been for writing his book, but is very glad that prompted him to jump in. Therefore, he advocates physicians becoming in involved as soon as possible to begin reaping the benefits of using social media.
2) Social Media can help strengthen the doctor-patient relationship, but cannot fix a broken one.
3) Many doctors are not yet comfortable or interested in the transparency social media creates – Dr. V feels that many physicians want to maintain a divide between patients and doctors, which Dr. V feels is not a good thing. Liability is also a related concern – and Dr. V admits that is a valid one that will need to be addressed as social media evolves.
4) Social Media is a conversation, not a monologue or broadcast. Dr. V expressed an affinity for, and perhaps preference for, media that is NOT restricted to physicians only (e.g. SERMO, Ozmosis, etc.). He enjoys getting feedback and insight from a variety of different types of people including consumers, patients, parents, other medical professionals, and writers/authors, etc.
One thing that was not discussed in yesterday’s presentation was how social media could help physicians identify a new practice opportunity. Here are some ways you can utilize social media (LinkedIN, Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc.) in your practice search:
1) Networking and building relationships: Contacts could include other medical professionals, hospital execs, and any other people who may help in your search. Hospitals are utilizing Twitter and Facebook, physician job boards, such as MDJobsite.com are utilizing social media, as are medical recruiters, and colleagues in the medical field.
2) Gathering information – you can gather information about hospitals, communities, school systems, and local amenities in a variety of locations nationwide. Facebook and Twitter are great sites for researching amenities of a location where you may be considering a new practice opportunity. Additionally, you can keep up with industry news/trends (who’s hiring, laying off, etc) and any news that could affect you in the event of a practice change or relocation.
If you haven’t yet dipped your toe in the water of the social media pool, here are some tips Dr. V provided for other physicians who are interested in utilizing social media.
1) LinkedIn is a great starting point – Dr. V feels that LinkedIn, a professional networking site, is one of the most user-friendly, and less imposing than some of the other media. Therefore, it’s a good site to use first, and then you can branch out into other, more fast-paced sites.
2) There is no exact formula or science – Dr. V notes that doctors often ask him for precise instructions on exactly what to do, step by step, when utilizing social media. There is no single “right” way, but there are general rules of etiquette – just like any community, social media online communities have rules for accepted behavior. Therefore, Dr. V recommends doing a lot of “listening and reading” of other physicians’ posts before going full speed ahead with yours. After you register with each site, connect with a few people you know and observe some interactions, and see what the rules of engagement are for each community you join online.
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December 10th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Wow. You made my rambling look so organized. Thank you. Nice summary.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:16 am
Thanks so much for the feedback and for stopping by, Dr. V! Your presentation contained a lot of excellent information worth sharing!
Regards,
Andrea
April 5th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
[...] predicts that social media utilization among physicians will increase exponentially over the next few years, as we have [...]