Hey Doc, It's Written on the Wall

On the wall leading to the poetry room at City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, there is a corkboard covered with hundreds of colorful post-it notes. Each note includes a personal response to the question, “What book scared you the most as a kid?” The post-it note, although anonymous, gives the community a look into the hearts and minds of its customers, their friends and themselves.

Each note is part of a conversation. One that is carried on between those who stop to read the responses. One that takes place between the employee who posted the questions and those who gather them.  Heck, even one between those who decide which books to stock! And these are the kinds of conversations that you could be having with your patients if you only had your own wall.

But you do. Today's cork board is social media.

There are several platforms. And there are lots of opportunities to ask good questions, gather responses and better understand those who rely on you to reach their health care objectives.

Okay, so the responses aren’t anonymous. But they are voluntary. The right question doesn’t ask someone to give away personal health information but could give them an opportunity to share information on the periphery that might help you develop a strategy for meeting their needs.

It’s this simple. You’re a cardiologist. The post on your practice’s Facebook page asks this, “What’s your favorite cardio exercise?” Or, maybe it’s broader like, “Who inspires you to get off the couch and take a walk?”

By asking, “What’s your favorite?” you’re learning what most find doable and can share that with others. They’ll even share ideas with one another. And you may even find some new exercises that your particular audience is comfortable performing.

By asking, “Who inspires you?” you’re learning about motivations. Is it family? Is it sports heroes? Is it that hot new contestant on “Dancing with the Stars”? And with this information you’re learning more about what moves your patient to, well, move. It’s better than a lecture like, “Exercise now or die soon.” Oops. I’m sorry for the dramatic lecture title. I get a little excited about the topic of connecting you with your patient.

Dr. Bubba Edwards is a pediatrician in Memphis, Tennessee. On a wall at his office are the handprints of kids who have successfully (and heroically) received all of their shots. It’s just a handprint and a first name. But it’s a great encouragement for the anxious child being walked to the exam room in nervous anticipation of his school shots. And well, it’s just plain fun.

Okay, maybe your patients are too grown up for that. But they’re not too grown up to have fears of their own. They are not so grown up that we can’t encourage them to pursue the treatments that can improve and perhaps even save their life.

So you don’t have a wall for the handprints of your grown up patients? Sure you do. It’s called Instagram. The free picture and, dare I say, inspiration sharing smartphone app has nearly one billion users. Each user is posting pictures of everything from what they’re eating to where they’re spending the day with friends. Imagine your challenge, or encouragement, to a patient is that he posts pictures of his meals as a sort of accountability to eat well. There’s no mention of a condition that demands it. It’s merely a celebration of “I can do this.” Heck, with the plug-ins for your website that sort or encouragement can be shared with everyone who interacts with you there. It’s sort of like a handprint on Dr. Bubba’s wall.

And so, maybe there are things beyond prescriptions that can improve the quality of life for your patients. Maybe there are things beyond office visits that can help us stay connected. And maybe, just maybe, we can have some fun doing it.

By the way, what book scares you now? 

Update: My company is sponsoring a city-wide "wish you well" wall. Click here for info.