Hey Doc, Your Year to Connect

This year you’ll have 1000s of additional codes to choose from when you’re commenting on a patient file. You’ll have the challenge of meeting somewhat subjective patient performance expectations to maximize insurance reimbursements. And you’ll have more checkboxes to click in the EHR on your way to proving meaningful use. Sounds awful.

So, how will you make this a great year? You’ll connect.

Oh, not to technology though it’ll be there to facilitate the connections. But to people in ways that have proven challenging for some but profitable for others. And by ways, I mean social media, smartphone apps, and iPads. Still it’s not about the ways, it’s about the connection. It’s about the patient.

So, I thought you might enjoy three ideas that could help you achieve your purpose – the best health for your patients – and frankly help you suffer the codes, surveys and systems. Choose any one of them and you’ll be back to medicine.

First, use Social Media.

By now you’re aware that the tools we call social media have permeated our culture. They’ve raised expectations for openness. And they created expectations of connectedness. Here, however, are three specific platforms and ways to improve connections.

Facebook – yeah, the growth of teens has slowed but they’re not your patient. Make Facebook a place to share information that is helpful to others but not about others. Do this one thing, find a trusted content source and wrap your brand around it.

Pinterest – women are the primary decision makers when it comes to healthcare. Start a Pinterest account and make three boards. One should be the role of diet on those who have health issues related to your specialty. The second, a board the features exercise tips that benefit your patient community. And the third board, inspiration. Offer encouraging quotes, images of famous survivors or champions, and images that rest the soul.

Instagram – yeah, you’re right it’s for pictures. It’s the fastest growing and most popular app among the next generation of decision makers. Know how to take a picture of anything from equipment, to your staff, to things that give others a glimpse into what you find relevant.

Second, find an app. Don’t make one. Find one.

Sure you could make one but that’s really not necessary. There are hundreds of health apps that can make a difference in the wellbeing of your patient and might even prove helpful to you. We’ve written about them in Memphis Medical News. Click here to learn more in less than 700 words.

Third, tell a story.

iPads and fancy e-readers are the top of a lot of Christmas lists this year.  And you can put them to work for your practice. This idea is especially useful if your patients have chronic illness (i.e. diabetes), potentially life threatening diseases (i.e. cancer) or are expecting children (i.e. obstetrics, gynecology or pediatrics). It starts by imagining that you’re sitting with a patient to tell them what you do, what they might expect through the time you spend together, who your referring specialties are, what technologies you’ll use, resources that others find helpful and are willing to do so in a manner that deepens relationship instead of sending them around the web finding these things on their own.

Hey Doc, 

Don’t do these things because everyone else is doing them.

Do them because it will help improve the connection between you and your patient community. It will improve the nature of the dialogue that occurs when you’re with a patient or trying to explain an issue to the patient’s family.

Do it because it creates a deeper connection between you and the patient. A connection that new codes and checkbox-rich EHR systems don’t understand but that you know will lead to better health outcomes.

Do it because you’re a care giver; a healer. You’re all about the patient.

Do it because in this age of systems and policy changes, the one thing that can always change for the better is your relationship with those who count on you; the patient.

Yep, this year you’ll be asked (heck required) to do a lot of things. So, why not do at least one thing you like? 

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.

Say Cheese

I don’t take good pictures. Let me rephrase that. I’m okay taking the picture just not so good at being in it. But pictures are powerful. They allow us to share an idea, convey a message, and feel the moment in an instantaneous way.                                                                                                                                          

So to my fellow marketers I say, “Talk less. Show more.” And if you’ve got the will, let your customers show too.

Let my customers show what? Let them show their experience with activities that relate to your brand. The big guys do it. Consider American Airlines social campaign that allowed passengers to share pictures from their vacation and business trips. You can do this too.

It plays out by engaging already smartphone savvy, camera happy consumers on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And it happens at relatively no cost to you. Here’s how:

If you’re in healthcare, invite pictures of healthy lifestyles. For example, “show us your walking path”

If you’re in real estate, ask for pictures from the community. For example, “show us your favorite coffee shop, eatery or night spot”

If you’re in lawn care, how about inviting followers to share pictures of their favorite outdoor activity?

Inviting picture driven interaction lets consumers help create content for your brand, it drives more attention to their personal news feeds, and thus leverages their social reach to create additional consideration for you.

People will have fun. You’ll reach their friends. And brand connections will multiply. All without a single word except maybe, “Cheeeese!”