Hey Doc, What It Is

Are you still trying to decide if there a return-on-investment available through the use of social media? While you’re waiting you’re losing. Losing future dollars. Losing relevance. The value of your voice in the community is depreciating as patient-driven physicians are amassing new wealth in the form of clout. Clout with future patients and clout eventually becomes dollars.

Those doctors or healthcare organizations aren’t necessarily better at medicine than you. They’re simply better at culture. Your value proposition in the marketplace is what you know about achieving positive health outcomes. You’re pretty good at connecting that to a patient’s experience in the exam room, through a prescription or in surgery. But how’re you doing out there?  You know, online via social media. 

Still looking for something to prove it’s the right thing for you? Well, how about letting me debunk some health care social media myths for you.  You know, tell you what it is (and what it’s not).

It’s not a road to nowhere. It is a path to connectivity with patients, their families, future patients and others who influence health choices. 

It is a way for you to maintain a general conversation with the community that demonstrates a willingness to share information that might make a difference in their wellbeing. By the way, people who share make more friends. Friends refer friends. Friends are patients, too.

It’s not date night. Your patients are not asking you to out to dinner.  They’re simply looking to connect through their preferred channel. And this one has emerged to be that.

It is by all evidence an affordable conduit to the future as those with options choose providers, and those within plans sort one doctor or organization from another based on word of mouth, ratings, and social media manner—like bedside manner but on your smartphone.

It’s not a drive through window. Patients are not likely to ask for a diagnosis of some ailment. They’re too private for that. They’re just looking for something that might help them sift through clues about what ails them and you’re their most trusted source for that kind of information.

Look, I don’t profess to know much about making money but I have learned this, people connect with those who care. And caring starts with sharing.  Social Media is that.

Hey Doc, Best Practices

You attended years of school and training. But by now you know that there’s more to being a doctor than what you learned in the classroom. Sure, a suture can heal and the right medication can manage the in-between time. But a smile goes along way toward the same and a word of encouragement moves a patient toward their best outcome. 

So, what have we learned about social media that might make a difference in your practice? After all, there’s more to doing it right than merely creating an account and updating your Facebook status or Twitter feed. The technology is several years into its use life. You’d think most doctors would have figured this out by now. But a recent review of the top healthcare brands in our community taught me that they haven’t. 

However, you can demonstrate social media savvy and connect with patients by using these Best Practices as a guide:

Enable More Voices. It’s difficult to build community without conversation. Creating good content isn’t good enough. Invite trusted sources to guest post on your page. Host a Facebook Q&A with a physician from your team. Get a conversation started. And don’t be afraid of what you hear. Helping people get it right makes you the most valuable voice in the community.

Avoid Broadcasting. Announcements don’t compel interaction (see Enable More Voices). If your social media presence is largely dedicated to announcements regarding office hours, new staff members and new services – you’re Charlie Brown’s school teacher. Sure she had important information to share but all the kids heard was, “Wah, wah, wah.”

Patients Look for Themselves. I’m sorry to report this but people want to know if your brand advocates (those who like your social media pages) have anything in common with them. Potential new patients are smart and have learned to use your Facebook wall as a place to find out who makes up your community. If they don’t see people like themselves, they’ll be less inclined to connect.  We’re clearly not advocating excluding any one. We are encouraging you to be intentional in your marketing. A grandmother who likes a pediatrician’s page is not nearly as good a match to potential new patient as a young woman who does.

Raise Your Hand. Okay, that’s code for “buy some ads”. Facebook advertising is relatively inexpensive but there is a right and wrong way to do it. Here’s a simple truth: Facebook changed the algorithm that determines what percentage of your target audience sees your posts shrinking your natural reach. If you want all, most or more than a single digit percentage to connect with you there, you’re going to have to buy ads and boost your posts with ad dollars.

But more than anything else, it’s about this...

Know What They Want. If your OBGYN practice wants to reach women, maybe you should share some content from SELF Magazine. But it’ll be more meaningful if a member of your physician staff has a commentary on the subject and can connect it to those in your practice community in a personal way. What they want is to know what you think.

Maybe you’ve heard some of this before but by judging the social media pages of your peer network, nobody’s listening.  You can be a leader in empowering a healthcare community who in turn advocates for your brand and sees you as among the best practices.

Hey Doc, 10 Things You Said to Me

We’ve been meeting together here for a few years. I’ve shared a few thoughts with you and though most of you don't want to talk about it here, you do tell me through phone calls, in-person, email and direct messages on social media. So, want to know what your peers are talking about? I thought you might. So, here are the Top 10 Things Your Peers Say to Me About Social Media (whew, that title):

1      1.     I’m not sure how to say what needs to be said.

      Sure you are. You say it every day. Start there: the blinking cursor is simply a patient who has asked you an important question about her care. Patients like doctors with good bedside manner.

2      2.     It’s too hard to keep up but I need to appear timely.

       Well then, use social media to follow sources that you trust. Simply share or retweet their posts. You’ll  appear helpful and connected. Patients like connected health care providers.

3      3.     Just sharing data makes me sound robotic but I can’t share patient information.

       Ah, the HIPAA excuse. You’re right. But you can provide insight on common problems through your  personal story. Patients like other humans.

4      4.     There’s so much misinformation. I don’t want to be part of that crowd.

      Good for you but by not being there you’re part of the problem. Use social media to dispel common myths patients may have about treatment options by sharing truths. Patients like a trusted source. And to them, that’s always been you.

5       5.     I just want to practice medicine.

       You can and your impact can be far reaching. Use social media to help patients cope with their conditions by providing tips for managing common problems. There you go, practicing medicine. No paperwork to complete.

6      6.     I want to be part of the community.

      Then create one. You have built in neighbors. Use the “groups” feature in Facebook to build a wall around your neighborhood. Or, run it open allowing your patients to invite their friends and family to participate.  Patients like to connect their friends to someone who knows and cares about them and people like them.

7      7.     I’m focused patient retention. I don’t have time for social media.

      That Doc, is a direct contradiction to the power of social media. Not being present demonstrates indifference. Here’s a poem I wrote for a physician friend of mine:

Act like you give a damn.

Show that you care.

Lose the indifference.

And you’re half-the-way-there.  (thanks for indulging my inner-poet)

        8.     I need to prove exponential return on investment for any investment we make in social media.

      Me, too. Let’s make building a community, also known as developing followers, the first factor in return on investment. And no, that’s not some sales guy talking. We both know we need to be in the market before we can do business development.  People, yeah even patients, like to know that you’re investing in them and getting to know them before we start asking of them.

        9.     I want to make a viral video.

      Did you see the one featuring window-washers in super hero costumes? Look for moments that resonate with your inner child. Most viral videos work because they make us smile. Hey Doc, you don’t have to be funny but you can laugh.

  10.  I don’t have time.

I know. But we meet here once a month and to me, I’d give up our time together if you’d spend it with your patients via social media. Patients, okay doctors too, like people who make time for them.

Hey Doc, What About the New Ones?

Last month I sat with my son as he completed an online application for healthcare insurance via the Affordable Care Act Health Exchanges.  I wasn’t there because he needed my help. He’s smart and web savvy like most of his generation. I’m just into this subject to be helpful to you.

Anyway, he’s off Mom and Dad’s insurance. He’s paying for his healthcare for the first time ever. He’s making his own decision about healthcare providers. He actually wants to get a physical and develop a relationship with a doctor. But surprise, he finds the whole thing exasperating. It’s not for the reason you might think. No, it’s not the money.  His frustration stems from how counter intuitive the process is to the way his generation works.

His frustration is an opportunity for someone. It occurred to me that that someone might be you and that social media might be a way to bridge the communication gap, improve this generation’s perception of the healthcare community/process and drive patients to you.

Here’s how:

First, nearly 90% of those 18 to 24 years of age said they would trust medical information shared by others on their social media networks.  A millennial’s network on social media is a group of people that is well trusted, which again, presents an opportunity to connect with them as healthcare professional in a new and authentic way. Be transparent. Share information that’s helpful, and include how to pay for things. They just want to know.

Second, more than 80% of the millennial generation said that information found via social media affects the way they deal with everything – health, too. Healthcare professionals have an obligation to create educational content to be shared across social media that will help accurately inform this generation about health related issues and squash misleading information. The opinions of others on social media are often trusted but aren’t always accurate, especially when it comes to a subject as sensitive as health.  Be present. Listen as much as you “tweet”.  Share what you’d want your child to know and dialogue with them if they reach out to you. Hey, their doctor’s voice will cut through the online clutter but they also expect to be heard.

Third, about 75% of the 18 to 24 year olds said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor or medical facility. This makes social media important as a tool to help accelerate positive and overcome negative word of mouth. It can attract new patients, minimize missed appointments, retain your patients, and win their referrals. Millennials are using social media to discuss everything in their lives including health and it is up to you to tune in.

Fourth, millennials are the most likely group of social media users to trust social media posts and activity by doctors.  They see doctors as respected members of society (yeah, really) who are also highly revered for their opinions when they are shared on social media, which is even more reason to help boost your reach as a healthcare provider and use social media to discuss health issues, choosing healthcare plans, meeting providers, and getting well.  This may require that you explore some new channels. Think Instagram. This generation is definitely a “show me don’t tell me” community of patients.

Hmmm. Now that I think about it, millennials are not the only ones who can relate to these ideas. The percentages may vary but the impact could be more immediate to your business if middle-aged people find you online. But if you’re thinking about tomorrow and the new patients coming into the healthcare stream, consider connecting with millennials via social media. They’re Moms and Dads will thank you.

Q. 

What are you doing to include this generation in your practice development strategy? 

Hey Doc, Patients First on Social Media

The secret of a successful social media strategy starts with who is in the middle. And that’s not any different than the philosophical and practical approach any successful physician or clinic takes to his/her efforts. Well, at least when the patient is the one at the center of the effort.

 I recently read an excerpt from Dr. Toby Cosgrove’s book “The Cleveland Clinic Way” that reminded me how challenging it can be to put the patient at the center of our work. And simultaneously, how imperative it is that we do just that. You may know Dr. Cosgrove as the President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic.

Early on in his efforts toward being “patient centered”, Cleveland Clinic had decided to reassign the reserved parking spaces near the front of its buildings to patients, not doctors. One physician complained, “What’s this, patients first and doctors last?”

Other physicians wondered whether reform promoting kindness and compassion was necessary. They said, “Dr. Smith is kind of mean to people, but he’s a great surgeon” as if that were enough. Being a great is surgeon is about being technically proficient and treating patients well.

Cosgrove recognized that we live in a time when technology has leveled the playing field with respect to the outcomes patients might receive at competing hospitals. But Cleveland Clinic could differentiate itself by treating its patients well and creating a true healing experience.

Through conversations with patients and their families the clinic learned that many were frustrated by access to medical records. So, they made them accessible. They learned that patients found visiting hours to be a major irritant. This info with data they had on the role of family in healing drove a decision to open visiting hours to “whenever…and to spend as much time as they like” with the exception of the Intensive Care Unit.

Look, you’re not reading this to learn what the Cleveland Clinic did or is doing but it seems a fitting metaphor for the things we talk about with social media. So here....

Like the issue with the parking spaces, many think that practice social media policies should revolve around the doctor’s convenience. A policy wherein doctors aren’t directed to share health information via an occasional tweet might be convenient. But it’s not improving patient health outcomes for those with chronic conditions whose Twitter newsfeeds are filled with hash tag rich tweets concerning their disease from every source but you.

Oh sure, there’s always the risk that the “mean doctor” will be exposed via social media through something he says that demonstrates indifference. But in all likelihood, patients and families who share their feelings about “customer satisfaction” on Facebook pages, Yelp and Angie’s List have already exposed him. Help him improve his bedside manner one post or tweet at-a-time. Yeah, bedside manner. Smartphones have become as common on the nightstand as grandma’s dentures. And many – maybe even your grandma - are using social media first thing every day and last thing they do at night.

And then there was this, a Cleveland Clinic team enlisted a designer to create an alternative to the traditional open back gown. Their goal was to address the frequent patient complaints about the indignity and discomfort they suffered when wearing them. Good for them. But, I couldn’t help imagine how much fun it would have been to engage patients in developing a solution via a simple Pinterest board. So I googled “hospital gowns on Pinterest” and got 279,000 results.

Come on, Doc. Let’s be social. By the way, the Cleveland Clinic is great model for that, too. They’re @ClevelandClinic on Twitter. 

Hey Doc, Oh Yes They Are

For the better part of the Social Era physicians have decried the use of social media among their target demographic: grownups and the elderly. But guess what? Dads, Moms and even Grandma are all up in social media tools like Facebook and it’s time you connected with her there.

In fact, a recent Pew Internet Research study found that 71% of adults online are on Facebook and that’s up from this time last year. Really, parents and grandparents are the only real growth areas for Facebook with 45% of people 65 years and older using Facebook. However, it’s not the only site to see growth.

Twitter saw growth among adults. But it’s Pinterest that has the most momentum as over 1/3 of all women surveyed about online use report using the image and idea sharing platform to curate inspiration, health tips, recipes, fashion and other topics – often from people like you.

Okay, let’s admit it. Most of the people offering these bits of hope and information are not nearly as well qualified as you to share ideas in a way that might lead to improved health.

I’m going to guilt you into this. You should be using social media if for no other reason than to make sure that at least some of what women are curating makes sense in the context of a healthy lifestyle.

Hey when grandma falls down and can’t get up, we want her to have a button to push for help. But when we’re trying to coach mothers, grandmothers and other adults we’re willing to let the purveyors of gimmicks lead the way. It’s time for an intervention.

Want more evidence in the case for your being present online?

From a recent study, 54% of patients are very comfortable with their providers seeking advice from online communities to better treat their conditions. It’s evidence that many trust that crowd sourcing of information from other likeminded individuals is reliable. This shows how people perceive social media to be beneficial for the exchange of information about their health. Why shouldn’t you be the one from whom they curate it?

Need a business reason?

41% of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility. This shows that social media can be a vehicle to help scale positive word of mouth, which makes it an important channel for an individual or organization in the health care industry to focus on in order to attract and retain patients. Consumers are using social media to discuss everything in their lives including health and it is up to your organization to choose whether it’s time to tune in.

How about peer pressure?

Lest you think it’s just patient talking, here’s this from professionals like you: 60% of doctors say social media improves the quality of care delivered to patients.

Wow! So there are doctors (maybe you’re one of them) who believe that the transparency and authenticity that social media helps spur is actually improving the quality of care provided to patients.

So if you’re still saying, “My patient demographic and providers like me don’t take social media seriously” and that “neither patient or doctor is there” – I say, oh yes they are.

Want to talk about it? Hit me up on twitter @timbigfish