A recent article in the Boston Globe shed light on the tricky subject of physicians using social media. The obvious cautions against it are that it is easy to violate HIPAA by talking about patients and cases and that being "friended" by patients puts physicians in a difficult situation. But I firmly believe that with a little bit of common sense and the right privacy protections, physicians can and should be using Facebook for marketing, patient education and professional development.
Marketing
I was thrilled to see that Children's Hospital Boston CIO Daniel Nigrin, MD was interviewed for this article. CHB has embraced social media in promoting its work and has benefited greatly from doing so. With 20 different Facebook pages and 15 Twitter accounts managed by individual departments, the hospital has empowered employees to embrace the power of social media in promoting their work to a self-selected audience. People who have been treated by CHB are often eternally grateful, and keeping up with the department that improved your family's health can only be beneficial for creating a sense of loyalty. And loyalty equals support, whether it's in the form of word being spread, time being given or money being donated.
Patient Education
Another reason physicians should be using social media is for the education of their patients. As OB/GYN Jeff Livingston says in this USA Today article, "People are looking for information online…I wanted them to look at our page." While a doctor may only see a patient for 30 minutes a year, maintaining a Facebook page for their practice allows a physician to create a stream of constant contact emphasizing important health recommendations.
Professional Development
Professional associations like the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association maintain Facebook pages that are geared toward their members. With updates on research, organizational policy statements and news related to the profession, these pages are constantly pushing out useful information for professional development.
Maintaining Privacy and Professionalism in Social Media
So if you're a physician who is using — or considering adopting — social media, what are the best ways to maintain privacy and professionalism? Here are some tips:
- Choose an unlikely username: If you want to take advantage of Facebook to maintain connections with friends and family and subscribe to pages for professional development, but do not want patient contact, consider creating a username your patients won't know. For example, use a maiden name, a nickname, or initials.
- Develop a standard decline response: If your patients do find you and ask to be friends, have a standard response ready that declines their offer. For example, the CHB policy suggests replying that "the online connection 'can sometimes cause strains on the clinician, patient, and family relationships that we work so hard to develop.'"
- Use professional guidelines: The American Medical Association created a policy to guide physicians during the use of social media and as previously mentioned, some hospitals have created their own guidelines.
Since I'll be posting this on my own Facebook page and Twitter account, I guess that any physicians reading this feel like I'm preaching to the choir. So Docs, what are your tips for maintaining professionalism while using social media? And what do you get out of the experience that makes it worth using?