Archive for the ‘Social Media’ Category
Social media isn’t going away – and once you get comfortable with using it, you won’t even wish it would. But for many, at this point in time, taking steps into the social media world feels a little bit like starting a hike through a rain forest without a guide. It’s dense and hard to see into! There are so many things growing all over the place! It’s kind of scary – and it’s also exciting and interesting too.
Fortunately one of the really great things about the 2.0 world is its ethos of generosity. The folks who are going out ahead of everyone else are ready, willing and eager to share … and everyone can benefit from everyone else’s successes and failures. Unlike advertising in traditional media, where there are just a few choice billboard locations or drive-time radio spots, achieving success in the social media world isn’t about being competitive – it’s about being compelling. It’s about sharing useful information, telling great stories and throwing really terrific parties, so to speak.
So, in the spirit of sharing, here are some posts from others who’ve ventured into this new territory and have helpful information, guidelines and advice.
- Privacy in a Social Media World. Sara Michael, Senior Editor at Physician’s Practice Magazine, interviews an Irving, Texas, ob/gyn who has made excellent use of social media in his practice.
- The Mayo Clinic Launches a Center for Social Media to “accelerate effective application of social media tools” within its own facilities, as well as to help other facilities in their efforts to connect patients and doctors online. Read more
- The Fierce Practice Management e-letter shares “Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Doctors” in the absence of clear guidelines and policies from The American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, The American College of Physicians’ Center for Ethics and Professionalism and other organizations. Read more: Social media do’s and don’ts for doctors – FiercePracticeManagement
At a recent conference I was seated during lunch with several hospital marketing directors and the conversation turned to the use of social marketing for doctors and hospitals. The comments around the table ran the gamut—from those who were experimenting with a Facebook page…to hospitals that have a dedicated social media staff… to one hospital that didn’t even allow access to Facebook via employee email.
Some hospitals seemed very comfortable about HIPPA and privacy issues, while others are extremely uncertain about how to proceed. I heard several marketing folks say their risk management staff won’t even consider social media as an option.
We decided to do a little research and found some great articles on medicine, privacy and social media. Read on for advice on how to make use of social media options while still safeguarding the privacy of your patients. If handled correctly the benefits of social media can make it a really useful tool for patient communication and community building.
Facebook fan pages help practices engage patients.
