Social Media in Primary Care

Are you using social media to enhance your patient's experience and health?  We have learned that if you can launch and maintain an effective social media platform, your reach and value can extend far beyond the walls of your office.  

That's a really great question, Mark.  Can you share any specific examples from your practice - of what you've tried and what kind of feedback you've gotten from patients?  I'd love to hear about how you're using social media succesfully. 

Catherine,

 

We have an active platform that includes an interactive website, twitter feed and face book page.  We use all three to communicate with our patients (parents) and here are some of the stats:

 

1. we have 2,300 likes and grow at a pace of 5 per day.
2. “People talking about this is” usually hangs on to about 150 per day.
3. Our average FB follower hits our site 5 times each day (yes, over 300,000 impressions monthly)
4. We are followed in 20 countries by ex-pats who tap into us on a regular basis.

Take a look: http://www.facebook.com/KidsPlusPediatrics
 

Is it valuable to patients?

 

Feedback from patients is positive, ongoing and non stop.  We answer every question, even clinical questions when we can.  We have built a huge community ethos and we listen to their needs.  From FB feedback we have launched an education program and walk in hours and both have been wildly successful and appreciated.

 

When we launched our EMR patient portal, we announced it on our FB page and had over 600 portal accounts in 24 hours.  Our phone traffic for routine stuff and info has decreased 30%.  

 

Our philosophy is to communicate in whatever manner suites our patient base.  Our demographic is a tech savvy, Facebook bunch and it’s become a major part of our business.  In fact, we employ a Director of Communications to keep building the ethos and it’s simply amazing.  

 

What do our patients say?  They say that we are really invested in their health and are the best parenting resource in the region--which is exactly what we aim to be!

So true, Mark! Thanks for sharing that!

Here's a great resource from the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians about using social media in primary care - for those just getting started.

Primary Care & Social Media: A member's guide to joining the conversation

 44 pages of "how to get started" for beginners.  Unfortunately, there is very little substance surrounding how to use this as tool to connect with your patients and build a community ethos that drives better health and gives you a real on line presence.  Healthcare, especially primary care, should be more in-line with the private sector and not the usual 10 years behind.  I realize that everyone has to start somewhere.  But I think the key is to START. When you become relevant in the world of social media, you will know it.  And so will your patients.

For those PCPs who think that social media is a fad or something they can ignore, then they will struggle to build their practice and connect with their base.  Look at an average line in a grocery store--people are not talking about their doctor or favorite hospital.  They're looking at their smart phones.  This the the opportunity for them to experience their PCP in the grocery store, at home and even at work.  Remember, you only get to see them in  your office a few times a year.  Social media puts you in their house several times at day!  Imagine what you can do with that kind of connection.