How Can a Healthcare Professional Use

Social Media to Grow Their Business

Social networking: Opportunities and Dangers

With social media, healthcare providers have many tools at their disposal to help
build their companies. Social network sites can be a powerful tool in the hands of
persons who know how to leverage it to its complete potential. When social
media is misunderstood or misapplied, it can turn into a time sink where many
hours that could happen to be spent more productively in other ways to build
your business. Since social media is easily misunderstood, it will help to clarify
some of the areas.

One of the things that makes it confusing is that social media uses terms that
people often assume they understand, like 'networking', yet in the realm of social
media, it has very different meanings.

Social Media and Meetings

With 128 million people online in the US, the way of reaching people and being
relevant to their needs has changed. This means that the way of doing business
has changed as well. The general public now consults their phone for the best
buys on products and services. They are also using their phones to purchase
items. The changes in the manner business is conducted also impacts healthcare.

Social Media offers many tools that you as a healthcare professional can use to
create your business. With the use of social (interactive) media, the nature of
business building has changed. Social network sites provide an interactive way of
dealing with prospects. In previous generations, the relationship between a
healthcare provider and potential clients was limited to one way interactions
dominated through the Certified Nurse Assistant. Today, the patients talk back to
you using Facebook, email, twitter or some other service, asking queries and want
you as a healthcare professional to be responsive. If you provide good service,
they can tell others, in case your service is lacking, your reputation suffers much
faster when they use social media.

In previous generations, any kind of advertising consisted of ads telling about the
services provided and contact information. If the healthcare professional had
social skills, they may actually engage in networking as a way to develop their
business. In previous generations, networking consisted of joining local business
marketing groups in the local community. A healthcare professional typically
joined the Chamber of Commerce, local professional group of their own
specialization, a business group like the lions or rotary or if they are really
adventurous, toastmasters.

With social media, the actual groups that an aspiring healthcare professional joins
have changed. Sure, there are still some of the old groups used in previous years,
which can be used. Social media provides more options. There are physician only
sites like Sermo. com, which are a social media marketing site devoted to only
physicians.

In other healthcare areas, professional groups like the American Psychological

Association and also the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
have developed their media presence. This allows the old professional groupings
to have a new place to meet on the internet.

In addition to those groups, there are groups on social media sites, themselves.
LinkedIn has its professional groups on its site, as does Facebook. These groups
vary by specialty. There are categories on oncology, depression, healthcare
professional support, etc . Such groups often provide forums where you can
discuss issues of doubt to yourself as the healthcare provider. I recall a recent
lively discussion on the existence on Sexual Addictions upon LinkedIn, where
healthcare professionals addressed the issue from many different perspectives.
These provide a place to find out the latest info and to stay in touch with
colleagues.
These groups provide a forum where healthcare professional meet and connect
with others sharing comparable interests. This is a new application of old style
social networking. The networking that occurred at monthly or annual
conferences is now available on a daily basis. Meetings and relationship continue
remaining an important essential for a healthcare professional to develop in
creating their business.

The New Networking and New Challenges

Social media is changing the application of the term 'networking' in innovative

ways. With social media, the healthcare professional is faced with the new
dimension when you have to deal with interactive media. In previous ages,
building a practice involved the use of static media. With social media, the
relationship between the healthcare provider and client becomes online. It is no
longer one way with the healthcare provider telling the public that they are the
expert and the patient has to accept which. Now the public talks back to you,
wanting evidence of your expertise, caring and empathy. In the past, you could
get away together with just 'being the healthcare professional'. In the age of
social media, they want to know something about Dr . Jane, or Jack port the
therapist.

With the new application of 'networking' including the interaction with the client,
healthcare professionals are in new video game. The clients now ask questions
and interact with them in an environment where the healthcare provider is not
the one in control. The actual healthcare professional and the potential clients
now share control. Potential clients now ask questions and engage in social
interactions that failed to exist ten years ago. With social media, the potential
client is empowered. They know more and want more than they were doing ten
years ago.

With social media, today's patients often self-diagnose before seeing the
healthcare professional. In one study 81% of respondents indicated that they
expect to find help on the internet, including medical help. This means that the
public is going to the internet, as well as its social media for their healthcare help
including self-diagnosis. In one recent study 47% of those seeking medical
information additionally made self-diagnoses. This practice is becoming so
prevalent, there is a tendency to refer to Dr . Google. One of the large challenges
related to this information is is that the public is not always verifying the veracity
of information they obtain.

Not just are the public going to the internet looking for help, they are often
diagnosing themselves with the information they have access to. Dr . Bryan
Varabedian said "Information is the new third party in the exam room". (Dr.
Varabedian maintains a blog dealing with the convergence of social media and
medicine. ) Healthcare providers building their business now have to deal with
clients having and using more information. Some of the information is good, while
some is not from proven sources. Another challenge is whenever patients have
the right information but are using it in an unorthodox manner.

With patients knowing more, they have started to self-diagnose their presenting
issues or problems. The whole idea of patients daring to self-diagnose is seen as
intimidating by some healthcare professionals. In Texas, a physician's group has
sued the Chiropractors, podiatrists and also family therapists because they dared
to diagnose clients. This is a far cry from Pennsylvania, where all 277 of University
of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) sent out e-mails, offering digital house calls.
In that state, a few patients receive a diagnosis without seeing a doctor (or any
healthcare professional) in person or even speaking to one phoning around. It
remains to be seen how those healthcare professionals will respond to patients
diagnosing themselves. Today's social media experienced patients also present
with more information and ask more informed questions than previous
generations. Healthcare professionals will have to be prepared to deal with this
challenge of patients having a knowledgeable voice in their healthcare decisions.
The persons of today do not always go along with healthcare choices, just based
on your word. They may also compare your information in what they find on the
internet. This means the healthcare professional needs to provide good
information and be on top of the latest trends along with developments in their
field.

The input of patients in healthcare decisions has great potential in enhancing the
quality of healthcare. By using social media, the patients are not only making
informed choices, they are speaking out. With men and women having a voice,
the healthcare providers who listen to their voices and respond will be seen as
the professional. This means that healthcare will have to become more
responsive to patients overall if they want their business to thrive.

Potential patients also want to know about their healthcare providers. When
patients are often limited as to who the patient can see, when the sufferers do
have some choice, they often have questions and want to interact with the
provider. Social media provides a way for them to "get to know" their healthcare
provider. Providers that learn how to use social media in dealing with patients will
be ahead of their competitors. Those providers will also need to develop written
"social media policies" in dealing with those patients. Healthcare providers
utilizing social media will need to be clear concerning the boundaries between
themselves and clients, specifying what information they will share regarding
themselves and their accessibility.

In using the new social media, the public is now going to Facebook or Google to
find assist before they go to the yellow pages. This means that healthcare
providers who do not have a social media presence will be passed more than.
They will not even by considered by potential patients that are seeking out
healthcare.

The Importance of Social Media

When millions of people are utilizing social networks, those healthcare providers
who choose not to be a part of it by exercising 'social media abstinence' are
usually missing out on the changing way that people interact. Healthcare
professionals who choose to avoid social sites altogether are generally crippling
themselves. The public now use them extensively. Whether in the use of their
computers or phones, or each, it is a reality. Social media has changed the way
people interact in the marketplace.

Dr . Ross Speck, who researched social networks in the 1970's saw the changes
coming. He stated, "If the psychotherapist is to maintain a healing relationship
using human beings in this predicament [social change]-if he is to be of value in
relieving distress-he has to innovate". Although Dr . Speck's comments were
directed at psychotherapists, it has application to any healthcare professional in
practice today. It is getting important for healthcare providers to know how to
use social media, or hire someone for them who does.

Dr . Ken Cohn MARYLAND, has observed the importance of the new media and
medical practice. He often addresses this subject. He views the time for
healthcare providers to act on social media is now, "... because physician leaders
over the next a will influence patterns of care delivery for the next 25 years".
Social media is also a way for an aspiring physician to compete with much larger
competition, whether it be from other people in healthcare, publishing or
speaking. Using social media eliminates the size advantage that some exploit in
providing healthcare.

Dr . Ken Cohn who has pioneered collaborative function between physicians,

hospitals and patients has used the new media to present the message of his
work in order to others. In promoting his book, "I see social media as a great
equalizer. " He has seen social media enhance the quality of care for hospitals. He
has also seen how he, with his book could compete with larger web publishers
using social media.

Social media also allows the little person just starting out to make a name for
themselves. A highly responsive healthcare professional may establish a name for
themselves with the public rather than always having to be dependent on the
power brokers of established methods.

Social sites are is changing healthcare, including how healthcare providers build
their practice. It modifications how clients find them, interact with them, and
services are delivered. It also changes the way that healthcare providers will
discover potential patients. Knowing how to use and master social media is critical
for any healthcare professional wanting to build their business in the current
social media saturated culture.

Social Media Tools

Once you as a healthcare provider has a social media policy, you need to use the
tools available. Here are some of the social media tools and ways they can be
used by a healthcare professional in building their business.

Facebook: Myspace is the largest social community. With increasing frequency,

people search Facebook for their needs. You can have business page to determine
awareness of your business. Given the size of Facebook, it is critical that the
healthcare provider have a page in order to remain relevant.

LinkedIn: This particular social site allows healthcare professionals to network

with other professionals. 80% of small business owners in one 2011 study report
using LinkedIn. Having a profile will let others know that you are in business and
lead to important company leads. Building a business often involves joint
ventures. LinkedIn is a way to find potential partners for combined ventures.

Twitter: This site provides a platform to keep people informed of "what is going
on". The public often loves to know about what is new. Keeping them informed as
to events and new items coming out. In the US, 13% from the population online
use twitter.

Digg: This news site can be used to develop a following for healthcare providers.

Search engines: Although not often seen as a social media, it has many functions
that involve social interactions. This is where people look for solutions. Having a
good Google ranking can make a difference in your business visibility.

Once a healthcare provider has visibility, they will have to use social media in
interacting with their potential clients.

The healthcare provider can use these tools for announcements, patient
education, responding to frequently asked questions, dealing with common
healthcare issues, and healthcare topics that would be of interest to them.

Summary of how to use social websites

To sum up how a healthcare professional can use social sites to build their
business the following steps can be taken:

1 . System with other professionals and people in the local community.

2 . Provide good patient information. Become a resource. For example , if you are
a chiropractic specialist, you could write a series of articles, blog posts, etc . on
exercise, health eating, how to lift heavy loads, and so forth With each article, it
would enhance your expertise in the eyes of potential clients.

3. Have a written social media plan, then use social media to promote your
business.

4. Interact on social sites regarding questions and concerns. Become willing to

answer questions and make yourself accessible on such sites. You can use them to
post interesting articles, videos, etc .

5. Know how to use social sites to their full potential. Social media has many
opportunities. You can set up a blogtalk radio show, have regular episodes on
your own YouTube channel, have book club on LibraryThing. You are restricted
only by your own imagination in reaching out to clients and provide good quality
patient care.
6. Let the community realize that you are accessible on social sites. Include your
twitter address, or Facebook logo on your advertising.