The Importance of Being Active in Social Media

In past installments of “It Ain’t Rocket Surgery,” I’ve pointed out what I hope are some interesting and provoking blog posts about social media and healthcare.

In doing some research for that previous blog, I came across a post from Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, aka “Dr. V”, who does a nice blog called 33 Charts. It’s called “Are Physicians Obligated to Participate in Social Media?" And it relates to some of the things that I’ve pointed you to in previous blog posts.

Dr. V's blog post enticed Kevin MD to blog about the topic as well. Although I mentioned it in passing in my previous installment about social media, it’s worth pointing out again, because it makes some excellent points about how social media could potentially be used to help dispel misinformation on the Web. And the take home point is that to do it requires involvement.

Dr. V discusses the value of having an active social media presence for physicians, and he also makes a call for their organizations to be active and involved as well.

He calls for three things:

1. Presence. Dr. V says that docs need to be present in the social space, and that their organizations “need to create tracks at national meetings to educate physicians on the power and critical importance of social media.”

2. Organization.  According to Dr. V, “social media breaks some of the traditional barriers to organization”…. “It’s a way physicians can influence health behavior on a macro level.”

3. Motivation. Without the passion and interest in setting story straight, messages will not be heard.

This last point relates to how Dr. V had used the example of misinformation about vaccines and autism dominating Internet searches. He explains here how messages can be shaped and driven to higher levels of search engine relevancy by social media:
“And doctors could change the way the world thinks if they would only get together.  60,000 is a number I reference when discussing physicians and social media.  There are 60,000 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Every pediatrician fights vaccine misinformation, especially as they relate to autism.  Consider the fact that the first two pages of a Google search for vaccines and autism are polluted with anti-vaccine propaganda driven by a loud, socially-savvy minority.  If every AAP member wrote a myth-dispelling post concerning immunization just once a year, Google would be ruled by reason.”

This is why he feels that Presence, Organization, and Motivation are the keys to helping shape healthcare behavior. After all, most people probably don’t bother to go through to the third or fourth page of their Google search.

What’s showing up on the first two pages of a Google search on a topic you’re interested in? Do you agree with the information you’re finding? Is it quality, relevant information or is it misinformation being propagated by the ease of sharing information electronically?

And one more question: what sort of educational tracks can your organization (this organization, ACCP) provide to you to help you get involved with, and get the most out of, social media? Let us know -- your feedback is important.
 

About the Author

Stephen Welch

Senior Vice President, Communications
Executive Editor, CHEST

This blog, "It Ain't Rocket Surgery" is intended to help busy health-care professionals find useful online and mobile resources that will enhance their self-education and professional research efforts, or point out important topics of discussion related to online information and content. The blog's title is a Yogi Berra style mash-up of two common phrases, "it ain't brain surgery" and "it ain't rocket science". I hope it will be casual, fun, insightful, and -- most of all -- educational.

You can follow me on Twitter. 

I currently serve ACCP as the Senior Vice President of Communications, as well as the Executive Editor of CHEST, the ACCP’s flagship journal. During my 15 years here, ACCP has focused on growing and developing the editorial, technological, and business aspects of the College. We are constantly striving to make the journal and other ACCP educational content as accessible and useful to clinicians as possible.

When not at work, I like to spend time scuba diving with sharks, collecting original comic book artwork, exploring the digital world, and searching for good BBQ.

Your feedback about the blog is always appreciated. So are tips on good BBQ joints.