A Review of the AMA's Medical Social Media Policies

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Good writers occasionally break grammar rules. They do this for reasons of style and because they know the rules well enough to get away with it. Medical social media can be handled in much the same way. The difference is a writer who pushes the grammar boundaries too far has few if any consequences, a doctor who pushes the online content boundaries too far has the AMA to answer to.  Before you add an "attention grabber" to your next post or tweet you should review the American Medical Association's social media use policies. To help get you started here are a few of the AMA's foundation items:

• Always use the highest privacy settings possible
• Abide by all confidentiality laws (never break this rule!)
• Your online interactions should carry the same professionalism as in-office interactions
• Keep separate professional and personal accounts
• Keep in mind that your posts impact others (patients, coworkers, etc.)
• Monitor your internet presence to ensure no one else is posting in your place

Our business is based on helping doctors increase their social media impact safely and effectively. We know and carefully abide by the HIPAA regulations and AMA recommendations. We can help improve your campaign whether you're a novice or an old pro.

Okay, so back to the rule breaking. Here is an example of what it looks like to bend without catching the ire of the AMA. Dr. Rian Maercks, a plastic surgeon in Florida got himself some press coverage by announcing his blog series "Cosmetic Surgery Buyer Beware." His tell-all didn't name any doctors directly. Instead it provided an overview of questionable industry practices. The series didn't have a long shelf life so Dr. Maercks transitioned to a video series that documented an ongoing experiment he conducted on himself--a cosmetic contouring modality that literally has his name written all over it. He certainly knows how to earn a click!

Doctor Blog: We Have Another Winner

Photo Credit: howardluksmd.com

We can talk and talk (or blog and blog) about best practices, but sometimes you really need to see how other doctors are managing their social media presence to get a clear picture of what works. Orthopedic surgeon, Howard Luks sets a great example to follow.

Luks aims his blog entries at doctors, healthcare organizations and traditional/social media users. His blog is not a high volume page. It showcases how powerful occasional posts can be when focused on relevant topics capable of generating interest and audience feedback. This strategy is most successful when the blogger is active in other areas of medical social media.

Logging time in front of the camera can be a real advantage as this post demonstrates.  It is laudable but not surprising that CBS chose Dr. Luks to appear in a segment about social media and its effect on the practice of medicine.

Doctors with the capability to represent themselves and the industry well on video have a significant advantage in the public relations arena. Where do you excel? Can you leverage that skill-set to garner good press? Our digital media consulting services can help you answer those questions and move in the successful direction of Dr. Luks.

The Growth of Long Tail Keyword Primacy

People are becoming increasingly specific with their search terms and it might surprise you to learn that this means adding additional qualifiers. The experts at Quick Sprout say that the rise of long-tail keyword primacy is an important SEO trend to watch in 2013. A single keyword search can return thousands if not millions of results, thus internet users are adding more in order to get less--and better results. This is a positive development for doctors building a web presence. A customer who finds your practice through a highly specific search has a lot of new patient potential. And long-tail keywords are less expensive to rank for due to less competition.

In order to take advantage of the long-tail trend you will need to know what your patients are looking for online. Geographic keywords will continue to be important with descriptors added for specific medical issues. For example a person looking for a new dentist might search for "Low cost gum care dentist Long Beach" rather than "dentist Long Beach."

We can help you optimize your online presence using the latest SEO strategies, tools and technology. Click here to learn more!

Reputation Management for Doctors: Identity Fraud

Plagarism is a problem in the cut and paste world of online content. Sheryl Cash, a correspondent for American Medical News addressed this issue in a recent article. This type of fraud adversly effects online marketing programs; page rank, visibility and ROI will all take a hit.

For doctors loss of effectiveness is a minor concern compared to complications in reputation management. If someone poses as you online and offers inaccurate advice it will your be reputation at stake and given medical boards stated objective to monitor questionable online behavior this is something you should be weary of.

Cash's article discusses ways to protect yourself. A simple suggestion being to "claim your name" on all social media platforms regardless of whether or not you intend to actively participate. We agree with many of the suggestions listed in the article. But...

You don't have to do it all yourself

This issue has been on our radar for a long time. It is one of the reasons reputation management for doctors is a core facet of our business. We use every resource we have to monitor the internet for mentions of your name or the name of your practice. This includes monitoring all major social media sites and medical specific online forums to see what posters are saying about you. Our job is to help intentify potential online ID theft before it puts your reputation at risk.

A Doctor and a Social Media Rockstar

When it comes to social media for doctors, Mike Sevilla, MD is setting and resetting the bar. Author of Family Medicine Rocks, Sevilla has a great blog offering wise and entertaining commentary about the crossover between medicine and social media. He uses video, podcasts, television interviews, panel appearances, Twitter and Facebook to promote his brand. And somehow on top of all that he manages to run a successful practice.

Dr. Sevilla is a shining example of what a physician focused on the power of social media can accomplish. But, don't feel like you need to interact at that level to achieve real measurable results. We can help you build your medical social media presence and show you how to do that with as much or as little hands-on involvement as you are able to provide.

Reputation Management for Doctors: The Hospital Effect

The relationship between doctors and hospitals must be symbiotic, anything less can spell disaster. Whether you work primarily at a hospital or benefit from specific hospital privileges that support your private practice reputation is of the utmost importance. Negative PR toward you is bad for them. And negative PR toward them is bad for you.

Don't sit around worrying about the negative what-ifs. The Becker Hospital Review posted an article “8 Best Practices for Managing a Hospital’s Reputation.” The article poses a lot of interesting questions. Questions that you should take the time to answer. What are your hospital’s strategies and policies for reputation management? How do they plan to protect you if hospital’s reputation comes under fire?

As you'll see responding to negative press is an important factor in reputation management for both doctors and hospitals. Given the proliferation of online forums and reviews you may want to consult a SEO management firm to insure that you are fully versed and protected. 

2013 SEO Trends: Encrypted Search

Encrypted Search... 

Sounds chilling, right? It just might be. Until now online marketers have leaned heavily on free analytics and the ability to see which specific search terms are sending users to your website. That information may become severely handicapped thanks the safety measures behind encrypted search. A recent HubSpot.com article gives a detailed description of how HTTPS works. The article was penned by Hartely Brody. Brody believes that these changes are not a ploy by Google to force changes, but rather a security necessity. That said it is hardly a leap to assume that a reduction in free analytics will lead to an upswing in paid Google ads.

It is important that you consult your SEO marketing firm before adjusting your strategy. As always the true solution will be more about content than clicks. According to Brody, “Optimizing your website will be less about tracking keywords and rankings, and more about capturing visitors once they’ve landed on your website.” Focus on creating the kind of content that will capture the attention of your audience and keep them coming back. It's healthy for your patients and for your practice as well.