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.