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ll n hange is the only constant." ThoseI words spoken by the Creek philosopherL- Heracliius 2,500 years ago are even

truer today. Certainly the simple and provincialpeople of Heraclitus' day could never have im-agined the seismic rate of change that our societyexperiences and endures every single day. Part ofthat change has included the role of social mediain the ways that families, churches, communitiesand organizations connect and communicatewith one another.

Social media has become ubiquitous in ourculture. At the time of this writing, Facebookhas more than one billion users, lnstagram justhit the 100 million mark and Twitter is one ofthe fastest growing networks, topping off at '140

million users and growing. With almost absolutecertainty, it is guaranteed that those numbers aregoing to rise even more in the months ahead. So-cial media is not a fad, it has become one of theways we communicate, connect and collaboratewith one another.

Perhaps you already personally use social me-dia networks such as Facebook and Twitter toconnect with your family and friends. You maypost family pictures, share a story or anecdote orsimply use it to reconnect with a long lost friend.Yet is social media merely a frivolous pastime? Ordoes social media have a professional and practi-cal role within medicine? Because social mediais an ever-evolving and changing technology andmedium, there is still a lot of uncertainty regard-

ing how to effectively leverage and appropriatelyuse it within medicine. Perhaps you are askingan entirely different set of questions. In a worldfilled with countless noise, chatter and distrac-tions, some healthcare professionals-who arealready over-leveraged and stressed-would ask,why even bother? Why do I need another deviceto check and "thing" to do in my life? ls thereany real value in investing my time and energy inanother on I ine activity?

Although every individual healthcare profes-sional needs to answer those questions for them-selves, I do honestly believe there is real andtangible value in entering into this world of so-cial media. If you are reluctant to engage withthis vast online sea of pings, likes and tweets,I would encourage you to at least try it. Don'tworry about diving in headfirst. Wade into theshallow end and venture into exploring and try-ing social media at some level. But even as youdo, it should be done with a clear and sober un-

derstanding of what you want to accomplishand

how you want to use it.

Benefits of Using Social Media

Dr. Kevin Pho, an internist in Nashua, NewHampshire, is a popular medical blogger whoengages with his patients via Facebook and Twit-ter (V@KevinMD). He says about social mediathat, "These are powerful, tremendously influen-tial tools, doctors should be taking advantage ofthe opportunity." More and more doctors are be-ginning to experience the real and tangible ben-efits of using social media for their practices andtheir patients. Here are some of those benefits.

Use social media to contribute to your pro-fessional development. Social media can serveas a virtual, online doctor's lounge. Doctors canuse Twitter and Facebook to follow their col-Ieagues, health and professional organizations,periodicals and health-related sites in order toparticipate in the conversation on which jour-

nal articles or clinical research pieces are themost worthwhile. Because social media is justthat-"social"-it goes beyond just being a toolfor research and information collection but alsohelps develop real communication and conver-sation. Social media can help a doctor connectwith colleagues around the world to talk shopand network. Social media sites such as Twitterand Facebook expand the doctor's reach beyondthe doctor's lounge down the hospital corridor,

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helping to connect them to thousands of peoplethroughout the country and around the world.

Executive Director of the Ceorgia Society of theAmerican College of Surgeons Kathy Drake Browning(U@CaSACS) uses Twitter, Facebook and blogging tonot only help her organization connect with its mem-bers but also to help the members connect with one an-other: "The biggest value for the physician organizationis the ability to provide daily contact with their mem-bers and to remain relevant. For the individual physi-cians, this provides a single location to get informationthat is tailored for their needs."

Use social media to guard your online reputation.

The fact is, people are talking about you online. Theyare grading you and commenting about you on vari-ous websites. The benefit of social media is that it letsyou monitor, guard and shape your online reputation.Instead of just being a victim of what others say aboutyou online, social media allows you get ahead of theconversation. On Twitter and Facebook, you get to craftthe message and share your expertise with others. WithLinkedln, the professional social networking site nowwith more than 135 million users, you can put forward

an online Curriculum Vitae witpersonal recommendations, experience, education, skill and expertiseA Linkedln profile can provide yowith a great online first impressionsince Coogle gives profiles a higranking visibility upon a search foyour name.

Use social media to market youpractice. lf you have ever had tsquirrel away money for a marketingbudget, you know that it can be a sizable chunk of change to market anadvertise in magazines, billboardsradio and direct mail. Social mediapractically FREE. Dr. Carmen Kaval(UoDrKavali) a plastic surgeonAtlanta, Ceorgia, says that social media posts on her practice's Facebookpage and Twitter account "increaseour web visibility, which is key tour overall marketing." Kathy DrakBrowning sees the same benefit:

"Many patients are now usingthe internet to gain knowledgeand information when deciding

treatment options and/or choosing a physician innon emergent cases, for example, general surgery,bariatrics (weight loss) surgery, orthopedics (surgi-cal and non surgical), urology (surgical and non

surgical), gynecology (surgical and non surgical),pediatrics, obstetrics and internal medicine. Con-sequently, physician practice marketing has be-come important and the use of social media canbe a very effective and cost efficient component ofa marketing plan."

But you may be asking - is there a real, tangible returnon investment with social media? Yes, according to DHoward Luks (9ohjluks). ln Bringing the Social Media #Revolution to Health Care, Dr. Luks measured tha7 to 10 percent of new patients entering his practicecame because of his web and social media presence.

Use social media to connect in the space that youpatients aheady occupy. People are using social mediamore and more than ever. You don't have to go lookingto connect with patients; they are already engaged withFacebook and Twitter. Yet social media has becomenot only a place for them to connect but also to be informed. Patients are getting health information from on-line sources, especially social media, and have a high

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measure of trust with the information shared on socialmedia by doctors and health organizations.

Some Pitfalls and Cautions

It is important to discuss the potential perils and pit-falls so that you go into this new world of social mediawith your eyes wide open. Just like any tool, used thewrong way or inappropriately, social media can havedire consequences and repercussions. Today, there ismuch more scrutiny regarding social media's use andpractice within the medical community. Medical boardsare actively involved in investigating inappropriate useand conduct of doctors online. ln fact, 71 percent ofmedical boards, at some time, have investigated doc-tors for posting questionable content online.

A few of the activities that can possibly draw the at-tention of medical boards and may destroy your cred-ibility may include:

o Posting pictures of patients online without their per-mission

. Misinformation on the physician practice websiteo lnappropriately contacting, "friending" or interact-

ing with patients online, especially on Facebook. Posting misleading information about outcomes of

drugs or procedures. Misrepresenting your credentialso Not disclosing conflicts of interests

As doctors consider using social media, privacy of

their patients must be a chief concern. Two sets ofregulations are front and center when consideringprivacy issues: HIPAA (Health Insurance Portabilityand Accountability Act) and HITECH (Health lnfor-mation Technology for Economic and Clinical HealthAct). These regulations give guidance on how to pro-tect patients' privacy regarding their personal healthinformation, and these regulations must also informand guide doctors concerning their use of socialmedicine.

With all of these potentialethical landmines, wouldn'tit just make sense for doctors to simply steer clear ofsocial media? I believe that would simply be an unfor-tunate overreaction because there are ways to appro-priately guard and protect yourself.

First, simply use common sense. Ryan Creysen, MD,assistant professor at the University of California, SanFrancisco School of Medicine, offers the following as aguideline for using social media well: "People can re-ally do a lot to stay out of trouble by applying common

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sense and avoiding the trap that you can do somethingonline you wouldn't do in real Iife."

Set up boundaries between your professional andpersonal social media presence. Even though 34 per-cent of physicians have received a "friend" requestfrom a patient or the patient's family members, becom-ing friends with a patient can blur the professional linesbetween doctor and patient, thereby opening a doctor

to all kinds of ethical landmines. Dr. Kavali shared herjourney into using social media within medicine, "l hadan active personal Facebook page, and a lot of my pa-tients were friending me on that page, which createda somewhat awkward situation. It just made sense tocreate a robust and living page for my practice." lt is im-portant for doctors to create professional social mediaaccounts with the goal of keeping your professional lifeseparate from your personal.

Make sure you monitor your social media presence.Medical organizations have been early adopters with socialmedia. Currently, more than .1,500 healthcare facilities andorganizations are actively using social media sites such asLinkedln, TWitter, Facebook and YouTube. The Mayo Clinicis one of the forerunners of social media within medicine.ln fact, they even created the Mayo Clinic Center for SocialMedia (http://socialmedia.mayoclinic.org) and have pub-lished a book entitled Bringing the Social Media #Revolu-tion to Health Care (available on Amazon). This effort andoutreach by the Mayo Clinic to leverage social media ishelping the medical community promote health, fight dis-ease and improve healthcare. Yet even though there are

many potential benefits of social media for patient healthand information, it becomes likely that the more a doc-tor or organization increases their use of social media, themore "control" becomes lost. The fact is, you can't "con-trol" social media, but you can manage it.

Kathy Drake Browning actively uses all forms of socialmedia within her organization and yet she cautions,

"While I believe social media is a very usefultool, like all tools, it must be used with care. lfphysicians or organizations are using social me-dia, have guidelines establish beforehand. Moni-tor and edit the sites carefully, especially if youallow others to post comments. Only repost fromreliable sources and make sure you have permis-sion to link articles."

Realize that everything you put on social media is"torever." Medical students are now discovering thatsobering truth. They are being faced with the fact thattheir high school or college indiscretions, which they

may have chosen to post and brag about on Facebook,are now coming back to haunt them.

According to a study published in the PostgraduateMedical Journal, medical school and residency programofficials are increasingly taking such social media siteinto serious consideration as they determine admissions.

A 2009 survey of 600 medical school admissions officers and residency directors found that only 9 percent of respondents use social media websites to evaluate studentsas part of the admissions process, yet 53 percent said ap-plicants could jeopardize their chances of being acceptedby posting unprofessional information online. Those percentages have most likely only risen since the study waconducted four years ago. lt is more important than eveto be cautious and prudent in what you share and posteven though you may consider it purely personal.

Even with all of the challenges and cautions of doctors using social media, I believe its benefits significant-ly outweigh the real and perceived risks.

How to Create Social Media Success

lf you are new to social media, the first step is to startYet you may want to wade into the shallow end beforesimply diving into the deep. At first, social media maynot feel natural or make complete sense, but the moreyou use it, the more familiar and natural it will become.Play with it. Cive yourself the freedom to fail and figureit out. Ask questions with those involved in social media

Decide how you want to use social media. lf youwant to use social media as a means of connecting withyour colleagues, managing your online reputation operhaps using it as an online "doctor's lounge," thenrecommend you start using Twitter. Set up an accountand even before you start posting, start following othersand observing the conversations.

Follow doctors you know or those in your specialty.Observe how they are using it. What kind of contentare they posting, and how frequently are they engagedwith it? Yisit www.twitterdoctors.net, a database ophysicians who tweet, to find doctors using social media and connect with them. So far, more than 1,300doctors have already registered.

Do you want to start following and listening to conversations surrounding healthcare issues and topics? If so, search within twitter conversations markedwith a hashtag. A hashtag is the " #" symbol and iused to mark keywords or topics in a tweet. Vis

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www.symplur.com/healthcare-hashtags for a completelisting of #hashtags about healthcare-related topics,chats and conferences that you can follow on Twitter.

Perhaps you decide you would rather use social me-dia in order to engage more with your patients and mar-ket yourself and your practice more. Then you mightwant to consider setting up a Facebook page. Havinga Facebook page for your practice is something yourstaff can participate in contributing to and managing.Even though you will be setting up a professional pagefor your practice, Facebook does require that an indi-vidual user of Facebook set it up. Therefore, either youor someone on your staff is going to need to take thefirst step in setting up your Facebook page.

The next step is to get people connected to it. Usingyour current communication touch points, encourageyour patients to "like" your page and join. Use your Face-book page to post links to relevant medical articles, newsand critical information about your practice. You can alsoadd pictures and profiles of your staff. Try posting patientsuccess stories in addition to explanations of proceduresand treatmentoptions. lnteraction is always important, soyou should try interacting with patients through polls andone-on-one conversations through comments and ques-tions. Having a Facebook page will create a personalizedonline presence and engage your patients.

Knys to Succcss

Post and contribute content consistently. The worstthing you can do is to set up a social media accountand then go AWOL, not posting anything fresh forweeks on end.

Have a plan. lf you begin using social media, thenclarify some basic expectations - ownership (who willcontribute and post to your sites), content (what type ofcontent will you post) and frequency (how often willyou post - and schedule your posts and content aheadof time using tools such as www.hootsuite.com).

Be human. Dr. Kavali believes that being human is es-sential to all she does within social media, "l use socialmedia to let people know more about who we are andwhat we believe. I want people to be able to look at ourpages and come away knowing that we are an office for'real' people, that we can sympathize and empathizewith them and their needs and that we are compassion-ate communicators."

Participate in conversation. Conversation puts thesocial into social media, so it is important not to simply

use social media as a marketing bullhorn but engagwith others and share other's content. "[Social mediaan electronic way of extending the conversation," saDr. Thomas Lee, an orthopedic surgeon in WestervilleOhio. "lt creates a vibrant sense of community andwonderful back-and-forth dialogue."

I hope you are encouraged and excited about the oportunities that await you within social media. So whare you waiting for? Don't worry if you make mistakealong the way, social media is very forgiving - just gin there and give it a try. I look forward to seeing ythere in cyberspace.

For more information, please utilize these resources:American Medical News:

h ttp ://www. a m e d n ew s. c o m

Johns Hopkins Medicine:h ttp ://w w w. h o p k i n s m e d i c i n e. o rg/ n e w s/ m e d ia/re I e ases/o n e_i n _fo u r_phys i c i a n s_u ses_soc i al_med i

dailyMedscape:

http ://www. m e d sc a p e. c o m/v i ew a rti c I e/7 7 7 7 1 1

Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media:http ://soc i a I m ed i a. m ayoc I i n i c. o rg

About The Author

BILL REICHART, MD|V,has more than 25 yearsof ministry experienceand currentlv works asthe Atlanta Ar"u Direc-tor for CMDA. Bill holdsa BS is computer sciencefrom Towson University and an MDiv fromReformed Theological Seminary in Orlando,Florida. Bill consults with churches, ministryleaders and small businesses on how to use

and leverage technology and social mediafor their organizations. He currently owns,writes and edits www.MinistryBestPractices.com, a website that helps equip leaders forinnovative ministry. Bill is married to hiswonderful wife Lauiren of more than 23 yearsand has two beautiful daughters who havecaptured his heart. You can-contact Bill andfind his various social media sites at www.BillReichart.me.