A twitter “tweet,” a Facebook “update,” a YouTube video “going viral,”… one might ask, “what does all of this have to do with me?”
Well, have you considered the notion that one of your patients might be commenting about his/her most recent office visit or emergency room experience via a social networking forum like one named above? Let’s go one step further and ponder what employees might be posting, possibly about you or a procedure you performed, or maybe even about your patients?
Has your heart rate increased slightly in the last minute? If you know little to nothing about social media and the various options available to a person who wishes to communicate about a negative (or positive) experience, you may be feeling a little nervous after reading the first paragraph. Not having a basic understanding about social media makes it difficult to envision the potential damage that can be done or benefits to be realized.
Social media is defined as any user-created video, audio, text, or multimedia that is published and shared in a social environment, such as a blog, podcast, forum, wiki, or video hosting site (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media). Social networking refers to the utilization of technology to publish, converse, and share content online. To illustrate the magnitude of the social media trend, consider these statistics.
So, is the message here “all social media is bad?” No!
Currently, there are over 1.5 million businesses that have set up a Facebook page as a means to learn more about their consumers and directly communicate with a target audience. According to JobVite’s recent Social Recruiting report, more than 80% of companies around the world plan to use social networking to find and attract candidates this year.
Last summer, Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, made national headlines for utilizing Twitter to provide family members on the other side of the world with updates during a surgical procedure via tweets (be sure to read http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/tweeting-from-the-operating-room/?scp=1&sq=tweeting%20in%20the%20operating%20room&st=cse). As another example, UCSF Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in San Franciso, California, utilized Skype software at the height of the H1N1 outbreak, allowing patients to have virtual conversations or instant messaging chats with family members whose visits were discouraged in order to limit the potential outbreak. The Mayo Clinic has traveled ahead of the pack when it comes to adoption of social media. Lessons they learned can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CElGm5tVfoo.
The potential risk social networking presents is likely to be revealed in the form of ignorance. Not knowing the capabilities of social media, not monitoring for postings about you, your practice, or your hospital, and not establishing boundaries for employees who are undoubtedly already posting, tweeting, blogging,or uploading video means you may be leaving the door open for a damaging experience. Even if you elect not to write a personal blog or tweet from the operating room, it is recommended you learn to monitor activity in which your name is mentioned and fine tune your company policies.
It is also a good idea to ensure employees understand that Privacy Laws and HIPAA regulations also apply to the use of social media. As well, you might emphasize that your organization’s Code of Conduct regarding professional behavior is applicable to social networking activity. Headlines are popping up around the country about employees being fired due to inappropriate use of social media. One recent example, which happens to be health care related, can be found at http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/10/5-employees-fired-for-discussing-patients-cases/.
Getting started can seem a bit overwhelming. The good news is you are already off and running as you have now been to YouTube, the NY Times blog, and Wikipedia by visiting the links referenced in this article. There is no time like the present to educate yourself on the capabilities of social media— both the good and the bad. Consider using monitoring resources that send alerts when you, your practice, or your hospital have been mentioned and communicate appropriate social networking boundaries to your employees. Who knows, by way of your “social media education process,” maybe you’ll become Facebook’s 500,000,000th user! (Update: On July 21, 2010, Facebook reported their 500,000,000th user registered --http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=409753352130.)
Social Media resources now available at www.KaMMCO.com include:
• SAMPLE Social Media Policy
• Free Social Media Monitoring Sites Listing