Hey Doc, Oh Yes They Are

For the better part of the Social Era, physicians have decried the use of social media among their target demographic: grownups and the elderly. But guess what? Dads, Moms and even Grandma are all up in social media tools like Facebook and it’s time you connected with them there.In fact, a recent Pew Internet Research study found that 71 percent of adults online are on Facebook and that’s up from this time last year. Really, parents and grandparents are the only real growth areas for Facebook with 45 percent of people 65 years and older using Facebook. However, it’s not the only site to see growth.Twitter saw growth among adults. But it’s Pinterest that has the most momentum as over 1/3 of all women online report using the image and idea sharing platform to curate inspiration, health tips, recipes, fashion and other topics – often from people like you. Okay, let’s admit it. Most of the people offering these bits of hope and information are not nearly as well qualified as you to share ideas in a way that might lead to improved health. I’m going to guilt you into this. You should be using social media if for no other reason than to make sure that at least some of what women are curating makes sense in the context of a healthy lifestyle. Hey, when grandma falls down and can’t get up, we want her to have a button to push for help. But when we’re trying to coach mothers, grandmothers and other adults we’re willing to let the purveyors of gimmicks lead the way. It’s time for an intervention. Want more evidence in the case for your being present online? Consider this:From a recent study, 54 percent of patients are very comfortable with their providers seeking advice from online communities to better treat their conditions. It’s evidence that many trust that crowd sourcing of information from other like-minded individuals is reliable. This shows how people perceive the social media to be beneficial for the exchange of information about their health. Why shouldn’t you be the one from whom they curate it?Need a business reason? 41 percent of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility. This shows that social media can be a vehicle to help scale positive word of mouth, which makes it an important channel for an individual or organization in the health care industry to focus on in order to attract and retain patients. Consumers are using social media to discuss everything in their lives including health and it is up to your organization to choose whether it’s time to tune in.Lest you think it’s just patient talking, here’s this from professionals like you: 60 percent of doctors say social media improves the quality of care delivered to patients.Wow! So there are doctors (maybe you’re one of them) who believe that the transparency and authenticity that social media helps spur is actually improving the quality of care provided to patients. So if you’re still saying, “My patient demographic and providers like me don’t take social media seriously” and that “neither patient nor doctor is there” – I say, oh yes they are.Tim C. Nicholson is the President of Bigfish, LLC. His Memphis-based firm connects physicians, clinics and hospitals to patients and one another through healthcare social media solutions, branding initiatives and websites. His column, “Hey Doc”, appears here monthly. Find him on twitter @timbigfish or email tim@gobigfishgo.com