Americans may not be embracing social media as a way to communicate with their doctor – and most doctors aren’t using it, either – but experts say it still has value to doctors.

 

According to a national Capstrat-Public Policy Polling survey, 85 percent of respondents said they would not use social media or instant messaging channels for medical communication if their doctors offered it. Only 11 percent said they would take advantage of social media such as Twitter or Facebook to communicate with their doctor.

 

But research has shown that patients are using social media to find health information and even to make health decisions, which is why experts say doctors have an obligation to use this tool to make sure their patients are getting accurate information.

 

“They may not tweeting their doc, but the majority are going online for health info and accessing user-generated content that is moderated by non-healthcare professionals,” said John Vaughn, MD, senior manager of e-health initiatives and student health services and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Ohio State University. Vaughn administers the university’s student health service blog, called BuckMD.

 

The message to doctors: “You have to be part of the conversation,” said Vaughn.

 

“We have to encourage people to keep an open mind (because) if healthcare providers are not here (on social media), we are leaving these people out to dry,” said Susan Giurleo, a psychologist, business consultant and marketer for healthcare professionals who want to diversify their income streams and use online tools to provide services and market their practices.

 

When the Medical Group Management Association released the results of its third annual member survey last June on the most challenging professional issues, number 27 on the list was ‘implementing social media tools to engage patients,’ said Liz Boten, a media relations representative for MGMA.

 

Giurleo sees the job of the provider as educating patients via social media, but not necessarily using it to communicate directly. She said until there are clear legal practices for how this would work, that will not change.

 

When it comes to HIPAA concerns and using social media, “you use the same ethics and confidentiality online that you use in real life,” said Giurleo. She called it the “coffee shop test.”

 

“If you wouldn’t talk about it with a colleague in a coffee shop,” Giurleo said, then it’s not appropriate to talk about it online. And there is never a need to talk about patients, she added.

 

Giurleo said the idea that once doctors start using social media they will be flooded with patients trying to connect with them is “unfounded.”  “I have never heard people say they have had that experience,” she said. Developing a social media policy is always a good idea, Giurleo added.  

 

“MGMA doesn’t have a social media policy for our members, but we have developed a number of resources to help guide practices in determining if social media is right for their practice, how to get started using social media tools, as well as other considerations when implementing social media,” said Boten.

 

One MGMA member, William L. Hughes, the administrator at Women's Health Specialists, an OB/GYN practice in Jensen Beach, Fla., said the practice has been on Facebook for about a year. Hughes manages the group’s page and posts information about the practice and providers as well as information about women’s health issues.