Whether it be through traditional media or emerging approaches, physician marketing is changing—for the better.
Social and digital media are beginning to blur the lines of what is and is not advertising. Physicians are now actively interacting with current and potential patients in more ways than ever.
While these interactions offer many outreach opportunities for physicians and health systems, there are also significant risks and challenges being exposed as well.
For instance, physicians deserve to be compensated for their time and expertise. Often working very demanding schedules, physicians sacrifice time away from their family and loved ones on a regular basis. Social media has created a 24-hour “on call” scenario that needs to be handled very delicately.
Most hospitals and medical groups have policies in place to provide guidelines of how physicians interact with their patients on social media channels. If your organization does not yet have such a policy in place, it is recommended that one be created and shared with patients as part of their practice intake forms.
These policies not only help to set clear boundaries between doctors and patients, but also detail guidelines relating to protected health information (PHI) and patient privacy. Well-written policies can help physicians avoid the potential pitfalls of social media.
As an experienced healthcare and digital marketing agency, our team at ddm is equipped with the knowledge and insight to create effective social media plans for hospitals, health systems and medical groups.