Winning Relationships

How to use personal connections through the Web to drive practice success.

Randy Wong, MD: There are so many different things called social media. What you have to convey through social media — whether it's through video, a micro-blog such as Twitter, or Facebook — is that you're a doctor and a person. That's what the public is seeking when using these forums. People are looking for a caring individual among hundreds of doctors.

The old marketing model, in which the doctor isn't directly accessible, is being replaced. You need to express human characteristics on the new playing field, displaying transparency through all types of digital media. That's why these channels are collectively known as social media, all of which provide a way to draw attention to you and help you develop relationships at a personal level.

Access is Key

Rohit Krishna, MD: Patients want access. When you meet your patients in the office, you spend 10 minutes with them. In the course of their lives, that is .0001% of the time, right? What about the time they're at home? That's when you could be disseminating your information on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and your blog. Patients will value this interaction. Also, for practical reasons, if you post a video on flashers and floaters, you might diminish unneccessary phone calls.

Most internet users in the U.S. have a Facebook page. On the whole, over 40% of the entire American population uses the site.¹ Furthermore, more than 70% of online Americans use sites like YouTube, and active participation on YouTube is increasing rapidly.² Google's social media service, Google+, is entering the marketplace, encouraging participation in that medium as well. All of these ways of providing access to you and your practice will help brand your practice and engender goodwill with patients who expect access to, and a relationship with, their doctors.

Dr. Wong: What really works for social media isn't included in the usual tool bag used by a doctor. Doctors, by training, aren't allowed to show any doubts or second thoughts. If someone really wants to learn how to do this, do what Mr. Dawes has done. Experience social media as a user and go from there. It's very difficult for us to provide a formula for what every practice should do. Social media means something a little bit different to everyone. Maybe the endgame for us is to get more patients through the door, but maybe the endgame for our patients is to build a relationship with somebody who understands their needs.

Many patients aren't really looking to see who will offer LASIK for $2,500. They're interested in finding a practice philosophy that meshes with their expectations.

Long- and Short-term Relationships

Mr. Dawes: I'm extraordinarily passionate about what you just said. If you're a physician who deals with chronic problems, such as AMD or glaucoma, you must use social media differently than if you're a surgeon who specializes in LASIK or cataract surgery. No matter what type of care you provide, every patient represents a relationship.

These are people who have let us stick surgical knives into their eyes, entrusting us with their vision. We have a responsibility to maintain that trusting relationship. When they develop glaucoma, macular degeneration, or some other problem, they're going to return to seek our opinion.

Our surgeons feel passionately about this. Once you become our patient, you're our patient for life. If a surgeon just wants a patient to visit so the patient will refer friends and family members, that attitude won't build your practice.

Mr. Casper: We do know, however, that siblings of glaucoma patients have a five-to seven-fold increased risk of developing glaucoma. When you diagnose glaucoma in a patient, you have an opportunity to educate family members about the need to be evaluated. These are issues you can also cover through social media.

Mr. Prussian: I want to add a few points about chronic care. To schedule follow-up appointments, you have to reach patients or they have to contact you. Phone books and directory assistance are rarely used. If you're not easy to find on the Web, that's a huge problem for your practice. If the glaucoma patient you've been following for 20 years loses your phone number, how will he find you if you have no Web presence? Unless they drive to your office, they're going to have a hard time reaching you. Having an Internet presence is very important.

There are also other ways to reach patients. Everyone who comes to our office gets a refrigerator magnet, for example. It's an old-fashioned, simple, inexpensive and effective tool. Of course, the magnets also include our Web site and social media information.

Social media, for everyone, means something a little bit different. Maybe the endgame for us is to get more patients through the door, but maybe the endgame for our patients is to build a relationship with somebody out there who understands them and their needs. — Randy Wong, MD

Referrals for the Right Reasons

Dr. Krishna: I would address this issue in two ways. If you have a patient who has had LASIK — conceptually a “one and done” patient — I agree with Mr. Dawes' approach. You don't want to forget about that patient and you want the patient to come back to you for the right reasons — because of a positive experience, not because you have talked him or her into it.

The patient might need eyeglasses or sunglasses. These patients are going to generate word-of-mouth referrals, depending on how you've helped them. Our marketing director calls it “word-of-mouth referral, amplified.” This is also how the marketing director describes the effects of our social media for these patients. One patient may tell another potential patient about a positive experience. But when this communication occurs on Facebook, the patient who has had the positive experience is telling everyone who's on Facebook. That's how I would address the perceived short-term patient.

Social media gives you an incredible opportunity to interact with your patients. Seize the opportunity. You'll learn more from talking to your patients through social media than you could ever imagine. It will change your business. — James Dawes, Practice Administrator

Long-term Patients

Dr. Krishna: For the long-term patient, the one with glaucoma or AMD, a slightly different approach is needed. You'll connect with that patient two to four times a year. Like the old days of the Internet, these experiences will generate more of a community feeling.

When these patients take part in your social media, they might connect with other people who have the same diseases. They may get something out of it by sharing their experiences. So there are two different approaches to two different subsets of patients, the acute and the chronic.

Dr. Wong: I applaud you for taking on a patient for life. As a retina specialist, I see two types of patients: acute, involving such conditions as retinal detachments, and chronic, involving AMD, diabetic retinopathy and other conditions.

I've learned several things. One is that I don't get many referred patients for acute conditions, which require prompt attention and don't involve visits that can be scheduled. Interestingly, though, the hot issue on my website focuses on patients who have had silicone oil in their eyes. AMD and diabetic retinopathy are also very popular topics. One thing that I've noticed is that the chronic problems tend to attract multiple visits to the site. If I'm a patient with diabetes, I'm going to have it tomorrow and next week, so I'll always be interested in new information on the disease and in ways to take better care of myself.

If You Do Nothing Else …

Mr. Raeman: There are many organizations in cyberspace. We need to sort through search engine listing pages, medical directory pages, and different types of social media and commentary on Twitter, blogs, YouTube and Facebook. Doctors should move forward one step at a time. What wrap-up advice do you have for them?

Dr. Krisha: My take-away point is this: Remember the unified definition of social media we mentioned at the beginning of our discussion. Develop relationships, engage patients and keep delivering your consistent message.

Mr. Prussian: If you only do one thing, activate your Google+ Local holder that's already there for you.

Mr. Dawes: Social media provides an incredible opportunity to interact with your patients. Seize the opportunity. You'll learn more from talking to your patients through social media than you could ever imagine. It will change your business.

Mr. Casper: As I mentioned, find the digital “expert” in your practice. That staff member will become your point person — the quarterback in your practice.

Dr. Wong: My recommendation would be to start with your blog or website and take it slowly. Merely thinking of an alternative to the Yellow Pages puts you ahead of the curve. A very low percentage of doctors are engaging in social media. Do this on your own time, but to make sure you do it.

Take it to The Next Level

Mr. Raeman: Most of the accounts that I work with have websites. Now they're looking at social media. When you think of taking the whole thing on at once, it can seem overwhelming. As a result, they get wrapped around the axle and do nothing. My advice is to get engaged. Bite off these responsibilities in small chunks. It may take you a year before you really penetrate the marketplace.

Dr. Krishna: Twenty-five percent of all companies will engage in social media this year.³ So, I would take a slightly different approach. If you look at the leaders in our space, they're all going into social media. And if you're not at least considering it, you're falling behind.

On a final positive note, however, always keep in mind that plenty of resources are available to help you become more proactive. If you're interested in reading more on this subject, seek standard sites in the tech world where you can educate yourself, such as TechCrunch, Mashable and All Things Digital.

These sources are good places to start learning more about this space. You won't learn it over night, but you can build a formidable and actionable knowledge base in a relatively short amount of time. ■

The old marketing model, in which the doctor is not directly accessible, is being replaced. You need to express human characteristics on the new playing field, displaying transparency through all these types of digital media. — Randy Wong, MD

References

1. Nearly half of Americans use Facebook; Only 7% use Twitter. mashable.com/2011/02/24/facebook-twitter-number; last accessed July 9, 2012.
2. YouTube use explodes, and minorities lead the way. www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/youtube-use-explodes-and-minorities-lead-the-way/2011/07/26/gIQAduhnal_blog.html ; last accessed July 9, 2012.
3. State of Social Media Marketing Annual Survey Report. January 2012. Sponsored by awareness social marketing software. Last accessed July 9, 2012.