Do You Need a Facebook Page?
"Winter weather warning" was the alliterative welcome to more than a few Wednesdays over the past several snowy months. Between snow, ice, and that heinous hybrid, "wintery mix," our office manager was kept on her toes as she coordinated the interplay among power outages, road conditions, patient safety, nurse and physician availability, and full patient schedules needing to be canceled or shifted. Phone triage needed to be rerouted, and a patient message center voice box needed to be set up and checked frequently.
All of this, of course, is the cost of doing business. Some winters are just like that. I understand. However, it got me thinking: There has to be a better way for a pediatric practice to communicate in real time with patients. Wouldn't it be great if we could send something out? Duh! There already is, and it's called Facebook.
When I first joined the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in 2003, we didn't have computers on our desks or in our exam rooms. We called patients to remind them of upcoming visits. Patients called in to request refills, get advice, or schedule an appointment.
Now we have the EpicCare Ambulatory Electronic Medical Record (EMR). Patients have access to MyChart, a portal that allows them to make appointments, request refills, ask nonurgent questions, and see parts of their child's medical record. Sure, the phones still ring off the hook, but the paradigm shift is starting to gain momentum.
Facebook, founded in 2004, may be losing favor among current teens but is gaining popularity among current parents. These are the very people who were among the first to create accounts back in 2007 and 2008, when they were 22 and 23 years old. Now, in 2014, these Facebook veterans are new parents, avidly posting photos of their little bundles of joy on Facebook. They have "liked" hundreds of pages and interact with each other and the world via Facebook. Shouldn't we be where the parents of our patients are?
Once upon a time, CHOP blocked Facebook. Now, recognizing untapped potential, CHOP has its own Facebook page. My own thinking, however, is more local. I think each practice should have its own Facebook page, for several reasons, and with due deference to some legitimate concerns or issues regarding the unique nature of medical practice in a digital age.
We have a Website. Why do we need Facebook? Websites are nice repositories of information, and every practice should have a complete and current Web presence. However, Websites are also passive.
For example, a library is great if you can drive to it; in contrast, Amazon.com knows a thing or two about the appeal of getting goods to you where you are. Likewise, patients can elect to follow posts on your practice's Facebook page: Post 'em, and off they go. Try updating a Website inside of 30 seconds. A Website sits waiting for someone to show up at the door.
Now I have to keep track of another thing? Yes. You already have to keep track of your labs, letters, studies, and charts. But anyone in your office can be a page administrator. Several different people, including you, can do this if you want. To be useful, the page should be updated whenever there is some information you want your parents to know.
Consider delayed openings due to inclement weather. Or what about an announcement that your supply of flu vaccine is in, or that the upcoming week has extra openings for sports physicals? If there is a community outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or a case of meningitis, you can issue a clarifying statement on your page.
What if somebody says something vulgar or trashes the practice? Indubitably, there will be the rare, less-than-adulatory comment spoken regarding your practice. However, these ill-informed comments are (and have always been) made anyway, without our knowledge and out of earshot. They may even be posted on other Websites or on other information platforms. On Facebook, however, we have the chance to address and redress these comments (and if necessary or appropriate, remove them). We run the page for our practice. We control the content and tone.
My medical network already has a Facebook page. Why do I need one? CHOP has its own enterprise-wide Facebook page. So, when the genetics department announces a new department head, answer me this: What does that information do for the parents of my patients who are trying to schedule a flu clinic appointment? The enterprise-wide page is great for the enterprise, not for the bulk of my patients or their families.
What if a parent thinks that my practice's Facebook page is the same as real medical advice? Insert a statement making it plain and clear that your site's Facebook page is not a replacement for an evaluation by, or conversation with, a medical professional. Also, make it clear that no patient- or health-specific matters will be discussed or should be asked or brought up. Such disclaimers are necessary and common at other sites.
Facebook is not the be-all and end-all for a practice. It is, however, another way to reach your patients and their parents. Perhaps most important, Facebook is where many of your patients' parents are anyway.
Medscape Pediatrics © 2014 WebMD, LLC
Cite this: The Facebook Practice - Medscape - May 12, 2014.
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