Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Healthcare Providers
A Primer for the Digital Age
2013
Presented By
Abstract
The Internet has fundamentally redefined how Americans
connect with physicians. In this white paper, ZocDoc
draws on recent studies and expertise from digital
healthcare leaders to interpret these changes. We
provide a vendor evaluation document and an interactive
return-on-investment calculator (see Appendices A and
B) to help healthcare providers determine the optimal
marketing mix for their practices. We illustrate the costs
and benefits of social media platforms such as Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and detail best practices
when appropriate. A method for obtaining positive
reviews and attenuating negative reviews is described;
it is demonstrated that an average 37 percent increase
in appointments results from each half-star improvement
to a providers online rating profile. We close by outlining
the patient satisfaction and loyalty healthcare providers
can accrue by offering online booking and related
transactional services, which are preferred by 81 percent
of consumers.
Introduction
Of the 74 percent of American adults with access to the
Internet, 80 percent now say theyve tapped it to research
a health topic, according to recent data from the Pew
Foundation. The latest such report released in November
2012 found that among those who own a smartphone,
over half have used it for health-related purposes. Other
survey results from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)
show that a full third of all US consumers now trust not
only the Internet but specifically social media to obtain
healthcare information, discuss symptoms and care, and
share feedback about their physicians. These statistics are
compelling evidence that we have entered the age of the
ePatient, when consumers prefer to make and manage
their healthcare decisions online and (increasingly) on
mobile devices.
started
1 Getting
How will you engage?
One of the interesting perspectives to take is whether a
public presence is even a choice for physicians anymore,
says Bryan Vartabedian, MD, co-founder of the Medical
Futures Lab, a collaboration of Rice University, Baylor
College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Health
Science Center. With the Internet, if you dont create
what people see about you, want it or not, you can bet
that someone else will. The proliferation of online patient
communities and healthcare conversations on social
media bears this out.
In 2009, Google conducted a survey that showed that
the Internet had already surpassed all other sources
as the top resource for health questions. Just last year,
the companys healthcare-related searches grew by 47
percent. Moreover, while word of mouth still ranks high
on patients lists for choosing their healthcare providers,
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online now
2 Being
Web and social media best practices.
Near the end of 2012, Pfizer released a survey
showing that one in four US doctors uses social media
professionally every day. According to Manhattan
4
Websites
Your online presence starts with a platform and an
identity, says Howard Luks, MD, a Westchester, NY,
orthopedic surgeon who writes about the intersection of
healthcare and social media. It should be somewhere
patients can look for key information. If youre part of a
hospital or a larger practice, you may already have a page
on that organizations website. In addition, companies like
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Networking/Content sites
At heart, sites like Twitter and Facebook are a way to
connect with colleagues and patients. One October
2012 study published in the Journal of Internet Research
surveyed 485 oncologists and primary care physicians,
finding that 85 percent now use social media on a weekly
basis both to share and take in content and information.
When I talk to doctors about getting online, I always
stress the value of consuming information as well as
creating it, says Kevin Pho, MD, founder and editor of
Medpage Todays healthcare content blog, KevinMD.com.
Connecting is a two-way street, and we need both sides
to stay relevant.
In addition to broadening reach and exposure, social
media sites can help support online reputation. One of
the things that I think is under-appreciated is the weight
that networking platforms can have in SEO, says Aase.
Creating a Twitter, a LinkedIn these things naturally
rise to the top. They can outweigh the fact that you got
zero stars on Yelp or Angies List for being late for an
appointment three years ago, and thats an important
defensive application.
Twitter
Engage new patients and forge professional
connections with this rapid-fire platform, which
requires small bursts of time for consuming
and sharing information in short (140 character
maximum) posts.
How to use it: By scrolling your feed, or searching
keywords, its easy to extrapolate whats current and what
patients want now. If, for example, you notice several
questions or conversation threads about a treatment
you happen to perform, you can increase your posts and
engage in more conversations on related topics as well
as make changes in your practice to meet those needs
and draw that business. We used Twitter when H1N1
broke and we had extra vaccine, says Jones. We were
able to tweet that out to our followers, and quickly match
Facebook
Build your brand and keep existing patients actively
engaged with this social nexus for sharing both
long and short content.
How to use it: Give prospective patients a deeper look
at who you are, and maintain strong ties to consumers
and colleagues. For example: If you look at Toyota ads,
theyre bringing users to a Facebook page, not an actual
website, says Vartabedian. Theyre capitalizing on the
sense of relevance and community that comes from
streaming content thats all about your product. Because
Facebook connections tend to have more social roots
(family members, high school friends, etc.), its advisable
to avoid connecting with patients on your personal
page and to maintain strong privacy settings. However,
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a fan page for your practice can offer wide reach, the
opportunity to write or share posts that can go directly
into your followers Facebook feeds, and a landing page
that if you encourage others to post on your wall
appears dynamic.
Best practice: On your page, include a biography or
company profile, and links to your website and your core
social media, networking, and appointment-booking sites.
As for posts, aim for a mix of important company news,
links to your writing, and articles or news items that you
think would be valuable or interesting to your followers
and also connect to how you see yourself and your brand.
Worth noting: We tend to assume that the content we
post on Facebook makes it into all our contacts streams,
but the reality, according to its marketing team, is that
only about 30 percent of your followers will be party to
any given post. Therefore, they say, aim for at least three
posts a week to maximize reach and when you have a
particularly important piece of news, ask a friend or two
to re-post.
LinkedIn
Connect with colleagues for job opportunities and
potential referrals by establishing an online resume
on the worlds largest professional networking site.
How to use it: Provide professional information in a
format thats easy to access and understand. These
days, if youre not on LinkedIn, I always wonder why,
says Salber. Connecting with other MDs here can lead
to future patient referrals or job opportunities, so engage
within the site.
Best practice: Take advantage of LinkedIns strong
SEO and make your profile public and rich. Filling out
the summary portion at the top of your profile, and
using good keywords that apply to your practice will
strengthen not just how you show up on searches, but
also the relevance of the connections this leads to. Many
professional organizations now have groups you can join
(some of which require verification, which is good for
your online credibility).
YouTube/Video
Attract new patients by establishing credibility and
character with searchable, easy-to-produce videos.
How to use it: I have both a YouTube channel and a
website, and I upload the same videos on both, says
Luks. Among them are everything from a welcome video
to posts on the conditions I most treat. What Ive found is
that this helps patients to get past any jitters they might
have and to start feeling comfortable with me as their
physician before we even meet. For this reason, doctors
and hospitals are also using the medium to share or
reiterate important information normally delivered during
an appointment, cutting down on general questions and
creating more time for personalized ones.
Best practice: I encourage people to make videos to
introduce themselves and talk about their expertise,
says Aase. Its humanizing, easy for patients to consume,
and creates an instant rapport. When outlining what you
want to say, always consider your audience and optimize
for clarity, avoiding complicated medical terms.
Online outsourcing:
three ways to save
yourself some time
Theres nothing wrong with hiring
people to help you, says Patricia
Salber, MD, founder of The Doctor
Weighs In. Its not that you cant
learn it, but in some cases time
and bandwidth are limited or better
allocated elsewhere. Website
designers are just the tip of the
iceberg. Consider these three
additional ways to outsource:
Social Media Manager: Often what you
need is just someone part-time to monitor
your pages and push out tweets and posts,
and that doesnt have to be expensive, says
Bunny Ellerin, president of NYC Health
Business Leaders. Even just outsourcing for
an hour a day to someone whos keeping up
with trends and conversations can give you
an edge.
Videographer: Often people conflate video
with high cost, but that isnt necessarily
the case anymore. You dont really need
a team of people, says Salber. Hiring just
one person who has some knowledge of
how best to set things up is often enough to
get you started. Sites like smartshoot.com
connect freelancers to clients at a budget
you yourself determine.
Marketing strategist: Social media sites
are just one sliver of your overall marketing
presence, notes Ellerin. Youve got your
website. Youve got appointment stuff.
Youve got customer relations and referral
marketing. The common thread is that
marketing people, too, have to be really
digitally savvy. Today, she says, whomever
you hire needs to know at least as much
about search functions and how people
search for a practice or doctor as they do
direct marketing and reminder cards.
your presence
3 Owning
Review sites and reputation management.
Over 70 percent of consumers worldwide trust online
reviews, according to a 2012 Nielsen study. For
comparison, only 47 percent have faith in traditional
broadcast and print, the research firm found. Indeed,
confidence in the veracity of TV, newspaper, and
magazine ads has fallen 24 percent, 20 percent, and 25
percent respectively. Meanwhile, according to a recent
survey by the expert advice broker Avvo.com, over 60
percent of respondents cite patient reviews as a primary
influencer when selecting a new doctor online.
One need look no further than the myriad online physician
review sites (RateMDs.com has, for instance, over a
million ratings) to see evidence of how the practice has
taken hold. Word-of-mouth recommendations have
always been the most impactful and meaningful form
of advertising, says Reed Smith, founder of the Social
Health Institute and an advisory board member at both
SXSW Interactive and the Mayo Clinic Center for Social
Media. People trust their ability to research online, so its
not really surprising that this translates.
On review sites:
1. Post your photo and include a rich professional
statement: Consumers are on these sites looking for
information, so the best thing you can do is provide
it, says Smith. Let people know how they can reach
you, and also information about your practice (what
you specialize in, how you trained, awards youve
won, etc.).
2. Think of all feedback as a way to show integrity:
Its understood that there will always be a certain
percentage of consumers who wont like anything
anyone does. In this way, a few less-than-perfect
ratings or two can make you human and relatable,
and render all your strongly positive comments more
believable. I myself have started publishing on my
website every word of feedback, good and bad, that
I get from my speeches, says deBronkart. It lets
people know that the praise you get is real.
3. When appropriate, respond to negative comments:
Be discriminating. If someone seems like theyre out
to pick a fight, dont engage. But if the complaint
appears sincere or can be fixed, consider reaching
out to the patient. Many unhappy patients will take
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The power of
4 accessibility
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Appendix A
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Appendix B
Your Patient
Lifetime Value
$ 0.00
How many times per year do you see an average patient? We suggest 0.7
# New Patients
# Of new patients expected
$ 3,000.00
15
$ 200.00
NOTE:
$ 10,000.00
24
$ 416.67
$ 5,000.00
35
$ 142.86
Digital
$ 3,000.00
50
$ 60.00
Print
Broadcast
Lifetime Value
Marketing Cost
Marketing Cost
ROI
( $ 0.00
- $ 200.00
) $ 200.00
0%
Broadcast
( $ 0.00
- $ 416.67
) $ 416.67
0%
( $ 0.00
- $ 142.86
) $ 142.86
0%
Digital
( $ 0.00
- $ 60.00
) $ 60.00
0%
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