By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The key stakeholders involved in improving healthcare policy
    The Key Stakeholders involved in Improving Healthcare Policy
    October 26, 2023
    medical erros avoid
    How to Report Medication Errors and Why It’s Important
    November 17, 2024
    Essential Steps for Developing a Life Care Plan
    Essential Steps for Developing a Life Care Plan
    December 26, 2024
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Is Social Media a Fit for Doctors?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Is Social Media a Fit for Doctors?
eHealthHospital AdministrationSocial Media

Is Social Media a Fit for Doctors?

Jonathan Catley
Last updated: June 7, 2013 8:00 am
Jonathan Catley
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

The American College of Physicians (ACP) announced recently that physicians looking to increase their online presence and brand need to “proceed with extreme caution on social media”, especially when engaging with patients.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) announced recently that physicians looking to increase their online presence and brand need to “proceed with extreme caution on social media”, especially when engaging with patients. As online and social channels becomes more enticing for physicians as a cheaper alternative than traditional media outlets for medical marketing and personal branding, some common sense and awareness must be utilized.doctors, social media

Some of the notable recommendations from the ACP press release include:

  • Physicians should not “friend” or contact patients through personal social media.
  • Physicians should keep their professional and personal personas separate.
  • Establishing a professional profile so that it “appears” first during a search, instead of a physician ranking site, can provide some measure of control that the information read by patients prior to the initial encounter or thereafter is accurate.
  • Encouraging education programs that take a pro-active approach to a person’s digital image or online reputation
  • If a person reaches out to a doctor through electronic means and it is not an patient, physicians should use their judgment and usually encourage the person to schedule an office visit or go to the emergency room, whichever is more appropriate

Social media can be a great outlet for physicians to help educate the population, showcase innovative procedures and demonstrate their abilities with case study profiles. Physicians are encouraged to establish their own professional profile which will assist in controlling the amount of accurate information patients discover when using online searches. It is important that physicians take ownership of their search ranking because many patients rely on physician ranking sites or review sites to provide them with information. 

More Read

digital health technology
The STAT Ten: Tim Moore Speaks Out On Innovation, Technology and Digital Health
Academic Medical Center Advertising: Pump Up the Volume
How a VNA Unifies Clinical Data Throughout an Enterprise
Bladder Cancer Care in America Gets a Failing Grade
5 Reasons Big Data Adoption is Slow in Healthcare

There are many examples of physicians who are both visible and active on social media channels, and when executed properly, there are many patient and marketing benefits.

  • Higher visibility and more exposure for your practice
  • Establish yourself as a thought leader or expert within your specific industry
  • Control of your online brand
  • Increase in web traffic
  • Increase in web referrals or conversions
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Library of information for potential patients
  • Promotion of “Before and After” procedure results
  • A trusted resource for reliable procedure information

The inclusion of social media into an online medical marketing strategy is a logical step given the number of benefits; just remember to use common sense and “proceed with extreme caution.”

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

eHealthMedical DevicesMedical InnovationsTechnology

How Artificial Intelligence is Merging With Diagnostic Imaging

October 4, 2017
Healthcare-PPC-Marketing-Digital-Marketing.jpg
Social Media

Why PPC Should Be a Long-Term Process For Healthcare Companies

November 21, 2015

Health Network: From Telemedicine to HIE: Starting with Imaging-Video

November 2, 2011
Image
eHealthMobile Health

‘OK Glass, Start Patient Record’ Tech That Changes The Patient Dialog

July 21, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?