The Case for Social Media in Professionalism

Lee AaseDirector, Mayo Clinic Center for Social MediaAugust 2014

The Case for Social Media in Professionalism

©2011 MFMER | 3139261-

Disclosures

I am a salaried employee of Mayo Clinic. I will say nice things about Mayo Clinic. I have no other conflicts to report.

Agenda

• Why professionals must consider implications of social media in health care

• Threats and opportunities presented by health care social media

• Self-interested and altruistic reasons for becoming engaged in social media

• Guidelines for safe engagement

©2011 MFMER | 3139261-

Our Changing Society in Two

Videos

Just 20 years ago...

Social Media Revolution Video

Internet, Mobile and Social Networking by the Numbers

• 87% of U.S. adults use the Internet

• 91% own a cell phone; 63% use mobile Internet

• 78% of Internet users watch online videos

• 72% looked online for health information within the past year.

• 7 in 10 have a profile on a social networking site• Facebook 67%• Twitter 16%• Instagram 13%• Tumblr 6%

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

What do patients find when they Google you?

The SolutionTo PollutionIs Dilution

Hat Tip: @Sernovitz

Four Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation

• Claim and update your profile on Doximity.com

• Upload an introductory video on YouTube

• Create a LinkedIn account

• Create a Twitter account

Twitter Bonus: Chats Create Connections

• Twitter: Social Media’s Gateway Drug

• See Symplur.com for healthcare hashtags list

• Disease-oriented discussions, e.g.• #BCSM• #Diabetes• #SickleCell

• Professional or blended discussions• Conference hashtags such as #TTHC2014• #MedEd

Introductory Video Case Study:Ruben Mesa, M.D. and Myelofibrosis

Unique Myelofibrosis Patients

0

100

200

300

400

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

MCF MCA

What is medical professionalism?

• American College of Healthcare Executives...• The ability to align personal and organizational

conduct with ethical and professional standards that include a responsibility to the patient and community, a service orientation, and a commitment to lifelong learning and improvement.

AAMC: Health Care Professionals...

• subordinate their own interests to the interests of others.

• adhere to high ethical and moral standards.

• respond to societal needs, and their behaviors reflect a social contract with the communities served.

• exhibit a commitment to scholarship and to advancing their field.

• deal with high levels of complexity and uncertainty.

• reflect upon their actions and decisions.

AAMC: Health Care Professionals...

• evince core humanistic values, including honesty and integrity, caring and compassion, altruism and empathy, respect for others, and trustworthiness.

• exercise accountability for themselves and for their colleagues.

• demonstrate a continuing commitment to excellence.

Social Media Breaches of Professionalism

• Legal Departure• Internet prescribing without an established clinical

relationship

• Ethical Departures• Derogatory comments in a social media platform

• Practice Departure• Tweets that represent potential patient privacy

violations

Ethical Departures

Ethical Departures

The Cost of Non-Participation:The Pertussis Experience• With introduction of DTP vaccine, U.S. pertussis

cases declined 90 percent in 15 years, from 120,000 cases in 1950 to 6,800 in 1965.

• For 37 years, cases never exceeded 10,000/yr.

Closing Dissemination Gaps

Public Health Rep. 2006 Jan-Feb; 121(1): 97–103

Case Study: Solving Unexplained Wrist Pain

A Balanced Approach to Professionalism• Avoiding faux pas is important but cannot be the

only standard for judging professionalism in social media

• Professionalism is more than the absence of unprofessional conduct

• Professionals have a moral obligation to use available tools effectively on behalf of those they serve

Key Elements• All policies apply in social media, too

• Privacy• Mutual Respect• Computer use

• Generally don’t “friend” patients

• Remember the “front page” rule

Guidelines are Necessary but Not Sufficient

Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media• The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media exists to

improve health globally by accelerating effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and spurring broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients.

• Our Mission: Lead the social media revolution in health care, contributing to health and well being for people everywhere.

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A Catalyst for Social Media

Social Media Health Network• Membership group associated with Mayo Clinic

Center for Social Media

• For organizations wanting to use social media to promote health, fight disease and improve health care

• Much content available through free Guest account

• Dues based on organization revenues, and individual paid memberships also are available

Tweetable Truths on Health Care Professionalism and Social Media

• Social media tools do not cause lapses in professionalism, but they can broadcast bad behavior to a wider audience

• Social platforms ARE being used to discuss medically related issues; absence of professionals diminishes conversation quality

• Medical professionals can use social tools, like any other instruments, for positive purposes

• We trust physicians with sharp instruments and narcotics; with proper training, they can handle Facebook and Twitter too

For Further Interaction:• Google Lee Aase or MCCSM

• @LeeAase or @FarrisTimimi on Twitter

• For Social Media Health Network information• http://network.socialmedia.mayoclinic.org/

mccsm/joining-the-network/

• Contact Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media • By email: socialmediacenter@mayo.edu • By phone: 507-538-1092