Evolving management strategies for patient service excellence: Is your practice up to speed?

Develop a presence on social media

Having a social media presence is becoming one of the most effective strategies for reaching an intended audience. In the United States, more than 70% of the public uses at least one social media platform.¹¹ It can be an effective and efficient tool for clinicians to grow their practice; distribute information about unique areas of the practice; and reach potential patients, referring physicians, and prospective faculty/trainees. Social media also is increasingly being used by clinicians to connect with other health care providers in their own specialty or other specialties. Digital communities have been created where ideas are shared and topics of interest are discussed. Clinicians can listen in on expert opinions, disseminate their research, and discuss practice management challenges or health advocacy. FIGURE 2 provides a snapshot of the social media landscape.

There is a wealth of options when it comes to social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and blogs (TABLE 3). Facebook has the largest user base of all social media platforms, with approximately 1.7 billion active monthly users; thus, its use creates an opportunity to reach a massive audience.^12,13 People use Facebook for both personal and professional reasons. The platform allows for sharing of photos, live videos, posted text, and comments. It can be used as a helpful resource to engage patients and disseminate accurate medical information. Importantly, remember that content posted should comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and that information shared should come from a credible source.

The Mayo Clinic is an impressive example of the use of social media for consumer education, research, and expansion of the reach of its brand. They incorporated social media into their strategic marketing plan, and between 2015 and 2016, social media referrals led to a 139% increase in patient appointment requests.¹³ Of the 20 different social media sites used, Facebook was the top social media referrer, accounting for 81% of social media referrals in 2015 and 88% in 2016. They have expanded their reach through different social media platforms and have more than 1.5 million followers on Twitter. Their videos on YouTube were viewed more than 4.9 million times in 2016 alone. This example illustrates social media’s effectiveness and the potential role it can play in connecting with patients.

Final thoughts

The practice of medicine has undeniably changed over the years and will continue to evolve. Understanding how to implement change to ensure that high-quality, efficient patient care is being delivered is paramount.

We have highlighted various aspects of practice management that you can use to overcome current obstacles and changing standards. The advent of telemedicine has provided easy access to clinicians. Consultation occurs in the comfort of the patient’s home, and the ability to provide local examination telecast to a clinician allows physicians and advanced practice practitioners to reach a wider range of patients. Social media has established an infrastructure for educating patients and providers while at the same time conveying educational tools to patients. This level of communication will continue to expand as time progresses.

Practitioners have a whole new cadre to add to their toolbox to provide patients with state-of-the-art communication and care. ●