If the primary care physician engages in one-way communication with the practice website, it is usually visited by only a few patients. If he wants more traffic, he must actively market the website. Linking it to social media, he can find dialogue with patients.
In the meantime, most of the younger Swiss GPs in particular have their own website on the World Wide Web. Doctors from abroad, such as German physicians with a practice in Switzerland, even have virtually all a website. “Especially for them, their own Internet presence is an important marketing tool for finding patients,” explains Ulrich Meister, Webpublisher SIZ from Küsnacht, Zurich, in an interview with HAUSARZT PRAXIS.
But: A beautiful web presence is not enough, says web specialist Walter B. Walser from Rheineck, St. Gallen. “If you don’t make sure your website is connected, your web presence will have virtually no visitors and bring no return on investment.” So he advises physicians to actively market their website:
- Web address: Mention your web address on all your printed materials, e.g. appointment cards, prescriptions, receipts, invoices, business cards, letterhead.
- Community: Organize a linkage with your community. In sections like “Economy” there is usually a link to the businesses of the village or town.
- Industry portals: Enter your address in suitable industry and regional portals.
- Search engine optimization: Make sure that the relevant keywords appear on your web presence and have it optimized for search engines.
- Geo online services: Enter your address in Google Maps, Google Place and other geo online services.
- Social media: Facebook and other platforms can be used to generate interesting contacts.
Family doctors discover social media
An example: The family doctor – let’s call him Paul Blättler – has been writing popular medical articles in both the regional and local newspapers for years. In November, he published the article “Depression – a taboo for many”, which generated a particularly large response. Blättler even recorded several new patients who contacted him as a result of the article. Blättler also posts his texts on the practice website. But it’s only since he linked it to Facebook that he can see that patients visit it regularly: Blättler set up a Facebook account a year ago and linked it to his website. Under the heading “News” he publishes his reports and refers to his website. And on his website he gives his Facebook address. Those looking for a dialogue with Blättler can follow the family doctor on Facebook, reply or ask questions.
Paul Blättler is not an isolated case: More and more family doctors not only have a website, but link it to social media. Especially with the “Big Three” social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Facebook alone, the most important social media community in Switzerland, had 3.3 million active users in 2013. But other platforms such as Xing, LinkedIn, Google+, Myspace, etc. can also be of interest to family physicians.
Meister, who together with his brother developed the platform www.doktor.ch, now the leading Internet forum for doctors in Switzerland, explains: “On our free websites for doctors, medical professionals can enter Internet addresses themselves on the Links button. They then lead directly to social media platforms or even to individual articles that have appeared in popular or professional journals. This adds substance to the physicians’ website and leads to more traffic from their own patients.” Those who have a self-designed website and a web designer can hire them to link their site.
“In the future, every doctor who wants to be successful will have to reveal more about himself,” Meister is convinced. “Patients expect that. They want to know what the doctor looks like, what his education and hobbies are.” Social media platforms like Facebook are particularly well suited for such information. The GP can set up an account for free and gradually “fill” it with content. With details of his career, illustrated with photos from his student or residency years. Many SMEs (including large companies) have long been active in social networks. So why not primary care physicians?
Develop a social media strategy
“Social media are applications that also enable physicians to professionally perform identity management, relationship management and information management,” Marie-Christine Schindler, PR consultant and book author (“PR on the Social Web,” O’Reilly) tells HAUSARZT PRAXIS. Social media experts like Schindler first advise customers to define exactly what they want to achieve and develop a targeted strategy for which paths lead to the goal. Companies sometimes set goals in the areas of branding, customer loyalty, reputation, support or innovation.
A primary care physician’s goal might be to use social media to find new patients (customer acquisition) and/or retain existing patients (customer retention). Or publicize the expansion of the business model, with offerings such as dietary counseling for the overweight or diabetic.
Depending on the objective, the question arises as to which target groups the GP wants to address. Previously, it was mainly younger patients who used social media. For some time now, older people have been catching up: Facebook alone recorded over 440,000 users among the over-50s in Switzerland in 2013. In the U.S., the 65+ group was the fastest growing on Facebook and LinkedIn last year. The oldest Facebook user is 105-year-old Edythe Kirchmaier from California!
Once the goal has been established, the measures can be defined. It’s a matter of deciding which platforms the doctor wants to do what on. Or in which forums (e.g. for allergy sufferers or diabetics) he can make his mark. On Facebook (or other platforms), the family doctor can also provide information about the latest developments in his practice, remind people when their flu shots are due, or “translate” and comment on new research findings from the specialist press in a way that is comprehensible to the layperson. Further, he can embed small films about treatments that can be seen on YouTube. And he can motivate visitors to his account to comment on his posts: This creates a dialog.
Data protection, due diligence
Since the activities of the American intelligence service NSA have been discussed in the media, even more users of social networks are wondering how “secure” Facebook & Co. are. But what does “safe” mean? As long as users do not pose a threat to U.S. security and do not, for example, search for or give instructions for explosive attacks on the Net, the NSA is of precious little interest in their posts.
What should physicians look out for when engaging in social media? Detailed answers to what FMH physicians must adhere to in “Information and Advertising” are provided in Appendix 2 of the FMH Code of Professional Conduct. Disclosing patient data is, of course, taboo. And, of course, remote treatments via social media must be excluded. Otherwise, there is nothing to prevent family doctors from communicating with patients on social media on an equal footing.
One of the reasons social media have made it to the breakthrough is that their use has a low technical threshold. Anyone who wants to start as a family doctor with Facebook, for example, can simply open a free account and get started right away. First with watching and observing and then gradually with their own contributions. For now, GPs may well be cautious when it comes to populating their personal profiles. The effort required is also kept within limits: just one hour a week can be enough to maintain a Facebook presence, for example.
Experts advise creating a new mail address for activities on social media, for example at www.googlemail.com, www.gmx.com or www.hotmail.ch, which you can easily cancel again if necessary. Also recommended for primary care physicians: involving their own team. Perhaps the MPAs already have their own experience with Facebook & Co. and good ideas on how the practice can communicate.
Jörg Weber
HAUSARZT PRAXIS 2014; 9(5): 49-50
