Summary: In our ongoing social media series, learn how to leverage Facebook to expand your professional network.
DAVID: Welcome to the MDsearch.com Physician Podcast. This is David Pearson here with Robyn Melhuish and today we're talking about the global phenomenon that is Facebook.
ROBYN: In a recent survey of MDsearch physicians, 67% confessed to being regular Facebook users.
DAVID: That seems like a pretty high percentage! Am I the only one that's surprised by that?
ROBYN: No, I think it's kind of surprising too. The idea of a busy physician taking the time to update a status or write on someone's wall – it's hard to imagine. But when you consider that Facebook has over 200 million users now and half a million people are signing up every day...well, I guess it really shouldn't surprise us that physicians would be part of the trend.
DAVID: I guess you're right. It seems like using Facebook to communicate has become almost as common as emailing. I mean, even I'm on Facebook.
ROBYN: I'm not surprised by to hear that. Facebook may have started off as a networking site for students, but now, the majority of its users exceed college age. In fact, the over 35 age group is the fastest growing group of new users.
DAVID: Facebook is constantly evolving – the audience, the interface, the applications - and so is the way people are using it. It's no longer simply a way for friends and family to share photos or play an online game; these activities are still happening of course, but additionally, people are using Facebook as a tool to market themselves or their businesses. They're using it to network professionally, to organize groups, and to facilitate discussions.
ROBYN: But how are physicians getting involved?
DAVID: The results of the MDsearch survey suggest that most physicians are still primarily using Facebook for personal use – connecting with friends and family. However, this too seems to be changing. A search for doctors and physicians on Facebook results in over a thousand pages, applications, events, and groups – all of which indicate that physicians are starting to use Facebook to reach out to both consumers and each other.
ROBYN: I think you're right David. Over 500 physician groups on Facebook have been created by users to facilitate medical discussions and promote the sharing of health related information.
DAVID: Any member can create a group on Facebook. They can create a group that's open for anyone to join, or they may set it up so that new members have to be approved by the group administrator.
ROBYN: It's a nice feature, because different groups need different privacy settings.
DAVID: Exactly, the purpose of an open group such as "Physicians for Human Rights" would be entirely different from a closed group like "Stanford Hospital Physicians." One is intended to increase awareness and/or facilitate change while the other is used for communicating privately among individuals with a confirmed connection.
ROBYN: Physician groups can also serve to lend moral support to one another through sharing stories and experiences and offering advice. Physicians are already doing this on Sermo, a social network exclusively for physicians, but Facebook has the ability to facilitate the same kind of discussions, therefore it offers the appealing option of combining the personal and the professional on one site.
DAVID: Sermo offers increased exclusivity and privacy though; an extensive registration process requires verification of your state license or hospital or practice ID in order to join.
ROBYN: On Facebook, however, there's no guarantee that someone who claims to be a physician is actually a physician, so you would have to use your best judgment when communicating – even in a closed group.
DAVID: Physicians probably need to exercise caution with anything they post on Facebook.
ROBYN: Everyone should to some extent. However, Facebook's latest makeover included enhanced privacy settings that enable you to separate your friends into groups so you can control who sees what.
DAVID: So, a physician could be Facebook friends with a patient and yet they could set it up so their patient friends wouldn't see quite as much as their personal friends.
ROBYN: Right. But unfortunately, it may be too late for some. Last year, researchers at the University of Florida found that many physicians coming out of med school have public Facebook profiles that reveal what could be construed as "objectionable content."
DAVID: Oh really? Like what!
ROBYN: You know, pictures that suggest excessive drinking or even memberships in groups like "Physicians looking for trophy wives," or "I hate Medical School."
DAVID: Those are real Facebook groups? I mean, they're listed in the 500 groups that come up when you search physicians?
ROBYN: Hey, I didn't say all of them were appropriate!
DAVID: Right. So Facebook has a dark side.
ROBYN: There are pros and cons, yes. Users just need to be smart; it's a powerful tool if you use it wisely.
DAVID: And speaking of smart ways to use it, some physicians are utilizing Facebook as a marketing tool. A private practice physician might create a Facebook page for their practice. On the page they could introduce the staff, highlight press coverage of the practice, offer general health advice, and share interesting links from around the web – all in an effort to interact with current patients and attract new ones.
ROBYN: A facility's Facebook page may also be used as a recruiting tool. A physician seeking a new position can view the page to get to know a potential employer.
DAVID: And it's smart to assume that employers might use Facebook to check up on potential candidates. So once again, we can't stress the importance of controlling your privacy settings to limit what you want others to see.
ROBYN: You're right David, but don't scare them off! Facebook has the potential to radically change the way physicians interact with both their patients and each other. One day physicians might reach out to a Facebook physician group for advice on a specific case, or they could follow up with patients through a Facebook message or Facebook chat. Physicians could even connect with a future employer on Facebook.
DAVID: Facebook is certainly changing the way all of us interact, and it won't be any different for physicians.
ROBYN: There is definitely a learning curve though. We're all still figuring it out.
DAVID: That's true, but hopefully we've done a pretty good job of introducing the major social networking sites to physicians.
ROBYN: I hope so too, but the physicians can let us know by sending an email to info@MDsearch.com. They can also tell us what they would like to hear about on future podcasts.
DAVID: That's right. Just send an email to info@MDsearch.com and we'll be back in a few weeks. Thanks for listening to the MDsearch.com Physician Podcast.
