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SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO
MEDICINE MEDICINE

Benefits

of Social Media

for the Physician:

How Being on Social Media and YouTube
Can Help Supplement a Physician’s Practice

By Antonio Webb, MD

Internet and social media use has sky-rock- Lander et al, used the Pediatric Orthopaedic To create educational videos for To advance your passion practice. In addition, this newly generated traffic practice. Creating content on YouTube not
eted in the past 15 years. According to a Pew Society of North America (POSNA) direc- your patients Being on camera and producing video con- to your social media pages and/or website can only allows one to educate their patients, but
Study in 2005, 68% of American Adults used tory to review each active member's presence Some services offered by your practice tent allows you to speak more about what lead to higher patient reviews online. A recent also promote their medical practice because
the internet. In 2019, that number grew to on social media using an internet search. may be more complex than others. For ex- you are passionate about. Whether this is a study in the hand surgery literature showed that marketing is more effective when video is in-
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90%. In the same study, 80% of US internet Their study showed that of the 987 POSNA ample, with spine surgery medical proce- certain condition in your specialty or the lat- physicians with a personal website received volved. Sharing your videos on YouTube is an
users looked up health information online. members, 95% had a professional webpage, dures and conditions can be daunting and est technology in your field, creating content higher Healthgrades scores than those without easy way to highlight both your personality
That translates to 59% of the American adult but only 14.8% had a professional Facebook intimidating for a lot of patients. Condi- for YouTube allows you to share this excite- one . This demonstrates that physicians are ca- and expertise, making patients feel more com-
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population using the internet, with 13% of page, 2.2% a professional Twitter page, tions and procedures like isthmic spondy- ment with your viewers. Doing so shows your pable of impacting patient perceptions simply fortable putting their health in your hands.
them going online to find information about 36.8% a Linked-in profile, and 33% were on lolisthesis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal viewers and potential future patients that you by having a presence online. Therefore, if you’re not already on social media
their health condition. Also, 7% of all adults YouTube. This study suggested that Pediatric hyperostosis, diastematomyelia, or extreme may be passionate about that same condition or creating content for YouTube, it’s time to get
have used social media to gather healthcare Orthopedic Surgeons may be underutilizing lateral interbody fusion may be hard for pa- or technology that interests them. For professional education: in front of the camera to promote your prac-
information. their potential social media presence. tients to understand and follow, especially The use of social media and online, web- tice and share your passions with the world.
This staggering growth demonstrates the Video is one of the most powerful tools in when trying to explain them during short To build your brand and promote your based services has grown substantially during
changing times we are facing as physicians. In marketing. According to Google, 64% of and rushed office visits. Educational videos practice the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition to Dr. Antonio Webb is an Orthope-
the face of stifling competition, patients are consumers use video to research healthcare that explain certain conditions that are fo- If your medical practice marketing strategy online learning continues to be a necessity and dic Spine Surgeon located in San An-
more often seeking medical information and professionals (doctors, dentists, etc.) and cused on “pre” or “post” treatment instruc- doesn’t include video, it’s time to rethink your allows physicians, medical students and tonio, Texas with South Texas Spinal
providers online. This highlights the absolute 56% watch videos to learn about specific tion can be helpful for patients to approach. A physician can create educational trainees to attend courses, journal clubs, lec- Clinic, PA. He has a passion for
necessity of meeting the needs of our pa- health treatments or problems, such as den- understand their diagnosis and serve as a videos for YouTube on conditions related to tures, and other events that would not nor- videography and cinematography with 215,000
tients. Patients are searching online and on tal procedures or spinal ailments. YouTube is step-by-step guides to reference before and their specialty or create content relating to a sub- mally be accessible to them. In addition, there subscribers on YouTube and more than 25 mil-
social media sites to find information about one of the most popular social media sites in after an office visit. Sharing videos on ject they are passionate about, while also build- has been an explosion of social media accounts lion views. More information about Dr. Webb
their health conditions and to learn about the world with over 2 billion active users. It YouTube that detail the process from start- ing their brand and marketing their practice. by various orthopedic residency and fellowship can be found at www.antoniowebbmd.com or
the various treatment options; then they are is localized to more than 90 countries and is to-finish helps patients gain a better under- Unlike written content like blog posts, video lit- programs with content generation including www.youtube.com/antoniowebbmd. Dr. Webb is
seeking out providers for care. accessible in 80 different languages. YouTube standing, putting them at ease while also erally speaks to your target audience. A short discussions on interesting cases and dissemina- a member of the Bexar County Medical Society.
Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Insta- makes it possible to create and post videos bringing more patients into your practice. video explaining your thoughts on the recent in- tion of newly published research. Even after the
gram, Snapchat, TikTok or YouTube, most for all of the world to see. It is one of the These videos can be sent to patients as links fluenza outbreak, COVID vaccine, or a video of COVID pandemic settles, training programs REFERENCES
people are using at least 1-2 social media plat- most powerful social media sites because of to watch before their appointment, played you reacting to an NBA player's recent ankle and academic institutions will continue to use 1. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-
sheet/internet-broadband/
forms these days. A certain portion of these the ability of patients to see you before they during the office visit while they are waiting fracture, can go viral within minutes of upload social media and the online web to provide ac- 2. Lander ST, Sanders JO, Cook PC, O'Malley NT.
individuals are also using social media to come visit your practice. It’s the “try before to see you, and/or can be used as a reference thus bringing your name, brand, and practice to cess to educational content in a digital format. Social Media in Pediatric Orthopaedics. J Pediatr
Orthop. 2017;37(7):e436-e439. doi:10.1097/BPO.
market their business and, in the case of you buy” form of marketing that allows pa- by patients to review after their visit. By viewers all over the world. Promotional videos 0000000000001032
a. doi:10.1097/BPO.0000000000001032
physicians, marketing their practice with the tients to feel comfortable with you before doing this, patients can learn more about for your office can include office tours, meet the Summary 3. Hanauer DA, Zheng K, Singer DC, Gebremariam
use of professional social media pages and/or they even step foot in your office. Here are their condition or upcoming procedure and staff videos and patient reviews which can all Having a presence on social media, a profes- A, Davis MM. Public awareness, perception, and use
websites. However, a majority of physicians several reasons why every doctor should be therefore they can be more informed. give insight into your life as a physician and give sional website for your practice, and creating of online physician rating sites. JAMA.
2014;311:734–735.
lack an online presence. A study in 2017 by on social media, specifically YouTube. followers the opportunity to engage with your videos for YouTube can benefit a physician’s a. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.283194

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