As the corporate world continues to benefit from social media’s powerful communication techniques, it’s not surprising that doctors and hospitals are now climbing aboard the bandwagon to create electronic footprints using similar technologies.

Recently, the Indianapolis Star featured a story in regards to the new wave of doctors who are embracing social media as an ideal tool for marketing and sharing health information. According to Keith Humes, CEO of Rosemont Media, sites such as Facebook are expanding opportunities for referrals:

Facebook is “the new word-of-mouth referral.” [It] allows us to take a half-step into the practice and get a feeling for what it is like.

Internist Dr. Kevin Pho agrees:

Gone are the days when people are going to look for doctors in the Yellow Pages. It’s really to a physician’s advantage to have a digital footprint. . . . I try to convince other doctors (that) you need to get online sooner rather than later.

This past November, The American Medical Association took a step forward in the movement toward online medical communication by publishing guidelines that assist in maintaining patient privacy laws and preserving the patient-physician relationship. Since then, practices and physicians have gradually begun to create an online presence.

Given the popularity and usability of social media in our society today, it almost seems foreign for medical practices not to have websites, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Not only does the technology help market the practice itself, but it provides patients with easily accessible information and can create a more efficient system for referrals, appointments and follow-ups.

On the flip side, it may seem perfectly rational that doctors maintain an offline status. After all, nourishing webpages and social media sites is a lot of upkeep. And, if there is one thing we do know, adding in time for facebook and twitter updates could be next to impossible for doctors who already work long hours as it is. The question that many practices and physicians are forced to examine is whether online medical communication is beneficial enough to increase office efficiency as well as patient care?

Slaughter Development’s 2011 Productivity Series has two upcoming sessions that examines process efficiency as well as productivity of social media. If you are a physician, medical assistant or work in a medical office, consider signing up for May’s session, ”Increase Productivity with Electronic Medical Records” or August’s session, “Social Media: Productive or a Waste of Time?” We guarantee the information will not only generate office efficiency and organization, but will open up time to focus on creating an online presence.