Anesthesiologists need a social media presence — Here's why

Anesthesiologists can either become leaders in social media or get left behind, anesthesiologist Marjorie Stiegler, MD, said during a presentation at Anesthesiology 2018, Oct. 13-17 in San Francisco.

Anesthesia Business Consultants President and CEO Tony Mira shared five takeaways from Dr. Stiegler's presentation:

1. Physicians have an ethical obligation to provide accurate health information online to counteract prevalent misinformation. She showed results of a Google search regarding labor epidurals to emphasize why anesthesiologists must help dispel falsehoods.

2. A social media presence can help anesthesiologists improve patient education, raise awareness of a treatment or technique, build a personal brand, find a residency program match or recruit other physicians.

3. If nothing else, physicians should publish their bio on their organization's website, LinkedIn and Doximity, which are platforms that rank highly in search results.

4. Physicians should choose social platforms based on the target audience, use keywords deliberately, understand applicable federal and state laws and provide a disclaimer that online communication with patients is educational and not medical advice.

5. Mr. Mira advises physicians to consult with an attorney before developing a social media campaign and while implementing the strategy.

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