Just under three months ago, Austin Chiang, MD, assumed a newly created and rather unique leadership position — chief medical social media officer at Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health.
A prominent social media figure in the gastroenterology community, Dr. Chiang founded #VerifyHealthcare, an Instagram movement focused on improving transparency on social media. Here, he discusses his responsibilities as chief medical social media officer as well as how social media use can have both its ups and downs for healthcare professionals.
Question: What are your key responsibilities as chief medical social medical officer?
Dr. Austin Chiang: In this role, my goal is to increase clinician participation and engagement on social media. In my opinion, it is critical for health professionals to participate in online dialogue in their areas of expertise, or risk having inaccurate health information disseminated online unchecked. For individuals, there are some benefits to using social media that are often under-recognized such as networking with thought leaders in the field and staying up-to-date with journals that distribute their publications in a timely manner.
Q: What are the pros and cons of social media use for healthcare organizations?
AC: The benefits of social media vary by the type of healthcare organization. For hospitals, one major pro of a social media presence is showcasing the vast array of conditions that are treated, acknowledging the achievements of practitioners at the institution or their contributions to the community and raising awareness about appropriate health screening or other important updates like clinical trials that are enrolling patients. Because opinions about healthcare organizations can be freely expressed on social media, moderating and responding to feedback can be a potential challenge.
Q: What are some of your social media best practices?
AC: As a clinician often using social media as an educational tool, I feel strongly about helping my followers understand who I am and my qualifications for speaking on my area of expertise. When discussing new research findings, I provide appropriate references as well, so followers can access the primary literature if they so wish.
Q: What are some common social media missteps to avoid?
AC: I would encourage health professionals not to obsess with quantity of followers or likes. Ultimately, genuine engagement is the only engagement that matters, because those are the followers who actually care about and benefit most from your content. I would also remind everyone that interactions on social media, both public and private, are real interactions and must adhere to your institutional social media policies.