Health IT Social Media Primer

ENGAGING IN HEALTH CARE AND TECHNOLOGY CONVERSATIONS

Health IT Social Media Primer

www.HL7standards.com | @HealthStandards

HL7 Standards Team

Contact us: [email protected]

Jon Mertz, Editor @jonmertz

Chad Johnson, Managing Editor @OchoTex

Erica Olenski, Contributor @TheGr8Chalupa

Jeff Zinger, Contributor @jdzinger

Rob Brull, Contributor @robbrull

Special thanks to Austin Johansen.

© HL7 Standards, 2011. HL7 and Health Level Seven are registered trademarks of Health Level Seven International Reg. U.S. Pat & TM

Off. Use of HL7 copyrighted materials is governed by HL7 International’s IP Compliance Policy. For more information about the Health

Level Seven International organization, go to www.hl7.org.

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www.facebook.com/hl7standards

Contents

It’s All About the Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Garnering Trust and Providing Quality Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

You’re not alone! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Networking, Discussion and Content Dissemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Twitter: What is it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Start tweeting: What should I tweet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Facebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

LinkedIn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Stay Active! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Google+: What is Google+? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Content Creation and Information Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Blogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

YouTube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Healthcare Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Best Practices In Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

10 Steps to Get Started Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

It’s All About the ConversationHealth IT Social Media Primer

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONSocial media is one of the most profoundly important technological developments

in recent years, especially considering the speed at which today’s world moves.

We live in a world where the majority of people are frustrated by their computer’s

startup time, which usually averages only a minute or two. Nightly news has

evolved into a 24/7 stream of developing stories, information, facts and opinions.

As the world grows smaller and the ability for individuals to communicate and

connect through the Internet becomes more available, the potential for social

media in various settings grows exponentially.

Social media has the power to connect and inform on a global scale, in real-time.

It expedites the exchange of information between individuals while enabling

meaningful, personal and professional connections to occur.

This guide details the basic components of some of the most prominent social

media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and blogging. It

also provides usage tips for those interested in getting involved with social media.

Why is social media a player among traditional media sources?

Connection. Collaboration. Communication.

“We are headed back to an era where relationships matter and trust is key .”—Liza Sisler, Perficient (@lizasisler)

Social media allows health professionals to share best practices, ideas and experi-

ences with other professionals in various locations, essentially serving to raise the

education of all health IT professionals.

Garnering Trust and Providing Quality InformationThere are many varying opinions on social media’s impact, or rather potential

impact and value for the healthcare industry. HL7Standards.com polled readers

about their reactions to the use of social media at the annual Healthcare

Information Management Systems Society conference (HIMSS) in 2010, and

generated the following results:

While there are still those that see little potential or value in the use of social

media, the overwhelming majority sees social media as “the future of healthcare

IT,” or at least a valuable untapped resource.

KE Y S TAT

65% of people age 25-64 need to hear/read a message 3-5 times from experts and peers before it’s believed to be trueDave Fleet, Edelman Digital

“There is fantastic content being exchanged about patient care…There needs to be an equivalent level of fantastic content and exchanges by health IT professionals . . .they need to share more on their experiences, insights, and best practices .”Jon Mertz, HL7Standards .com (@jonmertz)


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There are numerous starting points to getting yourself involved in the flow of

information, but it all comes down to logging in and joining the conversation.

The ConversationThe field of healthcare IT is progressing and shifting with each new day and it’s

imperative that professionals within the industry stay informed and up-to-date.

There is a constant evolution of new practices and ideas, case studies, debates,

events, research and innovations within the industry, and social media enables this

communication to occur instantaneously.

New healthcare IT technologies like Personal Health Records (PHR) and Health

Information Exchanges (HIE) are connecting patient data electronically. The

professionals responsible for implementing these technologies, enabling work-

flows, and supporting continuous operations of the new applications should strive

to be similarly connected.

Connecting with colleagues, be it locally or internationally, also provides a

constant form of self-education in the field, keeping professionals updated within

their own areas of expertise.

“Social media enables us to engage customers, prospects and leaders in our industry with unparalleled access in both directions . Whether from Twitter, Facebook,

Quora or LinkedIn, there are meaningful and impactful conversations going on every day, at every hour . ”

Jeff Zinger, Contributor, HL7Standards .com (@jdzinger)

Just as it serves to benefit IT professionals by staying connected and informed, it

subsequently benefits the patients most of all — the ultimate goal. Professionals

should strive to provide their patients with the absolute best care possible, and

forming connections with expert opinions and information around your city, state

or the world can ultimately lead to the highest quality care for your patients.

Healthcare IT professional Erica Olenski explains the importance of social media

as a collaboration tool in the healthcare industry:

The Patient FactorJust as it’s important to be involved

in the social media world as an HIT

professional, the fact is that we are all patients. The best practices,

techniques and trends being

discussed online will ultimately go

to serving the very professionals

who discuss them, so it’s imperative

to discuss these practices where the

patients are, which means online.

The principles of connection,

collaboration and communication

relate to patients as well as profes-

sionals in social media, as the same

information serves to educate and

connect patients to industry trends

and healthcare info.

Public engagement will empower

the patient to make the safest and

healthiest decisions for their own

health, after discussion and rein-

forcement with friends, physicians

and health professionals alike.

“When patients can access their

data through portals and electronic

communication, their satisfaction

rises from the 10%s into the 80%’s

and 90%s.”

— Dr. Paul Grundy, Global Director

of Healthcare Transformation, IBM


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“Using social media to share that information is going to solve a lot of the issues we’re seeing in Health IT right

now . You have all these different ideas on how to connect our healthcare infrastructure . Social media provides a

sounding board for people to meet and have constructive conversations around those issues .”Erica V . Olenski, HL7Standards .com (@gr8chalupa)

Speaking particularly about @HealthStandards’ #HITsm chats on Twitter (Health

IT Social Media), the sharing of information via social media goes far beyond

Twitter. Informative blogs regularly post updates and new practices within the

industry, company YouTube pages might stream a lecture from an expert guest

speaker, all of which can be connected, disseminated and discussed through plat-

forms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The conversations are happening everywhere, and it’s time to get your voice out there.

You’re not alone!Diving into the rapidly expanding world of social media can be intimidating at

first, but you won’t be the first in your profession to do so and certainly won’t be the

last! In fact, as of June 2011, there are 1,188 hospitals in the U.S. operating 3,952 social

networking sites, according to Ed Bennett (@EdBennett), director of web strategy at

the University of Maryland Medical Center.

U.S. HOSPI TAL S T HAT USE SOCIAL NE T WORKING TOOL S

1,188 Hospitals total

548 YouTube Channels

1018 Facebook pages

788 Twitter Accounts

458 LinkedIn Accounts

913 Four Square

137 Blogs

3,952 Hospital Social

Networking Sites

Statistics courtesy of Ed Bennett:


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Networking, Discussion and Content Dissemination

NETWORKING, DISCUSSION AND CONTENT DISSEMINATION

Twitter: What is it?For a simple answer to what has become a loaded question, let’s turn to the words

of tech-geek superstars at Mashable.com:

Twitter is a “service for friends, family and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the

exchange of quick, frequent answers to the simple question: “What are you doing?”

Source: Mashable .com

You should notice the emphasis on the most important words in this description;

words which have become the essence of Twitter’s evolution.

Twitter has evolved to be much more than just a “micro-blog” of an individual’s

personal life. Today, it is a powerful tool with which individuals all over the world

can share links, discuss topics of interests using hashtags and Tweet chats (which

we’ll discuss later) and distribute interesting content from around the Internet in

a brief, instantaneous format.

Why should I be on Twitter?In a 2010 presentation at the Swedish Healthcare Symposium, a key point made by

Seattle Children’s Hospital pediatrician Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBe, FAAP, was

how intellectual property exists in healthcare and these voices have a lot to say. Social

media, Twitter in particular, is a fantastic channel through which these voices

from all angles can be heard.

“Twitter is the best platform we’ve come across so far for the healthcare IT space . It’s a very easy platform

for [people] to jump in and out of .”Erica Virginia Olenski, HL7Standards .com, (@gr8chalupa)

Participants in healthcare “Tweetchats” range from IT professionals to physicians

to a stay-at-home mom patient sharing a testimonial. Everyone has a voice and

every voice matters.

“We can change the world by contributing, by sharing and by joining the conversation… .”Wendy Sue Swanson (@SeattleMamaDoc)


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In order to stay on top of one’s field as a healthcare IT professional, it’s important

to hear these voices and ensure that you’re up-to-date on the latest news, prac-

tices, innovations and discussions being exchanged throughout the HIT networks.

Again, professional involvement in social media is all about connection, collaboration

and communication, and Twitter provides an instantaneous form of self-education

for the healthcare IT professional.

What do I need to know?Below is a brief description of the most important and commonly used terms on

Twitter to help you get acquainted with Twitter lingo:

Customize profile

Users can personalize their Twitter page by adding a background image and

personal profile information, including a link to your website.

Click “Profile” at the top of the page, then choose “Edit Profile.”

* Your info will appear in keyword searches, so feel free to target your own

personal interests.

Direct Message (DM)

A private message to any user that will not appear in your public feed, sent to

another user’s inbox.

To send a DM, choose the “Messages” tab and search for the user or click the enve-

lope icon on the user’s profile page.

* You can only DM users who follow your twitter account. You can change your account

settings to allow DMs sent to you to appear in your timeline.

Find people

Search for Twitter users to help grow your network.

Choose “Who to Follow” at the top of page and a list of recommended Twitter

accounts will appear. You can also search for users by name or topics of interest.


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Follow

By following a Twitter account, their tweets will appear in your homepage time-

line. The user will also be added to your “Who I Follow” list on your Twitter page.

Find any user you’d like to follow and choose the “Follow” button above their

timeline.

*To unfollow a Twitter account, move your curser over the green “Following” button,

wait until the button changes to “Unfollow,” then click the button.

Geo-tagging

Allows you to post the location of your Tweet, determined by a GPS phone signal.

After typing a tweet, click the “Add Your Location” option in settings to add a loca-

tion to every tweet. If you enable the location function to your account, you can

search for users who are tweeting near your location.

Hashtag

Hashtags are the “#” symbol typed at the beginning of keywords or phrases.

Using hashtags makes the keywords that follow them easily searchable using

the Search function.

Type the “#” sign before any keyword/phrase and it will become searchable.

*Helps to search for topical tweets, online conversations (e.g., Tweetchats)

or users to follow. The current most-used hashtags are often listed under

“Trending Topics” on your Twitter page.

Link shortener

A tool to shorten URLs within a tweet. Twitter’s 140-character limit is restric-

tive, so it is almost always beneficial to shorten Web links. For example, this blog

post URL from HL7Standards.com is 147 characters — too long to tweet: http://

www.hl7standards.com/blog/2011/07/27/a-view-from-the-cloud-are-privacy-

and-transparency-on-a-collision-course-or-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/.

Here is the same link after being shortened using a link-shortening tool:

http://bit.ly/ongiY5.

There are several social media applications (e.g., HootSuite, TweetDeck) that

automatically shrink URLs and third-party link-shortening websites (e.g.,Bit.ly,

Tiny URL, Ow.ly/Ht.ly).

*Twitter recently introduced its own link-shortening service. Simply insert your link into

the “What’s Happening” box and it will be shortened after tweeting.

“The evolution of Twitter as a powerful communications tool has been incredible to witness . The way hashtags and URL shorteners are used has made Twitter an outstanding tool for learning, relationship building and mass collaboration .”Jeff Zinger, HL7Standards .com , (@jdzinger)


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Lists

The ability to organize users you follow into groups.

To create a list, choose the “Lists” tab, followed by “Create a List.” Name the list

and provide any additional information, if needed. To add users to the list, from

any user’s Twitter page, choose the “Add User to List” option, then select the group

to which you’d like to add the user.

*Visit Listorious.com to search for lists organized by keyword. HIMSS and RSNA

release excellent healthcare lists after every conference and trade show.

Mention

Notify and mention another user within a tweet.

While composing a tweet, type “@” followed by any user’s name you would like to

mention. Doing so will display your tweet in the mentioned user’s feed in addition

to your own feed, and the message will become public.

Replying to another user’s Tweet will also mention their account. To reply to a

tweet, hover over the tweet you’d like to reply to, click “Reply” and the user will be

inserted into your tweet.

Retweet (RT)

A way to share a tweet from another user to all of your followers, allowing you

to quickly disseminate interesting content.

Hover over the desired tweet, click “Retweet” or type “RT” before mentioning a

user, then copy and paste the message you wish to share.

*Twitter allows you to RT without any edits to the original tweet, or you can

choose “quote RT” and add extra hashtags or comments to the tweet.

Search

You can find other users and tweets on any topic based on search keywords.

In the Search field at top of page, type and enter a keyword or phrase. Tweets

and/or users that match your keywords will appear in a real-time, updating list.

Tweet

A short, 140-character message that once “Tweeted” will post on your feed

and on your followers’ timeline.

Simply type your message in the box underneath “What’s Happening?” and

press “Tweet.”


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Getting Started Now that you have some of the basic terminology, let’s discuss setting up your

Twitter account.

Remember the Type of Profile You’re CreatingIf you’re creating an account solely for personal enjoyment and interaction, that’s

great! But, if you’re going to use your account for professional reasons or to repre-

sent your place of business, it’s important to remember that your actions will be

seen as representative of your organization. Everything you tweet and retweet,

links you post, people you follow and information you post serve to create your

own personal brand. Always keep that in mind.

This very principle is also the beauty of Twitter; a professional account doesn’t

need to be void of personalization. Love cooking? Include that tidbit in your profile

information. The fun of using Twitter professionally is finding like-minded indi-

viduals in your field of interest that might share other interests as well; including

personal interests will help other users with similar interests connect with you

on Twitter. This serves to create deeper connections within your social network.

While discussing the healthcare industry with similar healthcare IT professionals,

you can relate on a deeper level than just on topics related to your profession.

Friendly connection breeds trust, trust fosters engagement and can serve to legiti-

mize the information you share.

Just remember: when you’re involved in social networking, you are your own brand.

Create a ProfileThis is the easy part. Simply visit Twitter.com and get started. Create a unique

username that you feel represents you well and begin to create your profile (see

Customize Profile above for more information).

Upload a background image for your homepage, set your profile picture (a simple

headshot is perfect) and complete your profile info. (Remember keywords! Letting

other users know you’re interested in healthcare IT, basketball, your alma mater,

etc., will aid in their search for similar users.).

If you feel comfortable, include your location so users in the same city or region

can find you easily.

It’s imperative to check your company’s social media policies when creating your accounts, which may include guidelines for content creation, commenting and blog participation .

Mayo Clinic has a detailed employees’ social media policy available for reference .

Include in your profile just to be safe:

“Views expressed are my own

and not those of my employer”


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Start to Follow PeopleWho should you follow? With millions of users on Twitter, it can be daunting to

develop your list of people to follow, but there are plenty of resources to help you

find users worth following. (See HL7 Standards #HITsm Top 10 Influential HIT

Twitter Accounts, page 36.)

The HL7 Standards blog collects the most influential Twitter users in the health-

care IT world within the #HITsm awards each year (healthcare IT social media). To

quote HL7 Standards, the honored users “comprise significant voices—individual

or organizations—involved in development of and commentary on healthcare

standards, policy, current events and debates defining healthcare IT.”

Additionally, the influencers are organized by overall “Klout” score. Klout is an

internet tool that measures social media influence across one’s personal social

media accounts. So, you can be assured that the chosen users are currently active

and influential in the healthcare IT community.

HL7 Standards Team@JonMertz — Editor of HL7Standards.com

@OchoTex — Managing editor of HL7Standards.com

@jdzinger —Health care blogger and social media contributor

@robbrull — Health care blogger and social media contributor

@TheGr8Chalupa — HL7Standards.com and #HITsm Tweetchat contributor

@HIT_Sonal — Health care blogger and social media contributor

@RealWorldHL7 — Health care blogger

KLOU T SCORE S

Klout is an internet tool that measures social media users media influence across personal accounts.

“Twitter analytics take into account metrics such as retweets, follower counts, list memberships and unique mentions…[Klout] will pull in data such as likes, comments and your friendship network in order to determine your influence on Facebook.” Mashable Measuring influence on a scale of 1 to 100, you can be assured that the chosen users with the highest Klout scores are currently active and influential in the HIT community.


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Search for Popular HIT HashtagsTo make the process of searching for Health IT hashtags more organized and

less daunting, the team at Symplur compiled commonly used healthcare-related

hashtags and Tweetchats into a list titled, “Healthcare Hashtag Project.” This

project is a fantastic resource for any level of Twitter user and worth a simple

bookmark so you can keep updated on all things Health IT.

Commonly used healthcare IT hashtags:

Hashtag Definition

#HIT Healthcare Information Technology

#HITsm Health IT Social Media

#EHR Electronic Health Record

#EMR Electronic Medical Record

#PHR Personal Health Record

#MU Meaningful Use

#healthIT Health Information Technology

#healthcare Health care (general topics about patient care)

#hcsm Health Care Social Media (more physician and patient-centered)

#hcsmeu Health Care Social Media EU

#hcsmca Health Care Social Media Canada

#MDchat Physician Chat

#hcxns Healthcare Connections (healthcare integration topics)

#mHealth Mobile Health

Observe and Participate in a #HIT Tweetchat:Tweetchats are exactly what they sound like: users congregate at a scheduled time,

from anywhere in the world, and participate in a discussion on a specific topic by

Tweeting messages that contain a particular hashtag. Tweetchat.com conveniently

compiles Tweets with any individual hashtag and displays them in a real-time

refreshing list, making the conversation simple and easy to follow.

Do yourself a favor and start with #HITsm: Healthcare IT Social Media

CRI T ERIA FOR HL7 S TANDARDS’ ANNUAL #HI T SM AWARDS

Must understand HIT

community and actively

participate in HIT

conversation using social

media tools

Creates and/or retweets

quality relevant content

Engages with a noteworthy

network of professionals and

organizations

Encourages healthcare IT

professionals to engage in

social media discussions


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HL7 Standards (@HealthStandards) hosts a weekly chat using hashtag #HITsm for

patients, physicians and healthcare professionals to discuss industry trends and

how social media influences the outcomes of those initiatives.

Recognizing that a void existed between the broadcasters and consumers of

healthcare IT news, the HL7Standards.com team created the #HITsm hashtag to

generate more discussions among healthcare professionals. Since its beginning in

November 2010, #HITsm has seen a significant growth in participation.

Fox ePractice provides extensive statistics about the #HITsm chats, as well as

many others, including related hashtags, transcripts of past chats, most influential

members in the chat, and much more.

Start tweeting: What should I tweet?Great question! Quality content is essential in garnering trust and interest from

other users in the Twitter HIT community. Losing sight of this can lead to Twitter

feeds full of mundane tweets and outings broadcast to followers who will grow

tired of hearing about what you’re having for lunch.

HL7Standards.com contributor Erica Olenski summarized the direction of a solid

Twitter account in an interesting and unique metaphor, as part of a presentation at

the HIMSS ‘11 Conference in Orlando, in which she compared the management of

a Twitter account to managing a radio station.

As the manager of your own account, it’s important to maintain focus on building

relationships with listeners by facilitating respectful and informed conversations;

making an extra effort to interact and follow-up with other users. Think about

how a radio DJ takes calls to the station; he or she doesn’t merely rely on their own

opinions to direct the show, but instead welcomes the audience to voice their own

opinions. This serves to stimulate an honest exchange of information and opinions,

just as your tweets should.

Utilize your own personality traits in conversation! Just like in a face-to-face

conversation, a speaker is much more interesting when they’re passionate and

genuine about his or her position. Keep your content relevant and logical, but don’t be

afraid to let your own passion impact your approach. No one likes to talk to a robot.

In the presentation entitled “Twitter Created the New Radio Star,” Olenski explained that a Twitter “deejay” should serve to provide relevant information to listeners, just as a radio DJ is entrusted to entertain his or her audience with stimulating, meaningful conversation or audience-pleasing music selections . The DJ must have a firm understanding of his or her audience to stay relevant and captivating .


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An #HITsm testimonial from Nate Osit, HIT professional at Forerun SystemsAn individual passionate about the goings on within his industry, Nate found the resources within the

#HITsm community tremendously helpful in keeping him informed and on top of healthcare trends (see

Nate’s full testimonial).

His primary interest is the “wide spectrum of participation” within the #HITsm community, which includes “devel-

opers, health IT support staff, healthcare communicators, providers and policy analysts.” With a plethora of perspectives from

which to gather information, the #HITsm community provided him with the following high-value resources:

Technical—“Being able to find concise, reliable information is crucial …searching the web is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.”

Informational—“There is always a lot of discussion around how HIT initiatives will affect the quality of patient care …a vital

part of cultivating a real passion for Health IT.”

Sense of Community—“In the world of health IT, the sheer volume of new information involved can be overwhelming …only

when we come together do we become capable of reaching our full potential.”

Nate continues by emphasizing the importance of communication within the healthcare industry. To ensure the advancement of

the healthcare industry is a collaborative effort, it is essential to communicate ideas and participate in dialogue, regardless of the

participant’s background or specialty. Healthcare professionals like Nate are discovering the collaborative value of discussions like

#HITsm and their ability to connect with individuals from all facets of HIT, for the betterment of the industry as a whole.

“ #HITsm helps bring all these elements together into one coherent, engaging community based on openness, support, and

innovation.”

“ I believe we get a weekly snapshot of the industry in motion….I think it’s important to step back and see how the work you do

fits into an overall system, and #HITsm helps connect these disparate elements.”

Source: HL7standards.com


Keep these points in mind when generating your own Twitter content:

Stay relevant and familiar to your audience with topical content.

Reflect a true understanding of the community (stay informed).

Become actively involved in conversations within the industry.

Olenski notes that while there are a multitude of voices broadcasting from the

clinical side of the healthcare industry, there are far fewer accounts representing HIT

professionals and CIOs. Twitter allows these underrepresented groups to facilitate

conversations about the dramatic changes happening in the healthcare industry.

Subsequently, those participating in conversations will be exposed to innovative

ideas , become more informed, and ultimately help stimulate the advancement of

the industry as a whole.

Your voice matters! Start tweeting!


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Facebook

“A social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with friends, family and co-workers .

The company develops technology that facilitates sharing of information through the social graph: the digital mapping of peoples’ real-world social connections .

Billian’s Health Data/Porter Research: Social Media Strategy for Healthcare Vendors

With more total registered users than any other platform with more than 800

million, Facebook has enjoyed a meteoric rise as one of the most recognizable

social media platforms in the world. Here are some fun facts about Facebook to

show how their influence continues to grow:

·More than 58 million active users

·Growth increases 3% each week and is doubling every six months

·250,000 new registrations every day

Why should I be on Facebook?As an individual on Facebook, you’re linking a face and a profile to your social

media activity. As a healthcare professional, you have the opportunity to access

and share information from over 800 million users — a massive population from

which to draw opinions and hold discussions.

Many companies maintain a Facebook page because customers tend to presume

companies will have a Facebook presence, while others maintain a Facebook page

for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

While companies like Billian’s note that they haven’t found Facebook pages to

be as beneficial as Twitter or LinkedIn, it still remains an important platform

to promote a company’s presence. At industry events such as the HIMSS trade

show, vendors and professionals alike can be directed to a company’s Facebook

page where photos, videos and links promoting the company’s products can be

displayed.

Facebook remains a vital facet of the social media universe because informa-

tion found on Facebook can easily be spread via other platforms, such as Twitter.

Furthermore, the simple “Like” button on a Facebook page exponentially increases

viral exposure of a company brand. Any user or company that “likes” your page,

comments or posts information will automatically display a message, “[user]

Likes Corepoint Health,” for example. As a friend sees that another has “liked” a

SEO?

Search Engine Optimization

(SEO) is the strategy behind

companies positioning

themselves as the top

returned search item on

relevant topics searched by

their target market using

Google, Bing or other search

engines.

Positioning is improved

through the use of popularly-

searched keywords, phrases

and topics.


14



page or link, he or she might be more intrigued to discover the page or information

for themselves.

Finding Other Professionals on FacebookGroups

Groups are a great for like-minded Facebook users to share information, links,

opinions, comments, discussions and wall posts on a single page that can be

seen by all members of the group. This makes information dispersal simpler

than having to post the same link, for example, on each member’s personal

page. All members of the group are simultaneously notified when a new post

has been posted on the group page.

Before you join or create a group, it’s important to understand the differences

between various group privacy policies. Some groups allow anyone to join,

while others will limit membership exclusively to their company or organiza-

tion’s members.

TYPES VISIBILITY MEMBERSHIP

Open (Public) Anyone Can See These Groups Anyone Can Join These Groups

ClosedAnyone can see the group’s existence

on Facebook, but only current members can see posts on the group’s wall

Group administrators must invite new members or approve requests made

by outsiders interested in joining the group

SecretCannot be seen by outside users, also not displayed

on group members’ profilesInvitation only. No one can send requests

to join these groups

HIT Groups to Consider Joining on Facebook · IHI Patient Activists’ Page

·ARRA, HITECH, Meaningful Use Discussions Group


15



PagesUnlike a Facebook group, which can be created and comprised of any individual

with a Facebook account, pages are available for organizations, including health-

care vendors such as Corepoint Health, Perficient and Microsoft HealthVault ,

which maintain company pages of their own. This is where a company will usually

promote their products and services, supplemented with pictures, videos, as well

as links and discussions on the page’s wall.

Additionally, RSS subscriptions can be installed on company Facebook pages, allowing

users to receive updates from the page in real time. Visit HL7 Standards’ Facebook page

to get an idea of how an HIT page can be maintained and structured.

Pages are valuable to companies due to their ability to monitor traffic and page

insights, providing a quantifiable measurement of the influence that various posts

are making around Facebook. For example, if a new video explaining how to use

a company product is posted, page administrators can easily monitor how many

times the video is being viewed and what type of users are viewing it; they then

can use this information to shape content in future posts.

View the professional Facebook pages below to see how various healthcare-related

organizations maintain and utilize a Facebook profile:

Professional Organizations:

·Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

·Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

·Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) American Health Information

Management Association (AHIMA)

·Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA)

Government Organizations:

·Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

·Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Providers:

·Mayo Clinic

·Cleveland Clinic

·The New England Journal of Medicine

·Health Care Social Media Silicon Valley

R SS

Originally “RDF Site

Summary”, RSS is frequently

defined as “Really Simple

Syndication;” a web feed

format used to organize

frequently updated content,

such as blogs, news, video

and audio posts. With

an RSS tool like Google

Reader or Feed Burner, after

subscribing to a blog/site’s

RSS feed, updated posts will

automatically appear in the

web reader in a standardized

format. This format makes

content aggregation very

convenient and highly

organized, with all of your

favorite blogs and RSS feeds

in one location.


16



Posting a Comment on FacebookYou can leave a comment under any post on a Facebook page by choosing “comment”

(or “like” for a much simpler gesture) and typing your comments. Facebook will

automatically notify you if anyone leaves a comment in response to yours.

Many Facebook pages also have discussion boards, in which various topics of

discussion will appear in a list, like any average Internet forum. Discussion boards

function similarly to simply posting comments in that after you’ve posted a

comment to a discussion thread, you’ll be automatically notified of any posts that

follow yours.

If you don’t feel like posting a status of your own right away, browse through your

Facebook pages of interest for ongoing conversations on the discussion board and

see if there’s any that interest you enough to make a contribution.

Creating your Own Facebook AccountFacebook is a much more personal platform within the social media universe, as

it tends to feature your personal information including a profile picture, interests,

favorite activities, music, movies and a list of your friends and family. Facebook

allows you to keep many of these items private, hidden from those users you don’t

wish to show, but your Facebook account is nonetheless the “face” of your social

media universe.

This personal touch goes a long way in your engagement and relationships with

other social media users. As referenced earlier, Perficient’s Liza Sisler astutely

explained the importance of personal trust in gathering, understanding and

learning from the volume of healthcare industry information:

“We are headed back to an era where relationships matter and trust is key .”

Liza Sisler, Perficient

Think of whose opinion you trust most in a discussion — a complete stranger, or

a friend with whom you’ve interacted and have a deeper understanding of their

motivations, opinions and biases? You’ll obviously place more trust in informa-

tion given by a friend, as you more readily trust their judgment based on past

interactions.

As you begin to create and disseminate your own healthcare information and take

part in discussions, those listening will likely want more insight into your person-

ality and personal attributes to get a more rounded perception of the professional


17



they’re listening to. Once they know you’re more dynamic and personable than a

simple screen name or avatar, it’s much easier to trust, engage and learn with you.

That being said, a balance of personality and professionalism should be main-

tained in your social media accounts, just as in an office environment. Kelly Young

(@rawarrior), a member of the External Advisory Board for the Mayo Clinic Center

for Social Media, outlined a few tips for new Facebook users to ensure the greatest

value from your new account, while keeping in mind the professionalism that you

should exhibit in your posts.

Authenticity

·Using a simple, pleasant profile picture will put a human face on your social media

activity

·Keep your personal information limited, but genuine. Don’t reveal everything, but

don’t fabricate

Professionalism

·Keep your status updates free of swearing, spam and inappropriate content

·Keep your audience in mind when generating content, as if they’re in the office

with you

Generosity

·Be courteous and kind with your comments and discussion

·Respond in kind as people ask questions and post on your wall

Accessibility

·Connect your Facebook page to your Twitter account, blog or website. This will

make all of your information more accessible and interconnected for your readers

and followers

Reward Contributors

·This attribute coincides with generosity, as certain users consistently comment

and contribute to your discussions and wall posts. Offer a simple “Thank you” and

acknowledge their effort. This is especially true for those who disseminate your

original content, on Twitter or Facebook


18



LinkedIn

“LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 100 million members and growing rapidly . It connects you to your trusted contacts and helps

exchange knowledge, ideas and opportunities with a broader network of professionals .”

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another invaluable tool to stay connected with other healthcare

professionals and remain engaged in the latest industry discussions. Whereas

Facebook is the world’s largest social media network, LinkedIn focuses more heavily

on creating professional networks, allowing individuals within an industry to find

and connect with peers.

LinkedIn also differs from Facebook in its focus on professional experience

and credentials, rather than personal information such as friends and family.

This proves very advantageous to consumers and patients when verifying the

credentials of a possible connection or content generator. It also allows other

professionals to further understand past work experience and accolades that an

individual has earned. As others view your profile, they’ll basically see a virtual

resume and your current activity and connections within the industry.

Steps to Get StartedCreate a profile

·Name and Location

· Job Title and Industry

·Past job experience

–Feel free to copy and paste from your resume

–Use industry keywords in your job descriptions to improve your profile’s

search results

· Include a professional headshot

–LinkedIn doesn’t accept logos or graphics, use a simple picture for your profile

· Include Websites

–Feel free to share your company’s Website, blog, Twitter and/or Facebook

accounts


19



Building your NetworkLinkedIn is unique in that you can’t necessarily connect with anyone. In fact, if

you send connection requests to over 5 people that respond with an “I don’t know

you,” your account can be suspended. LinkedIn is intended for genuine, profes-

sional connections between users, creating smaller, more intimate networks

rather than expansive, impersonal ones.

Start building your network from people you already know: family, friends,

co-workers, or browse by location, company or school. After you’ve connected

with your closest associates, you’ll see a “1st” icon appear next to their name in

your list of connections. This is because they’re in your “1st degree of connections,”

as you chose to reach out and connect with them yourself.

The Degrees of Connections on LinkedIn1st degree (Friend)

These are individuals you chose to connect to and are in your immediate network.

2nd degree (Friend of a friend)

Contacts of one of your 1st-degree connections. These individuals can be intro-

duced to you via your 1st degree connection.

3rd degree (Friend of a friend of a friend)

Contact of a 2nd-degree connection. These individuals can be introduced to you,

but it requires an extra step of connection.

“LinkedIn groups allow you to quickly discover the most popular discussions in your professional groups… . Follow the most influential people in your group by checking the Top Influencers board… . See both member-generated discussions and news in one setting .”LinkedIn


20



Interacting and Connecting with OthersAfter you’ve developed a small network of known associates, a big step in expanding

your network involves finding groups that interest you. These are similar to

Facebook groups, in that they are comprised of like-minded users who desire to

connect and interact with other individuals in their industry.

Since LinkedIn focuses on the professional user, you can be sure that many

members of each group will be knowledgeable in the profession and can serve as

a valuable education resource, as well as a possible connection for future career

endeavors.

LinkedIn Group TypesOpen Members-Only

Everyone can see current discussionsDiscussion visibility is limited

to members only

Indexed by search engines No search indexing

Sharing with Facebook and Twitter No Facebook/Twitter sharing

Any LinkedIn user can contribute to discussion

Discussion is limited in contribution

Finding GroupsMany groups are searchable at the top of the LinkedIn page in the search bar, listed

by industry, location or group name. After finding a group, get involved by intro-

ducing yourself in an ongoing discussion thread and offering a genuine opinion. If

you’d prefer not to get involved right away, you can choose to “follow” discussions

that interest you, and you’ll be updated with the new posts within the group’s

discussions. If you choose to contribute to a discussion, you’ll automatically be

following the thread.


21



Below is a list of influential healthcare groups on LinkedIn and a short profile of each:

HIMSS Group Page

Constructive and stimulating discussion regarding optimal use of HIT and

management systems for the betterment of healthcare worldwide. The goal

of the discussions forum and subgroups is to lead change in HIT and the

management systems field through knowledge sharing and communications

among professionals.

Current members: 48,328

#HITsm Group Page

A forum for HIT professionals to discuss HIT industry trends, events, and how

social media can influence outcomes.

Current members: 70

This group is very discussion-heavy and would be a great place to introduce

yourself and participate in some industry discussions.


22



Health 2 .0 Group Page

“ Creating the future of healthcare.” Focuses on the value of healthcare by finding

new ways to empower physicians, patients, providers and payers.


#hcsm Group Page

Health Communications and Social Media. “Interested in healthcare commu-

nications and social media. Members can be doctors, students, lawyers,

marketers, hospital employees, PR professionals” There is a great deal of different

voices in these group’s discussions.

*Holds a Tweetchat every Sunday at 8:00pm CT

Current members: 383

Health Level 7 Group Page


Posting a Comment on LinkedInLinkedIn’s commenting is very similar to Facebook’s commenting feature, but is

much more focused on the discussion aspect of comment threads. The front page

of groups and organizations on LinkedIn features a “discussions” tab, in which

the most popular discussions are listed, ranked by the total number of responses

within the thread.

Browse through your LinkedIn page’s discussions and observe how comment

threads f low and function. If you have a question of your own you’d like to

open for discussion, post your own comment at the top of the group’s page and

click “share.” Taking part in discussions is a great way to get your feet wet with

LinkedIn and familiarize yourself with the types of interactions and connections

that take place.

Other Ways to Get InvolvedQ&A

LinkedIn’s questions and answers sections functions similarly to Yahoo!

Questions. Anyone can post a question directed to industry professionals and

receive their responses. Q&A is a great source to start or to observe industry

discussions, gathering opinions from a wide variety of healthcare profes-

sionals. Answering questions genuinely and enthusiastically will also build

your reputation as industry professionals see your profile more and more in

discussions.

Commenting: The most basic starting pointGenerating your own content on

any social media platform can be

intimidating in the beginning, but

there’s no need to feel immediate

pressure to start pumping out blog

posts, Tweets and status updates

right away.

After creating the foundation for

your various accounts, it can be

much more comfortable, as well

as informative, to visit the pages

and accounts of organizations and

groups you’d potentially like to be

involved with, browse their sites

and see how they manage their

accounts. If you find a post or article

that you particularly enjoy, feel free

to leave a comment!

Commenting is a great stepping

stone to developing a presence in

the social media universe. You’ll

also begin to find different blogs

to keep track of, professionals

to follow and discussions to take

part in. Leaving a comment can

be a simple yet powerful gesture

to show your appreciation to a

contributor or author; they’ll surely

appreciate your words as well.

Check each social media platform’s

sub-section about “commenting” to

learn more about how you can leave

a few words of your own.


23



Recommendations

LinkedIn allows you to recommend or be recommended by past and present

employers, co-workers, friends or associates, like a virtual letter of recommen-

dation. This proves highly valuable to employers viewing your profile if they

can see kind words and praises directly from the individual alongside your

resume of work experience. You can also view other professionals’ recommen-

dations if you’re interested in seeing what others in the industry have to say

about a given individual.

Introductions

If there is a user outside of your personal network who you’d like to connect

with, you can ask to be “introduced” by one of your 1st-degree connections.

This will send a notification to your 1st-degree connection, whereupon they

can choose to send a message to your prospective connection.

You may be interested in learning more about a prospective connection before

asking to be introduced. In this case, check their profile websites for a link to

their current company, blog, Twitter or Facebook account.

Stay Active!Letting your profile sit idle and unused will lead to a loss of credibility in your

network of connections as a social media influencer. Furthermore, LinkedIn

is an invaluable resource for all three key steps: connection, communication

and engagement. The vast amount of networking resources and industry

connections that take place within LinkedIn cannot be overstated; staying active

on your profile is essential to getting the most value out of an account.

“Not staying updated and logged in is like going to a networking event and sitting outside in your car .”

Kimberly A . Callahan, “LinkedIn Beginner’s Guide”


24


What is Google+?Google+ is similar to Facebook in its visual layout and utility for connecting with

friends, family and businesses. It also includes its own social search engine at the

top of the home page, allowing a user to search for content by topic and keywords,

much like Twitter’s hashtags.

However, Google’s recent debut of “Search, plus Your World” that cemented this

social network as unlike any other.

Why Google+?The #1 most popular search engine in the world belongs to Google, and the most

popular source for video content belongs to YouTube (owned by Google). Therefore,

any social network seamlessly connected to both information juggernauts has a

major leg up on the competitors. Content created and shared on Facebook or Twitter

is only searchable through those sites directly, rather than appearing in Google

search results. The major advantage here is that only content posted and shared

on Google+ is search indexed by Google, the world’s first stop for new information.

“Search, plus Your World” melds Google+ with the main search engine, allowing

search results to be personalized around one’s social network. Basically, when

you’re logged into Google+ while using Google search, the search results will

reflect content shared by yourself and those in your Circles, instantly promoting

the rankings of content in which you’ve shown social interest.

The goal behind this is to make search results more personalized, filtering through

unknown sources to promote ones more heavily shared by your personal social

network. As you include more people in your Circles, share their content or post

your own, your search results will be more closely shaped to these shared inter-

ests. This seamless connection between Google’s social network and its search

results holds a great value to both individuals and businesses alike.

Content on Google+ can be more aesthetically pleasing than content shared on

Facebook and Twitter. You have the ability to post high-resolution photos and

videos, and posts aren’t limited to 140 characters.


“I foresee Google+, in the long run, engaging a much larger audience than Facebook because of how it is structured . We all wear different hats in our daily life, and Google+ allows you to wear those hats and have more control over your relationships .”Erica Olenski, Corepoint Health, HL7 Standards


25



Google+ FeaturesThe basic groundwork contains a few distinct features:

Profile

The Google+ profile follows the same pattern of most social networking profile

pages in its structure. However, information in your profile is search indexed

by Google just like the content in your news feed. Make your personal profile

robust and honest, in order to make the content more searchable and acces-

sible to other users. Due to their connection with search rankings, certain

aspects of your “About” section are more important to focus on:

Career: Your job description will show up next to your name and profile picture

thumbnail as people search for your name on Google, so make sure the words

are clear, descriptive and concise.

Introduction: The first 55 characters of your Introduction are search indexed,

so choose these words wisely. Use plenty of searchable keywords to direct like-

minded users to your profile.

Recommended Links: The first 3 links under “Recommended” and “Contributor

To” on the right side of your profile will be promoted in search rankings to

people in your social network. If you’d like to promote your company’s home

site or a personal blog, include those links here.

Circles

The Google+ “Circles” feature is what sets it apart from being “just another

Facebook.” When you connect with another individual on Google+, you will be

prompted to add them to a “circle.” These can be custom-named (other users

cannot see the names of your circles) and each friend can be in more than one

group.

The biggest complaint of Facebook and Twitter seems to be the forced dissemi-

nation of all of your posts as nearly 100 percent public. While Facebook allows

for filters to be placed, it still depends on having several groups of friends

already established in lists. Google+ found its solution in “Circles”, allowing

users to share posts with specific circles or all their friends at once.

Sparks

This feature highlights Google’s utilization of its search engine foundation.

“Sparks” allow a user to search for content being shared by keywords and

topics, providing an easy place to browse interesting content to share with

friends. As you add interests to your profile, “Sparks” search results will

become more personalized and easier to access.

10 million users had registered for accounts . 1 billion items are shared per day . The +1 button is hit 2 .3 billion times per day .Larry Page, Google CEO


26



Hangouts

This is Google+’s revolutionary group video chat feature in which you can

hold a video conversation via webcam with up to 10 friends. Facebook’s recent

partnership with Skype is a venture to include one-on-one video chat in the

Facebook repertoire, but the group environment video feature belongs entirely

to Google+. This feature shows tremendous value for businesses both inter-

nally and externally, from virtual project team conferences to an instructional

“how-to” session for a new company product.

“Hangouts with Extras” is an additional feature to Hangouts, currently in a

preview phase, which can be accessed after opening a new Hangout. “Extras”

allows for integration with Google Docs, Notes, Sketchpad, screen sharing, and

the ability to watch YouTube videos with another user. This has the ability to

turn a Hangout into a virtual conference room.

+1 Button

This button can be compared most easily to Facebook’s “like” button. When

a shared photo, article or video clip interests you, press the +1 button that

appears next to it and it will appear in the “+1” section of your profile page.

Items that you +1 serve to personalize future searches on Google and display

the type of information you enjoy to your circles of friends. As more of your

content is +1’d by people in your circles, you will appear much higher as a

source in their Google search results.

Time to Get PersonalTo get the most value out of Google+, it’s important to make your profile a snapshot

and sounding board of your personal interests, more so than a steady stream of

business articles, marketing material, self-promotion, etc. Potential connections

will search for and find your content based on their own interests, both personal

and professional, but the fact is that people like to do business with people, not

corporate robots. A Google+ profile allows you to add more humanity to your

social media presence, round out the perception of your company/organization,

and harvest trust from your social network.

“The more people can feel that they understand who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in, the more

than can identify with you .” Chris Brogan

“Google+ is attempting to become the one-stop shop not only for sharing content, but for finding it as well . In some ways, it reminds us of Twitter and its mission to become an information network, and “instantly connect people everywhere to what’s most important to them .”Mashable


27



Gaining a FollowingSharing your content is about more than how many people you have in your

circles; the most important number is how many people have you in their circles.

Being included in someone’s circles will dramatically increase the presence of your

created and shared content in their Google search results. This is the ultimate goal

of a social media presence for thought leaders and most business professionals.

The essence of acquiring a devoted following to your social media content is

universal across all major platforms: If you’re interesting, people will take inter-

est. As you create and share new posts, think to yourself, “Why should people add

me to their Circles? Why should they want to see my content promoted in their

search results?”

“If you’re the person who points out the interesting people that share great things, you can have a growing

following .”Brogan

People will also see right through someone shamelessly promoting a product,

brand or personal blog. Therefore, your content should be more focused on your

honest, personal interests. Each connection is a potential customer or client, so be

diverse and well-rounded in your posts to show your followers your personality.

Follow the Best PracticesA few of the best practices in social media described at the end of this guide play

a major part in developing meaningful connections on Google+. Be honest. Be

consistent. Be engaging.

Creating original, engaging content is equally as important as sharing the content

of other users. Sharing and commenting on your Circles’ content shows that you

have a vested interest in the community. As your name becomes a familiar face

among your followers, they’ll more readily trust your opinion and ultimately the

content you promote.

“This product has the potential to significantly change the online health information landscape . For marketers, we expect the greatest opportunity to affect unbranded search, such as for a disease state rather than for a medication, which is consistent with best practices for promotion in a social media environment .”CMI


28



Quora: What exactly is it?Described as an “online knowledge market,” Quora is an easily-accessible

question and answer forum that is, as Quora self-describes, “… created, edited

and organized by everyone who uses it.” As of January 3, 2011, the site had 547,000

registered users, a 37,000% increase from its introduction a year ago in 2010.

Quora is structured very simply, allowing users to fully direct responses and

discussion around any particular question. According to Mashable, there are

only 20 active Quora employees, a dramatically small number considering the

amount of users that utilize Quora’s information.

What use does it have for HIT?

Unlike Wikipedia or Yahoo! Answers, Quora discourages anonymity on its site

to generate legitimate answers. Also, since Quora users can comment on and

discuss particular answers, those intending to sabotage discussions or insert

bogus answers are quickly filtered out; therefore, Quora is a fantastic place

to turn for information, answers and discussion on health industry topics.

Questions don’t have to be directly entered into the search bar at the top of

the site, as users may search by keywords and topics to narrow down specific

questions and observe or participate in reputable HIT conversations. You can

even choose to “follow” an entire topic of questions, allowing instant notifica-

tion of newly proposed questions and answers to topical questions.

Sample Questions from HIT Discussions

·“ Is the USA ahead or behind plan on its implementation of the President’s

Executive Order for Health Information Technology?”

·“ What is a Personal Health Cloud and how does it differ from a Personal

Health Record?”

·“What is the mobile health market forecast for the next 3 years?”

Join in the discussion!

With so many opportunities for discussion and self-education, Quora is a

resource not to be passed up as you venture into social media. Take some time

to search, or ask questions based on your own personal interest, while also

observing and taking part in many of the health industry discussions available

in the Quora database.

“A continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it .”Quora


29


Content Creation and Information Resources

CONTENT CREATION AND INFORMATION RESOURCES

BlogsBlogs are the editorial format of the “Everyman” publisher. Through blog hosting

sites like WordPress, Tumblr and Blogger, anyone can create their own blog and

begin to generate content online.

Some individuals use blogs as a sort of personal journal or photography portfolio,

while others will focus their blog on a specific theme, interacting and contributing

with a community through their periodic blog posts. The possibilities are endless

when it comes to creating your own blog for personal use. However, blogs used for

professional purposes require a stricter set of behaviors, and will likely fall under

the guidelines of a company social media policy.

Aside from following your company’s policies, generating content for others to

read and disseminate requires a strong sense of awareness and understanding

of your audience and the type of information they’ll read and how they’ll read it.

In this way, writing for the web is similar to writing in other forms of publishing.

However, people read information on the web very differently than in a magazine

or newspaper.

Readers online tend to skim rather than read word-for-word, so it’s most

important to write concise, relevant information, free from extraneous tidbits

that only serve to clutter and distract your audience. Try your best to structure

information in brief two to three sentence paragraphs, each sentence with strong

and relevant information. You should rarely have “buffer” sentences between

main ideas; your readers will skip right over them and possibly miss more

important information within the same paragraph.

Getting StartedResearch blogs within the healthcare industry to get an idea of how to create and

structure your blog posts to most effectively capture and engage a reader’s interest.

Websites like Technorati.com allow you to search for blogs by keywords and topics

of interest. There are also internal search engines on WordPress.com and Tumblr.

com for finding blogs of interest, or you can use Google’s blog search.

“Blogs, due to their versatility, lack of word count limits and ease of use, can help you establish expertise in your field or on a specific topic . This is where you get to ‘take the gloves off’ and become the leading columnist of your own publication . Truthfully, without a blog where your published thoughts ‘live,’ your professional social media efforts will be limited to commenting in short-lived snippets . You’ll have more success if you use thoughtful blog posts to drive your other social media activities .”Chad Johnson, HL7Standards .com (@OchoTex)


30



Healthcare IT BlogsHL7 Standards

“Our purpose is to facilitate an engaging conversation and offer useful resources.

We want to connect people involved in healthcare to apply technology in the high-

est standard available, learning from each other’s stories, insights, and actions.”

HL7 Standards’ official blog provides a soap box of sorts for various voices around

the healthcare industry to discuss healthcare and technological topics.

HL7 Standards: Viewpoints

“This section of HL7 Standards highlights the RSS feeds of blogs and websites

organized by thought leaders within the healthcare and technology industries.”

The “Viewpoints” section of the HL7 Standards blog contains an aggregated

RSS feed and collection of links from different viewpoints across the health-

care industry. With sections for health IT, physicians, operations, health, etc.,

and white papers, a great deal of information from various perspectives can be

found in an organized format.

Health IT Buzz

“This blog was created to answer your questions about the nation’s transition

to electronic health records and to create a conversation about the challenges

and successes health care providers, physicians, practices, and organizations are

experiencing as they transition from paper to electronic health records.”

The official blog for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS),

the HSS oversees the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The ONC is

responsible for the creation of the HITECH Act and the health IT incentive

program called “Meaningful Use.”


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Under this program, the US government encourages doctors to buy and implement

EHRs in their practices, providing incentives for earlier adopters. After 2015,

there will be penalties associated with those that haven’t converted to electronic

health records. Meaningful Use is often referred to as #MU on Twitter.

HIMSS Blog

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is a leader

in the health IT community, hosting the annual HIMSS conference which offers

training, career resources and helps vendors connect to consumers. Their blog

focuses on the discussion of key issues affecting the health IT industry.

UCSF Imaging

UCSF Imaging (UCSF Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging) provides

helpful perspective to patients and consumers as to what the latest news

means to them, as well as latest insights into the safety and benefits of our

advanced imaging techniques.

Healthcare IT News

This blog contains an aggregated feed of participating blogs within healthcare IT.

Posts will contain links as well as repurposed information from various external

HIT blogs that relate to current happenings and news in HIT.

The Integration Generation (GENi)

The Corepoint Health blog, the Integration Generation blog, or GENi, high-

lights and discusses health IT trends, innovations and best practices, as well as

health IT project management and leadership. Wrapped in the conversations

are a look to the future of healthcare interoperability and the role of current

initiatives such as Meaningful Use and HITECH.

Posting Comments Blog comments can usually be found at the bottom of every blog post, if the blog

administrator’s allow commenting on their articles. If you find a particular blog

post intriguing and feel compelled to leave a comment for the author, find the

comment button or box and leave your opinions. Don’t leave comments simply

to link back to your own blog; if you’re going to interact, make your engagement

genuine and thoughtful.

Starting your Own BlogOne of the largest and most well-known blogging sites is WordPress.com, with

over 20 million registered blogs. Although Tumblr.com recently overtook this

number, WordPress is more apt for text-based blogging, whereas Tumblr is better


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suited for media posts like pictures and videos. Once you’re ready to create your

own blog, visit a site like WordPress.com and follow the start-up steps to laying the

groundwork of your blog. Other blog hosting sites include Blogger and Blogspot.

Within the blog is the possibility to include different “pages” and “widgets,” which

allow you to add different features and information in addition to the main body

text of your blog posts. One important type of widget allows you to add buttons

for Twitter, Facebook and an RSS feed, so that readers of your blog can link to your

social media accounts. Add a few of these widgets to your blog and they’ll appear

in a sidebar on any page that your readers visit within the blog.

What should I write about?Once you’re ready to start writing your own content, depending on the purpose

and direction of the blog post, you’ll usually find the topics of discussion will

reflect at least one of these categories:

· Informative/Instructive

·Reflective

·Analytical

· Inquisitive to Generate Discussion

·Responsive to Current Events/Polls

The great thing about blogs is that they can be both informative and conversa-

tional, and often encourage their audience to respond and comment. Many posts

can be inspired by personal examples from one’s own professional career; inter-

actions with other professionals, a response to an intriguing poll, article, lecture,

presentation, or a conversation with friend, colleague or family member.

If you’re having trouble thinking of an idea for a blog post, below are some exam-

ple prompts used by the HL7Standards.com editorial team:

Informative

Providing relevant information, facts, charts or studies that readers may find

informative.

· Is there a myth about HL7 and interfacing that you come across regularly from

customers? What is that myth and why is it incorrect? Why might customers

believe the myth to be true? Explain.

· Is there something you regularly show customers how to do more efficiently?

What are the customers doing and what the “best practices?” Explain.

·List, describe and explain (who, what, where, why) FREE tools (such as ELINCS)

that are available and why they are particularly helpful.

A few points to remem-ber as you’re writing a blog post:Create a captivating title—Titles

should capture your readers’

attention and summarize the posts’

main thesis

Keep posts concise—Readers will

be more likely to read shorter posts

(5–7 paragraphs) in their entirety

Provide links to other blog posts and websites—Links

capture the reader’s eye and can be

used to link them to other posts in

your blog

Use strategic keywords—In both

headers and body of text; improves

SEO as readers use search engines

Include bulleted lists—Allows for

a greater amount of information in a

small amount of space

Promote your blog!—Include

links to your Facebook, Twitter and

LinkedIn accounts on your blog

homepage. Publish blog post links to

your accounts for further exposure.


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Reflective

Reflecting on one’s own professional or personal experiences in relation to

the industry.

·Describe the challenges you experience on a daily basis as a health IT professional.

What steps do you take to overcome those challenges? Explain.

·As a health IT professional, what resources do you regularly refer to for guidance

on problem solving? Is there a book or website you find to be particularly helpful?

What is that book/website and why is it valuable? Explain.

·When you began your career in health IT, did you receive a piece of advice from

someone that you have found to be particularly helpful? What was that advice

and how has it helped you grow as a professional? What advice do you have for

new and future health IT professionals?

Analytical

Promote discussion about the inner workings and finite details within

the industry.

·How has your job changed in the last five years? What trends have you noticed?

List those trends and provide a brief explanation of each.

·What is the purpose of a standard? Does it productively contribute to the industry,

does it hinder progress or is it neutral? Explain.

Inquisitive

Responding to or proposing a question to other professionals related to

the industry.

· Is there a question you find yourself regularly asked by customers? What is that

question? Explain your typical response and any additional resources you will

likely direct a customer to reference for more information (i.e., user community, a

particular website or book, etc.)

·Was there a question you were asked recently by a customer that caught you off

guard? What was your thought process in finding a solution to that question?

What conclusion did you reach?


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Responsive

Responding to a current event, study or poll provides a spark for different

opinions.

· Is there a health IT current event or recent news article that made an impression

on you? What was that event/article? Who was affected by the event/article? How

did you discover it and what was its significance? Explain.

·Respond with your feelings and opinions about a lecture or conference event you’ve

recently attended. Is there anything that was said or discussed that particularly

intrigued you? Did a particular speaker have a profound effect on you? Elaborate.

YouTubeYouTube is easily the most recognized online video sharing site on the internet,

and can prove quite valuable to the self-education of a healthcare professional.

YouTube is also often used in accordance with other social media outlets like

Facebook and Twitter as the primary site through which videos are created and

shared. According to the site itself, more than 400 tweets per minute contain a

YouTube link! On Facebook, more than one million hours of video are watched

from YouTube every single day. Needless to say, YouTube is a major part of the

social media universe.

Videos tutorials, lectures and professional interviews with vendors and providers

at industry events can be shared between professionals. In Health IT, video inter-

views are often filmed at the annual HIMSS conference and archived on various

vendor websites and blogs.

Many healthcare companies maintain a YouTube “channel” where company videos

are kept. Subscribing to their channel will keep you updated on all new posted

videos as they’re added. In case you happen to miss a conference or healthcare

event, you can catch up on all the information you missed in an easily accessible,

entertaining way.

Finding valuable healthcare channels is an important step in the self-education

of an HIT professional. Aside from blogs and articles linked from Twitter and

Facebook, videos can serve as an entertaining way to learn about new products,

information or best practices going on in the industry.

“A powerful mechanism to assist in distributing current and accurate science and health messages .”

CDC

“Among social media tools, watching online videos is more prevalent than use of social networking sites .”CDC

“[YouTube] is another avenue with which to increase exposure of companies . It’s an easily accessible way for customers to stay informed of product developers and relationships companies have with providers and vendors .”Billian’s Health Data SM Strategy for Vendors


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Healthcare Channels Here are a few influential healthcare video channels worth looking into, each

offering a unique perspective on the healthcare industry:

Government: ·The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)

Professional Organizations: ·Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

·Center for Disease Control and Prevention

·AHIMA

·American College of Radiology (ACR)

Each channel has its own extensive collection of videos, along with an oppor-

tunity to “subscribe” to the channel. This means you’ll be notified in your own

account as new videos are uploaded.

Thinking of posting your own videos?As you discover your voice in social media, you’ll begin to find which methods

are most effective, based on your personal preference and experience. Some find

videos much more effective in getting across what they want to say, as opposed to

writing an extensive blog post. Videos are just another way to create meaningful

content to share.

While you’ll probably find yourself watching more videos than you post, if you

feel inclined to post a video tutorial, or video response to an event or lecture, you

can record your video with a simple device (smart phones, portable recorders, and

many laptops) and post it to your account. Just remember, as there are professional

guidelines to keep in mind when generating content on Facebook and Twitter, the

same goes when posting videos on YouTube.

Remember: all of your personally-generated social media content falls under the

same umbrella of personal branding and will shape your audience’s perception

of you. Your audience should be top of mind in your videos. Prepare content that

will be appealing and engaging to your target audience, and do your best to keep

videos short. Video tutorials are more effective when information is kept vital and

concise. When posting and managing comments, remain respectful, courteous,

and value the feedback provided by your viewers. Every voice matters.


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Best Practices In Social Media

BEST PRACTICES IN SOCIAL MEDIASharing is CaringBeing transparent in your social media relationships doesn’t mean abandoning all

personal privacy for the sake of a connection. Instead, strive to share every bit of

professional information you come across that you believe is beneficial.

Erica Olenski emphasizes the incredible opportunity HIT professionals have to

share information via social media and helping advance the industry’s objectives:

“ The act of sharing, especially through social media, can expose new information

to parts of your network that may not have otherwise come across the informa-

tion. This provides a great learning opportunity for that individual, and begins

dialogue around a valuable topic.”

Be HonestBeing honest to your followers and fellow professionals is imperative to establishing

positive and influential social media relationships. The main focus of your

connections in the social media universe is the creation of a genuine engage-

ment, in which there is no place for scathing comments, disinformation or gossip.

Unprofessional social media behavior can dilute the value of information from

respected thought leaders in the industry.

Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’Social media is just that — social. Its value to healthcare professionals relies upon

positive conversations with other users. Since these conversations are limited to

written communication online, messages run the risk of being misinterpreted.

This is why paying careful attention to basic manners online is even more impor-

tant than in normal day-to-day life.

Make a habit out of including a simple “please” with every request and a “thank you”

for each time someone follows through with an action or request. Simple manners

will serve to increase your transparency to your friends and followers, while also

displaying genuine appreciation to your fellow professionals for their efforts.

“Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience . YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www .YouTube .com and across the Internet through websites, mobile devices, blogs, and email .”Mashable


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10 Steps to Get Started Today

10 STEPS TO GET STARTED TODAY1. Research and observe HIT efforts on the various social media platforms.

2. Check your company’s social media policy for particular online practices.

3. Create a Twitter account and start a list of people to follow.

4. Participate in an #HITsm Tweetchat!

5. Create a Facebook account and join a few HIT-related groups.

6. Create a LinkedIn account and participate in an industry discussion.

7. Find a few favorite healthcare blogs and leave a genuine comment(s).

8. Create a Google+ account and create your “HIT Circles.”

9. Pose a question on Quora and participate in the answer’s discussion.

10. Share your new knowledge and lessons learned with other professionals! Volunteer

to write a guest blog post on leading HIT blogs.

About HL7Standards .comNo matter your age, industry, or location, healthcare is a part of your life. While

personal care is probably instilled in your daily routines, receiving healthcare

involves a community. In the center are many well-educated professionals and

leading-edge technologies which may — or may not — work well together. As

an individual, citizen, and patient, you are in the middle of this environment.

HL7Standards.com is a community focused on facilitating conversations about

healthcare and technology. Some of it is technical; some of it is not. Discussing

emerging practices and technologies, such as social media and personal health

records, are an essential part of the discussion. All of us need to learn more

about what it takes to enable the successful delivery and acceptance of care.

HL7Standards.com is one of the leaders in engaging these essential interactions

within the healthcare community, offering insights, education, and as many

resources as possible. Empowering patients is more than a goal; it’s a mission.

Discover more at:

·Twitter: @HealthStandards

·Facebook: www.facebook.com/HL7Standards

·Blog: www.hl7standards.com

*Note: HL7Standards.com is sponsored by Corepoint Health, a leader in healthcare

interoperability software and solutions.

Having Character While Being a CharacterIn an article on HL7Standards.com,

Jon Mertz, editor at HL7Standards.

com, detailed the importance of

maintaining character and integ-

rity in online conversations as a

professional, yet allowing a unique

personality to shine through in your

online profile.

•Be reputable

•Be honest

•Have integrity in all interactions

These points highlight the impor-

tance of upholding honest practices

across one’s social media accounts,

including behavior like commenting,

discussions, content creation and

dissemination to develop a posi-

tive, trustworthy online personal-

ity. These traits are recognizable,

even online, and users will be more

comfortable interacting with you,

and more trusting of your opinions,

which will ultimately spur more

meaningful connections between

you and your fellow professionals.

Behaving in a professional manner

online isn’t void of unique and

entertaining personalities. In fact,

interactions wouldn’t be nearly as

engaging if void of both forms of

character — both of reputation and

personality.

“ Your personality should show through in your blog posts, tweets, and Facebook comments and discussions. Having a charming, yet consis-tent, personality will be more inviting for people to join in.”

Don’t be afraid to leave comments

or join in on discussions! Just be

cognizant of the brand you’re

creating for yourself as you interact

with others online, and allow your

personality to shine through in the

most positive way.


Index of Twitter AccountsHealth IT Social Media Primer

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Below are some great Twitter accounts to follow that are active in the #HITsm

online community:

Individuals

@NateOsit

@motorcycle_guy

@SmyrnaGirl

@leonardkish

@MelSmithJones

@techguy

@DrNanN

@EMRAnswers

@PeterNGilbert

@ahier

@MelissaColeHTR

@2healthguru

@pjmachado

@DonFluckinger

@johnmoehrke

@AMaini1

@janicemccallum

@DocForeman

@danmunro

@MatthewBrowning

Organizations

@Perficient_HC

@CLOUDHealth

@hdmcorp

@UnifiedPIM

@HITECHAnswers

@BangorBeacon

@HIMSS

@billians

@ehrandhit

Publications

@HITNewsTweet

@HITExchange

@GovHIT

@SearchHealthIT

@HFNewsTweet

Health IT Social Media Primer

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Transcript of Health IT Social Media Primer