How we communicate has certainly changed. For some, it's almost like an alternate reality. What happened to visiting with someone and having a conversation? For me, the new reality came to the forefront when my 13-year-old granddaughter was at a party, at which all of her friends were sitting next to each other gazing at their phones and texting. The parent hosting the party noticed mostly silence, interrupted by an occasional laugh, and decided to check on the party crew. What she found was that the girls were texting the others in the same room!

Communication methods are changing for medical practices also. Physicians have transitioned from making house calls to incorporating telehealth services into their practice, through which the physician is miles away from the patient. Portals allow patients to communicate with clinics without having to make a phone call or talk with a "live" person. Lab results can be retrieved by patients through the Internet. In many ways, these new communication methods are more efficient and more convenient for both the clinic and the patient. The future will only see more of this.

Communication with patients has also changed in other ways. How many television commercials for drugs come to mind? Drug companies are going directly to the consumer, the patient. Billboards advertise both hospitals and clinics. Radio, television, and newspapers regularly promote clinic expertise, medical fairs, and targeted services to attract patients. It's only August and yet Walgreen's already has signs posted promoting flu shots. And, patients frequently utilize the Internet to solicit medical information and review evaluations of physicians and clinics, never having to ask someone who used them.

As with most new technology, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly. This new communication ability can certainly provide some efficiencies and convenience. However, it also opens the door for the distribution of misinformation about practices and physicians. It can be a bane or a benefit. The bottom line is that it's here to stay. In fact, as part of new legislation, electronic communication is basically mandated. For example, part of the electronic health record meaningful use requirements for stimulus money requires the patient to have the ability to access their information in an electronic format. States are also mandated to begin development of statewide health information exchanges.

Sooner or later, clinics will be forced to face this new reality. Traditional methods of attracting patients are changing. Does your clinic have a website? Many patients want to know something about the physician or practice they are scheduled to visit. Many patients are looking for physicians and practices to treat them. Where do they get this information? With greater frequency, it's from the Internet. It may be from the clinic's website...if there is one. If your clinic's name is "Googled," what turns up?

Replacing afternoon teas and Sunday visits are networking media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. iPhones now allow you to do what only Dick Tracey in the comic strips could previously do with his watch: talk with and see the person with whom you are talking. Replacing telephone calls to other physicians are emails and electronically transmitted records.

In reaching out to patients and medical professionals, clinics must understand that along with traditional methods of communication, new communication methods must also be embraced. Social networking, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms provide free ways to gain exposure. Blogging provides an opportunity to promote messages that both educate and promote clinic services to people with specific interests that tie into the clinic specialty.

Research has indicated that we have become a nation of skeptics. Only 14 percent of people trust advertising. However, 78 percent trust recommendations and referrals. It's important for physicians and clinics to begin building relationships and developing trust with individuals and organizations that impact the clinic's referral patterns. This can be accomplished through the new social media. In reaching out to new patients, ignoring social media is a mistake.

Engaging social media to create dialogue with patients and promote practice opportunities should not be done haphazardly. There are significant penalties for disclosing protected health information (i.e. HIPAA). Accidently referring to a patient by name, for example, is not appropriate in a public setting. Social media, while allowing the clinic to promote itself, may also open the door for public criticism by unhappy patients, the downside.

Some clinics are using Facebook to promote videos that inform and educate the patient about conditions and treatment options they provide. Some use Facebook to engage patients in contests to promote awareness of their clinic. YouTube is also being used to generate free video messages to a wide variety of people.

Successful use of the new social media requires strategic planning and commitment. Once started, it must be maintained to be effective. Information must be controlled and topics must be current. Someone within the clinic should be designated to supervise and monitor social media activity. And, you must put your best "face" forward.

Harold Ingram, president of Jackson-based PerforMax and president-elect of MGMA of Mississippi, may be reached at HIngram@PerforMax.biz.

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