Using Social Media in Your Practice

(studious electronic music) - This is Lab Medicine Rounds, a curated podcast for physicians, laboratory professionals, and students. I'm your host, Justin Kreuter, the bow tie bandit of blood, a transfusion medicine pathologist at Mayo Clinic. And today's episode will focus on social media, why you should consider using it in your practice, how to maximize your efforts.

And so, to that effort, joining us today is Dr. Melanie Bois, Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, a cardiovascular pathologist at Mayo Clinic here in Rochester, Minnesota, and also, host of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathologies Podcast. So thanks for joining us today, Dr. Bois. - It is my absolute pleasure to join you, Dr. Kreuter, thank you for having me.

- So, you know, we were just talkin' before we started recording here about how maybe some of that early adopters are getting through, and maybe more the bulk of pathologists might be now kinda considering becoming more active with social media.

So, kinda what's your why, why is social media a tool that our lab medicine pathology community should consider using? - Yeah, I think it's a great question. And honestly, I can't say that I'm one of those that adapted right away, and was fully embracing social media when it became popular, but, I will say I've noticed and appreciated the benefits of it as my practice has continued to progress.

So, for instance, I think there are probably three main reasons why social media is really really useful in today's world. Number one is the patients. So patients are on the internet, and they are really searching for answers. They have questions about their disease processes, those that are affecting their loved ones. And there is a study that 80% of patients are going to be on social media, or rather, on the internet, looking for answers about these types of questions.

75% of those are on social media. And I really feel like it should be us being the ones to give them the answers and to really direct them to where they should be looking or what physician resource might be really useful for them, and provide answers to these questions that are really bothering them, for both them and their loved ones.

In addition to that, I found it to be a great professional networking resource, so that is something that I didn't expect, It wasn't on my radar at all when I started using social media personally and professionally. But I've developed this wonderful network of pathologists who I would not have been able to meet otherwise. And we've collaborated on research projects, I get to see them at meetings, we share a lot of common interests.

And that has been a really rewarding process for me, both personally and professionally, within the social media world.

And lastly is education, and I know that's something that's near and and dear to your heart, Dr. Kreuter, I just love being able to use it, to spread the joy that cardiovascular pathology brings to me and why it's important to me, and how we can positively impact our patients by being aware of certain disease processes that may affect, not only your patient, but your patient's first degree relatives, their mother, their brother, their son or daughter,

and being able to understand the implications of what we're seeing under the microscope and how that can affect the patients and their loved ones. - That's really awesome, so, I think, maybe for those listening, maybe it kinda surprises people about patients and connecting with patients, and maybe for the community that are non-pathologists, thinking about pathologists interacting with patients, it might seem as a surprise.

What do you say, I know that sometimes we have pathology residents that are just getting started in social media,

or we have medical laboratory technologists that are on social media, and they sort of wonder about that or I think they get concerned about, if a patient reaches out with a question, how do you reassure or talk to somebody in that kind of a position? - Yeah, absolutely, I think it's a good question.

I actually started using social media when I was a resident too, and certainly, I developed a pretty strict guideline to sort of hold myself to when it comes to interacting in the space of social media. Because first and foremost, we need to remember that it is a very public forum. And so, we need to be careful about what we share and how we share it.

From the educational standpoint, and I'll circle back to your question, Dr. Kreuter, but from the educational standpoint, I don't post anything that would be able to be traced back to a patient. Only generic questions about a disease process, even I might fabricate some of the age or gender or sex of the patient, in order to make sure that there's no way that that information can be traced back.

And I think it's important to note, too, that the patients who are affected by this disease process can be reading your post too, so it's not a neat process, it's not something that's really cool. Instead it's something that we can all learn from, and really be aware of, in order to better help patients who are are in this process or really experiencing this firsthand.

And in doing so, you do sometimes interact with patients that do see your post, because they're researching about a disease that they may have been diagnosed with.

And I think the important part there is not necessarily to provide medical advice, but rather to refer the patient to their doctor if they have specific questions, or provide resources that are validated to help get them linked into a medical professional that can really provide the appropriate medical advice for their specific scenario.

- I like the way that you kinda manage that as kind of, I don't know, in my head, I'm thinking of like air traffic controller, just kind of directing people to really where that right information is-- - Right. - 'Cause, yeah, I don't know about how somebody could even possibly conceive of doing a medical consultation in whatever the character count limits are. (chuckles) - Oh, I totally agree with you, "In 250 characters or less, please diagnose, send, "and provide a treatment strategy."

No, and I don't think that would be responsible for us either, because every patient is unique and every patient comes with a very specific framework of what's going on in their lives and how their disease is presenting, so, really it's something that requires a more in-depth medical approach.

And I know it's something that actually Mayo Clinic started using, I believe it was in 2010, we might have to double check that date, wherein they started this social media approach, and saying, "Patients, we're here, "we we wanna hear about your disease processes, "we wanna be able to help you."

And they really started a coordinated approach, through Twitter and YouTube and Facebook, and encouraged us to do the same, because, really, the only way we're going to be able to help these individuals is so that they know that we're here and we're listening. - You know, I was wondering if, you know, this is wonderful, connecting with patients, professional networking, education.

And I think maybe some listeners might be like, okay, these are three lanes of things that I do not have time for. So, I guess, respectful of time, I guess that puts importance on, okay, if you are gonna engage in this world, how can we really maximize and use our time on social media well, right? I mean, if we're talking about why people should engage in this, I guess there's quite a lotta that, what is it, doom scrolling--

- Yes (laughs). - Or something, where people kinda get lost in scrolling through, and I think that that's a real thing. What do you say to people about, you know, what's your advice about how to really use your time wisely with social media? - It's another great question. I think it's one that we all continue to struggle with.

You know, I think we all find ourselves staring at our phone when maybe we should be interacting in a different way, or maybe we should be making eye contact with the person who's passing us in the hall, rather than scrolling through our social media feeds. So it's certainly something that I think we all struggle with.

My best approach, and it's something, actually, I spoke with Jared Gardner about, who really started a lot of this, at least Twitter-based social media, kind of revolution in pathology and bringing pathologists into social media and being a advocate for the patient through that way. And his advice was, really take a case, take one case, and use it, and use it multiple times use it in multiple different venues, even.

If you already have one that you're giving a lecture on, use that, and make sure that you have taken out all patient-related information that can be identifiable so you're not violating HIPAA. And then you use the teaching points from that in different ways, and you can use similar pictures, or different pictures from that, to really highlight different aspects of the disease process.

And then you can do it on Twitter, you can make a YouTube video if you prefer, something like that, a Facebook account can also be a way to do that. And so use those same cases, and use them again and again, because your colleagues most likely aren't going to see it, necessarily, the first time, but they might see it the second or third time. So just use the resources that are available, and use them in multiple different ways. I found that approach to be generally very helpful.

And it does minimize the amount of time that I'm sitting

at my computer trying to come up with new interesting cases, or trying to come up with something clever to say. I think that it does really help streamline the approach, and it also helps get that message out about what you're trying to teach, or what you're trying to advocate.

- I like, you brought up and you named a couple of different platforms that are out there, and I think that's another aspect of people that are thinking about getting started in social media, where it can also seem very overwhelming. So, for our listeners, how do you think about the social media landscape? You know, at this point, August 2022, realizing things are dynamic and changing. How do you characterize and think about these different platforms?

- That's a really good question, I struggle a bit because I know that there are so many different platforms, and the popularity of the platforms ebbs and flows, and it's even generation specific. So the generation that's probably a little bit behind me has really embraced social media, it's a way that they communicate, it's a way that they look up information about, really anything they're interested in, including medicine.

And I think that within that sphere, you have the the Twitter platform, which has been very good for an interprofessional communication, and in a way that a professional network can be developed. There are certainly are patients and there are students on that platform that are really interested in learning about disease processes as well. A platform called Instagram is really useful in using images in order to communicate what we want to try and say.

So it's less text based, it's less word based, but rather really focused on images. And certainly, the dynamics of each of these platforms change, and the popularity among generations can change too. So I see those as two different ways to use it. YouTube is another one that can be very useful, but is more video based. And so if that's something that you really embrace

and you find that you can take your lectures and put them into very digestible, small segments that are really amenable to developing video series around, that could be a great platform as well. There are also ways to blast your message across all of these different platforms, and those require subscriptions in some areas, some of them are free to use, but you can take a centralized message and then put them on all of the different platforms available to you.

- So we've been talkin' about, you know, the social media landscape is kind of dynamic. And I'm assuming you're also dynamic and changing, as you're interacting and have been on social media now for some time, and have cultivated a community. How does your social media practice kind of evolve over time? 'Cause maybe our listeners can start to identify, you know, ones that maybe are on social media now, but maybe they feel stuck in a rut.

You know, it might be helpful to hear, what's your journey been like, and how has this affected you? - Yeah. So I started out in Twitter for the most part. It was really encouraged by a co-resident to try and get that, an account in this arena up and going, and then really just see where it took me. So I spent most of my time in Twitter really just getting used to that platform, understanding how to communicate on that platform and what exactly the audience would be for that particular area.

I did try to do a little bit on Facebook, I didn't find it to be as user friendly, that tends to be, and not from a technology standpoint, but it tends to be a bit more socially driven rather than professionally driven, at least in my personal experience. So I went back to Twitter predominantly. Another one that I think is really helpful is the Instagram site. I know a few pathologists that have successfully made an account and made a presence within that space.

I think that it is, again, very image based, which lends itself to a lot of our subspecialty disciplines in pathology. I haven't personally developed much of a presence on there at all, but I do think it is a really good option that a lot of the younger generation is using in order to communicate about medical specialties. Another good option is the podcast, just like you're doing, Dr. Kreuter, it's a great way to get your message out,

to chat with people, to let them know that you're there and you're available and you're interested in educating and you wanna spread that love of your subspecialty to them. I think that's a great way to do it, and it's easy for people to download and listen to on their commute, or while they're cleaning out the garage or doing chores. Really a very user-friendly platform in order to get your message out as well.

- Do you think, I'm curious, do you think that by, I guess to give you, as a little background of this question, I kind of sometimes think about the criticism that maybe social media, things are changing, and so, why spend time on, like you mentioned, Twitter as a platform. 'Cause, you know, maybe you develop something, you work at something, and then maybe somebody buys Twitter and shuts it down or something, I don't know. And it goes away, right, it's not a space that we own, right?

But I've always kinda looked at it as, maybe that by engaging with these platforms, there's other skills that we are developing. Does, and it's okay to say no, but, does that resonate with you, and if so, what skills do you think that you can walk away from this with, what skills have this been helping with for you?

- I think that's a really insightful point, actually, because you're right, we don't own this space, and we don't own the content that goes out there, but we do have very lasting experiences that can come from it.

So we develop relationships with people, at different institutions, with other pathologists, with even sometimes patients who reach out to you, and bare their life story and say "What do I do?" And you can develop a relationship with that person and really just be there as a support system for them

while they search out their medical care and their treatment strategies. Additionally, that educational piece is something that you will never lose. So, I really don't think I, I'm definitely not successful yet, to put quotations around that for our listening audience.

My measure of success will be when I have a student who saw or heard me speak about something and comes back to me later and says, "I fell in love with this "because I heard your passion for it, "and this is what I learned from it, "and then I just wanted to pick up that mantle "and run with it."

And that, I think, would be a really, really incredible moment, because that's something that I really hope to be able to pass on, just that love of cardiovascular pathology, what it means to our patients, what it means to their family members, and how we can positively impact patients by really being careful, and being able to communicate what we're seeing underneath that microscope.

- So I've got one last question, and this is maybe now shooting for the more experienced of listeners in social media, to kinda put somethin' for them out there. You know, you really certainly have built a strong social media presence, you've mentioned the platforms that you're on, you host your own podcast. You've really accomplished a lot here, and I'm curious, what's next for you? And maybe this can be a, what challenge do you wanna throw out there for the experienced social media person?

- Oh boy, that is a tough one. I think I'm just going to continue trying to spread that message, to really be able to, as I mentioned, be able to instill that love, and in some degree of our audience that we interact with, whether it's a listening audience or a viewing audience. And people don't have to fall in love with it, they don't have to go into cardiovascular pathology.

But if they understand the tenets of it and really understand where that passion lies and how to triage specimens, understand the impact that what they say has to our patients, that's where it's all at for me, and that's where I really hope that, as my career continues, that people can take that away from what I'm trying to stand up and shout from my different platforms, that we can really have a positive impact on patient care by understanding and embracing the subspecialty.

- We've been rounding with Dr. Bois, thank you for taking the time to talk about social media with us. - Thanks so much, Dr. Kreuter, it's been so fun. - (chuckles) To all of our listeners, thank you for joining us today, we invite you to share your thoughts and suggestions via email, please direct any suggestions to [email protected], and reference this podcast. If you've enjoyed Lab Medicine Rounds Podcast, please subscribe.

And until our next rounds together, we encourage you to continue to connect lab medicine and the clinical practice through insightful conversations. (studious electronic music)