Mayo Clinic launches Center for Social Media

The Mayo Clinic has launched the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. Mayo Clinic was on TIME's 50 best websites of 2010.  The Mayo Clinic is all over Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Now, they're going to fully embrace the social media revolution through their Social Media Center.

So what's this Social Media Center all about?

The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media exists to improve health globally by accelerating effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and spurring broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients.

Mayo Clinic’s Social Media Philosophy:

Mayo Clinic believes individuals have the right and responsibility to advocate for their own health, and that it is our responsibility to help them use social media tools to get the best information, connect with providers and with each other, and inspire healthy choices. We intend to lead the health care community in applying these revolutionary tools to spread knowledge and encourage collaboration among providers, improving health care quality everywhere.

Mission of the Center:

Lead the social media revolution in health care, contributing to health and well being for people everywhere.

Vision for the Center:

Mayo Clinic will be the authentic voice for patients and health care professionals, building relationships through the revolutionary power of social media.

You can learn more here: http://socialmedia.mayoclinic.org

My wife (a family physician) is starting a blog

Over the weekend, my wife and I took our kids to Boston and we had a great time. We also met up with some of our college friends who still live in the area. One friend in particular has been actively blogging as a food blogger and it was great to chat about the world of blogging. I also met some medical students who were avid bloggers.

On the drive back home, I convinced my wife that she should start a blog. We discussed some broad concepts and purchased a URL for $10. This means that she's committed! The blog is going to be based on her perspectives and stories as a physician and a mom. Unlike my blogs that target health care professionals, she's going to join the "mommy blogging" circuit and write for the consumer audience. Stay tuned. I think we're going to announce the "official launch" of the blog in early May after she gets some content on the site.

Enjoyed the #HCSM discussion on Twitter

Tonight, the #HCSM (Healthcare Communications and Social Media) conversation on Twitter revolved around the use of social media (SM) and search engine optimization (SEO). When I speak with physicians, I find that so many of them really don't understand SM or SEO. That's probably why many of them still continue to practice medicine without a professional website for their practice. What they fail to recognize is that more consumers are looking for health care providers on the Internet. Therefore, if you don't have a strong online presence, you may be losing potential patients to other providers in your area.

Here are my social media tips for physicians:

• Blogs can be used to attract new patients to your practice.
• Social media can be used to help you develop relationships with surrounding providers.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical to your practice website.
• Patients are looking for providers on the Internet, so you must have a strong online presence.
• Many sophisticated patients are drawn to health care providers who are current on the use of digital social media.

Thinking about using social media? Start a blog, create a fan page on Facebook, and use Twitter.

Thanks to all those fans on Facebook!

As you may know, I've created several Facebook fan pages over the past week. Thanks to everyone for being a fan and for supporting my blogs. If you haven't checked out each fan page, make sure to take a look at the following Facebook fan pages:

• Medicine and Technology
• Non-Clinical Jobs
• Medical Smartphones
• Mobile Health Computing 

The other day, I created a fan page for a work-related website. I'm also currently working on a social media policy and strategy for the Alliance for CME, so I'm taking my social media experience and applying them in my workplace.

Medicine and Technology.com fan page on Facebook

Well, I finally got around to it! I created a Facebook fan page for my MedicineandTechnology.com blog and you can become a fan by clicking here.

I hope you'll also become a fan of my other blogs on Facebook:

• http://www.facebook.com/NonClinicalJobs
• http://www.facebook.com/MedicalSmartphones

(click here for the Facebook fan page for MobileHealthComputing.com)

Join me today at Meet the Bloggers in Room C 201 (3:30 to 5 pm) #HIMSS10

Join me today at Meet the Bloggers in the Social Media Center in Room C 201. I will be there with several other bloggers and it should be a very interesting roundtable discussion about the world of blogging.

Here are the details:

Social Media Center
Room: C201

Tuesday, March 2
3:30 pm – 5 pm

http://www.himssconference.org/education/socialmedia.aspx 

While you're there, make sure to take a photo for the HIMSS Facebook fan page.

Don't forget to visit my other blogs

When I started blogging, I had a single blog. Last year, I decided to split my blogs into 4 distinct blogs so that I could keep the content separated. So, please make sure to visit my other sites and thanks for your support:

1. NonClinicalJobs.com


2. MedicineandTechnology.com

3. MedicalSmartphones.com


4. MobileHealthComputing.com

Meet me on Wed (March 2) at the Meet the Bloggers session at #HIMSS10

If you're attending HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) this year in Atlanta, Georgia, then make sure to swing by the Social Media Center on Tuesday March 2 and say hello from 3:30 pm to 5 pm. I'll be participating in the "Meet the Bloggers" session and I look forward to meeting some of you.

I was invited to participate last year in "Meet the Bloggers," but I couldn't make it out to Chicago.  Last year, the "Meet the Bloggers" was part of the HIMSS Tech Lab. Considering that the buzz word/phrase these days is "Social Media," I'm glad to see that HIMSS has properly named a section the Social Media Center. Here's some more information about that center:

The Social Media Center is the destination to explore and connect with HIMSS Groups on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Attendees will meet industry bloggers, make new health IT connections, and maximize their networking activities at HIMSS10 and beyond. Educational sessions range from basic social media use to more advanced topics in this emerging space. Attendees can stop by for one-on-one discussion and instruction when center sessions are not in progress. Also, be sure to have a photo taken in the center’s HIMSS Fan Page Photo Booth.

You can get more information about Meet the Bloggers here:
http://himssconference.org/education/socialmedia.aspx

Taking social media to the next level at #HIMSS10

Many of us have made contacts in the world of social media. We've seen photos of people on Twitter and Facebook. We've even connected on the phone. However, nothing replaces a face-to-face meeting and I'm looking forward to connecting with some people at HIMSS this year. Over the past 12 months, I've made many connections in the world of health IT and I'm eager to put a real face to these Twitter user names.

Make sure to join me at the Meet the Bloggers session on Tuesday, March 2 at 3:30 pm – 5 pm. I'll be on the panel and I look forward to seeing you at the Social Media Center at HIMSS10. Make sure to meet the other bloggers on Mon and Wed.

For more information about the Social Media Center and Meet the Bloggers at HIMSS10, click here.

Hoping to catch up on Twitter in the New Year

I admit that I've invested less time in Twitter over the past few months. Last fall, I was very busy. My wife and I had a new baby and life just got absolutely crazy! However, as I enter the New Year, I hope to re-invest time and energy into using Twitter to grow and develop social networks. I believe that Twitter can be used to improve health care communications among health care professionals and patients/consumers. Therefore, I want to play my role to enhance the communication of important health messages to all my followers.

Speaking of Twitter followers, when I began seriously using Twitter in early 2009, I had less than 20 followers. Now, I have many more people following my 4 blogs on Twitter. Thanks to all my followers for retweeting links (RT @DrJosephKim)  and supporting my sites! Wishing everyone "happy Twitter wishes" in the New Year!

The evolution of my blogs

Over the years, I've expanded by blogs and what began as a simple hobby has now turned into a part-time job for me. I began with a simple and free Google Blogspot URL and blogged about medicine, technology, gadgets, smartphones, PDAs, and non-clinical jobs and opportunities. As time went on and I realized that I should focus on specific areas, so I separated my blogs into 4 different sites:

www.NonClinicalJobs.com
www.MedicalSmartphones.com 
www.MedicineandTechnology.com 
www.MobileHealthComputing.com

Now, my time is split among these 4 blogs. I'm still passionate about medicine and technology, so I will continue to blog on these 4 sites in the New Year. I'm eager to see how my blogs will evolve in 2010.

Baby is 1 week old and life is good (picture)

Our baby is a week old and life has never been better. This baby is a sleeper! She just eats and sleeps. I've been told that I was like that when I was a baby. Eat and sleep, eat and sleep. Don't you wish that all babies were so easy? Our newborn is the easiest baby we've ever had!

So, although we're more sleep deprived that usual, we're not nearly as deprived as before. I'm still able to keep up with some blogging (albeit not as much as before) and my wife is enjoying her maternity leave. It's so great to have friends and family around to help with things around the house. Here's a picture of our baby being held by her older sister.

FDA to regulate social media? Ask Sermo physicians.

Here's a letter I got from the founder or Sermo:

On November 12^th & 13^th the FDA will hold public hearings to assess the role of social media relative to the FDA's charter. Sermo has been asked to provide the FDA with insight on this question. This is an important opportunity for this community to help define what its role should be relative to the FDA and what role the FDA should play in this medium. Key issues that the FDA wants to address are:

1. For what online communications are manufacturers, packers, or distributors accountable?
2. How can manufacturers, packers, or distributors fulfill regulatory requirements (e.g., fair balance, disclosure of indication and risk information, postmarketing submission requirements) in their Internet and social media promotion, particularly when using tools that are associated with space limitations and tools that allow for real-time communications (e.g. microblogs, mobile technology)?
3. Questions specific to Internet adverse event reporting.

How many people at the FDA really understand social media? I still meet people on a regular basis who don't know about Twitter. What's Twitter? They hear the name on the radio or television, but they have no concept of microblogging.

Mark your calendars for November 12 and 13 and stay tuned...

Approaching 23,000 followers on Twitter

I admit that I've been less active on Twitter these past few months. Over the summer, I had a ton of energy and I was sending Tweets all the time. Now, my Tweets are primarily my blog posts. I run 4 different blogs, so I end up sending a handful of Tweets each day.

As I approach 23,000 followers on Twitter, I feel compelled to reflect back on my Twitter experience this year. Twitter has been a great resource and I think it's been a unique way to meet people online and share pertinent information with others who share similar interests.

It's hard to believe that we only have 2 months left in 2009. I wonder how many people will follow me on Twitter as we enter the new year. I hope that my blogs and my Tweets are providing a useful service to the health care community. Let's hope to see more health care professionals embrace social media in 2010.

Do you Twitter? Follow @DrJosephKim

Become a fan of the Facebook page for the Non-Clinical Jobs blog

I want to thank those of you who has become a fan of the Facebook page for the Non-Clinical Jobs blog (http://www.nonclinicaljobs.com). This Facebook page is my personal social media experiment and I'm curious to see what this page will look like in 6 months.

Speaking of social media and social networking, the Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals social network is growing and we currently have over 920 members. Help us reach 1,000 members before December 31, 2009.

Medgadget has joined the HCP Live Network!

I love the blog Medgadget. I think it's great that Medgadget has now joined the HCP Live network. I joined this network earlier this year and I feel honored to be on the same network as KevinMD and now Medgadget.

If you go to HCPLive.com, you'll see a list of sites and blogs at the very top section of the home page. That's where you'll see my 4 sites, along with KevinMD and Medgadget. 

Grand Rounds is up at Suture for a Living

Dr. Ramona Bates is a plastic surgeon and she keeps a great blog. This week, Grand Rounds is now up at Suture for a Living.

Alleged kidnapper Phillip Garrido kept a blog

According to CNN, the alleged kidnapper Phillip Garrido kept a blog (http://voicesrevealed.blogspot.com). Garrido's blog entries are posted by "THEMANWHOSPOKEWITHHISMIND." The blog currently has hundreds of unmoderated comments.

Considering the nature of the current case, I doubt this blog will remain online very long. This story has now reached international levels and I have to think that someone at Google will shut down this blog. According to the nature of his content, it sounds like he thought he had mind controlling powers. It seems like Garrido was delusional and/or he may have had some type of psychiatric illness. However, I'm not his doctor, so there's no way I could know that.

My heart goes out to Jaycee Lee Dugard and her entire family. I wish you the best as you restart a new life in freedom.

What's cooking at Sermo these days?

In case you haven't noticed, Sermo has a blog. There, you'll find somewhat de-identified physician comments regarding certain medical topics. I say "somewhat" because sometimes within the comments, you'll see certain physicians named by their username. Some have arbitrary usernames like "radiologist" or "mcdreamy," while others have usernames that reflect their identity (like "billyjones" or "samsmith" - well, I made up these usernames, but they could be real)

One of the interesting discussions that's rated a "top post" on Sermo is a discussion regarding concierge medicine (also called boutique medicine and several other terms). Does concierge medicine have a role in the U.S. society? President Obama receives concierge medical care. Celebrities do too. Look at Michael Jackson. He had his own anesthesiologist who administered propofol (Diprivan) for him. Does concierge medicine meet an unmet need? It's so fascinating to read all the comments about this topic. What's an ethical amount to charge your patients when there's no clearly defined "market standard value"?

Thanks for helping me get 20,000 Twitter followers in 4 months!

It's still hard to believe that in April, I had less than 50 followers on Twitter. I got serious about using Twitter that month, and now (just four months later) I have 20,000 followers.

It's been an interesting journey (and social experiment) to see my follower count grow on Twitter. I realize that much of this is driven by the fact that I operate four independent blogs. I also want to thank those of you who have used #FollowFriday (or #FF) to promote @DrJosephKim on Twitter. I've met some very interesting people on Twitter and I to look forward to meeting more people who have a passion for medicine, technology, smartphones, mobile computers, and non-clinical careers.