Social Media in Health Care: The
Mayo Clinic Experience and
Perspective
Lee Aase
Manager, Syndication and Social Media
Mayo Clinic
September 2009

Agenda
• Preliminaries and Introductions
• Social media and why you should care
• The MacGyver Mindset and Toolbox
• Mayo Clinic’s Experience
• A Particular Case Study
2

About Lee Aase
• B.S. Political Science
• 14 years in politics and government at
local, state, national levels
• Mayo Clinic since April 2000
• Media relations consultant
• Manager since 2004
• Media Relations/Research Comm
• Syndication and Social Media
3

A Grandpa who appreciates the
power of Facebook...
4

Disclaimers
• These results not typical
• Use as directed
• Read and follow label directions
• Side effects may include vertigo, watery
eyes, crackberry thumb and iPhone
application addiction
• Social media tools are an essential part of a
balanced communications diet
• If insufficient media coverage persists,
consult your communications doctor
• Your mileage may vary
5

The Most Important Word (and
Book Recommendation) in Web 2.0
6

Star Tribune Values and The
Changing Media Landscape
• 1998 $1.2 Billion
• 2006: $530 Million
• Today: Bankruptcy
7

Genius Optional
8

The MacGyver Mindset
9

Intro to FREE Tools
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• RSS
• Social Networks
• Wikis
• YouTube
• Twitter
• Updates: Slideshare, uStream, Skype
10

Intro to Blogs
• Just an easy-to-publish Web site that
allows comments
• Blogs in Plain English - Lee LeFever
11

RSS = Really Simple Syndication
• Lets you easily track dozens of blogs
or other Web sites without surfing
• Truly opt-in “email”
• RSS “baked in” to IE 7, Safari
• Google Reader a free Web option
12

Podcasts
• TiVo for Audio (and now video)
• Don’t need an iPod to use
• Series of segments to which you can
subscribe via RSS
• iTunes free for PC or Mac
• Create your own FREE podcast
(listed in iTunes) through SMUG
13

Social Networking Sites
14

Wikis
• Collaborative editing tools
• Wikipedia the most famous
• 2.9 million articles in English
• Definitive stories quickly on
• 35W Bridge Collapse
• Virginia Tech shooting
15

16

YouTube
• World’s second largest search engine
• Google bought for $1.65 Billion
• “The world has voted, and we want to
watch videos on YouTube.” - Andy
Sernovitz, SocialMedia.org
17

18

Other Important Platforms
• Slideshare.net: YouTube for
PowerPoint and Keynote
• uStream.tv: Your own global
television channel
• Skype: Audio and Videoconferencing
• Mix and Match
19

A Taste of Tweetcamp
• Understanding the Phenomenon
• Exploring Applications
20

Twitter vs. Facebook
• Facebook is primarily for
strengthening existing connections
(or re-establishing former ones.) For
your friends.
• Twitter enables you to connect with
people who have common interests.
For the friends you don’t know yet.
21

Twitter vs. Blogs
• Twitter is a micro-blogging platform.
• Limited length reduces writer’s/artist’s
block
• Blogs provide opportunity for more
thoughtful reflection and development
• Tweeting = great way to take notes
on a live event
• Blog = platform for review/synthesis
• Twitter = great for spreading word
about posts
22

5 Reasons Twitter Beats Email
• “Brevity is the soul of wit” - and of
Twitter
• No expectation to read and respond to
everything
• Conversations open and discoverable
• Direct messages can reach recipients
with priority
• Blocking or unfollowing punishes
abuses
23

Twitter Hashtags
• Enable easy gathering, especially
around an event, such as:
• #hcsm
• Follow in search.twitter.com or log
into room on Tweetchat.com
• Create a hashtag simply by using it
in a tweet
24

Twitter Etiquette
• Follow your interesting followers
• Following not = endorsement
• Auto d to new followers = Not Cool
• “Protecting” updates also = Not Cool
• Replying (@) = Cool
• Re-Tweet (RT) to credit sources, help
followers find interesting tweeters
also = Cool
25

Making Twitter More Productive
• Desktop Applications
• Tweetdeck
• Twhirl
• Phone Applications
• Twittelator
• Tweetie
• Twitterific
• Various Web sites like HootSuite
26

Twitter Case Study #1: Listening
27

Ensuing Conversation
28

29

Twitter Case Study #2: “Tweetup”
in Baltimore
Me: Are you based in Baltimore?
Me: I’m going to be there Tuesday for this conference.
(asae.center.or/hcc) on a panel RU available late pm?
Me: I’m flying out Tues at 6:45 p.m. Any avail in the later
afternoon? I think my panel is done about 2:30
30

Twitter Case Study #3:
Journalist Interactions
31

32

Hospitals Using Social Media
(via @EdBennett)
33

Growth of YouTube vs. Twitter
34

35

36

37

38

39

Mayo Clinic’s Social Media
Experience
40

Mayo Clinic’s Origin
http://tinyurl.com/32xbjx

Sources of Information Influencing
Preference for Mayo Clinic
Word of mouth 84
Stories in the media 57
MD recommendation 44
Advertising 27
Internet/Websites 26
Personal experience 24
Mailings to home 18
0 20 40 60 80 100
42

Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
News Media Syndications
43

First Foray in New Media
• Existing Medical Edge radio mp3s
• Launched Sept. ‘05; Downloads up
8,217 percent Oct. vs. Aug.

Step 2: More, Longer Podcasts
45

46

47

48

49

Total Cost for Mayo Clinic
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter
$0.00
50

Key Tool: Flip Video Camera*
• Affordable for all campuses (and you)
• Recording interviews (with tripod)
improves existing processes
• Authenticity without writer’s cramp
• Provides potential blog resources
• Audio of full interview
• Video excerpts
• Limited group of video editors to
ease adoption, ensure quality
51

Cost for a Standard Definition Flip
Video Camera
$150.00
HD available for an additional $80
52

HD: Worth the Investment
53

podcasts.mayoclinic.org
54

newsblog.mayoclinic.org
55

sharing.mayoclinic.org
56

57

Complying with HIPAA
• Comments moderated to prevent privacy
breaches
• Patients can divulge own info in
comments
• When comments aren’t from patient,
de-identify
• Get HIPAA releases for special
comments or video we shoot and upload
58

Benefits of Comment Threads
• Patient stories most popular on .org
• Outlet for grateful patients who want
to tell their stories
• Prompts patients to think about
sharing stories
• Alerts us to great stories we may
want to feature in publications,
Medical Edge, media pitches
59

Where Sharing Mayo Clinic Fits
• News Blog - Breaking research news;
“Hard” news - Like U.S News, Time
• Podcast Blog - Evergreen “news you
can use” - Like Prevention
• Sharing Mayo Clinic - Features;
behind the scenes at Mayo Clinic,
and stories from patients in their own
words - Like People
60

Other Blogs...
• Health Policy Center Blog
• Physician Update Blog - For referring
MDs but not limited to them
• Diversity in Education Blog
• Advancing the Science - Medical
science blog - our medical version of
Scientific American
61

Yearly Cost for a
Customized Blog
$75.00
62

Old-Style Online Newsroom vs.
MacGyver Online Newsroom
• Web 1.0 Online Newsroom
• Typically purchased from a Vendor
• Costly - up to $10,000 + monthly fee
• Password-Protected Access
• “MacGyver” Online Newsroom
• DIY
• $45/year or $0.12/day
• Open to customers/patients/links
63

Answers to Objections
• “But what about the cost in staff time
to maintain all of these social media
platforms? They’re not really that
cheap!”
• AT&T free phone service in 1969
• Pitney Bowes free fax machines
and supplies in 1989
• YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
free in 2009
64

Stephen Covey’s “8th Habit”
Going beyond effectiveness to greatness
“Find your voice and inspire
others to find theirs”
65

“8th Habit” Opportunity
I can go to any group, and I do it all the time, all over the world, and I
ask a simple question: “How many honestly believe that the vast
majority of the workforce in your organizations possess more talent,
more intelligence, more capability, more creativity, more resourcefulness
than their present jobs require or even allow them to use?” Literally,
almost everyone raises their hands…. Think of the loss of what we could
call “voice,” of people’s intelligence, capability, creativity. And yet I
can ask the next question: … “How many feel pressured to produce
more for less?” and you know what, the same amount of hands go up.
Now just put those two questions together: Here there’s this enormous
capability and talent and intelligence, and also this great pressure to
produce more for less, and they’re not able to even use it.
-- Stephen Covey
66

Sharing Some Stories...
67

68

Affirming our Employees
Dear staff,
This 4 minute video actually made me tear
up…the patients mentioning our Judd
Sessions, classes and pamphlets…in relation
to their satisfaction with their care. How
wonderful to hear.
The patient/family testimonials reminded me
how we are making a difference through patient
education in the lives of our patients/families.
69

70

71

72

73

Two Case Studies of Mainstream
Media Facilitated by Social Media
• Wall Street Journal Health Blog
• Pitched via Facebook
• Previewed on News Blog
• Embedded from YouTube
• CBS Radio Network
• Flip audio downloaded from news
blog made national network air
74

Don’t (just) pitch the
media.
Be the media.
75

The Next Big Thing:
Radio Syndication
76

Healthline becomes Medical Edge
Weekend
• Host is Mayo Clinic M.D. with 20
years local radio experience
• Previous syndication not feasible
• 1999: Unlikely profitable
• 2008: $20K/month unavailable
• Opportunity for creative application
of social media tools
77

The MacGyver Syndication Plan
• Production continues at KROC-AM
• Segments delivered to affiliates as
mp3 files for next week’s broadcast
• Topic for live production posted to
blog, promoted via Twitter
• Listen live through audio stream
from flagship station
• Podcasts posted 9 days later
78

Official Launch Next Week
• Already a “win”: formerly local
program now internationally available
• Gradual growth is practical because
costs are nearly $0.00
• Unbridling a physician’s passion
• Significant new social media content
79

80

Follow Medical Edge Weekend
Progress
• radio.mayoclinic.org
• #mayoradio
• @mayoclinic
81

Enhancing Distribution of
Patient-Generated Content
• Alerted to interesting video of elderly
couple playing piano in Gonda atrium
• Embedded in Sharing Mayo Clinic,
posted to Facebook, Tweeted on 4/7/09
• Video had been seen 1,005 times in six
preceding months since upload
82

The next day...
83

Six days later...
84

April 22
85

Sunday, May 3
86

87

88

May 4
89

Cinco de Mayo
90

May 10
91

92

May 11
93

May 12
94

A sampling of the comments...
95

May 15
96

Early Morning May 26
97

May 26, 2009: Live in Studio
Good Morning America
98

99

May 28, 2009
100

Results to Date
• More than 4.3 million views on YouTube
• More than 1.4 million views on Sharing
Mayo Clinic
• Before posting to Sharing Mayo Clinic:
1,000 views in six months
• After posting, Facebooking and
Tweeting: 5,000 views per hour
101

Lessons
• Your mileage may vary, but...
• You’ll go a lot farther if you get a car.
102

Summary
• Twitter, Facebook, YouTube: $0
• Sharing Mayo Clinic blog: $75
• Bringing joy to the world through
music: Priceless
103

Immense Potential
• Marketing we couldn’t buy at any price
• 500,000 annual unique patients,
50,000 employees as ambassadors
• More efficient care delivery
• Patient support groups
• Chronic disease management
• Workplace Collaboration
• Free versions let you prove concept,
gauge readiness
104

“I’m going to speak about
opportunities and vulnerabilities
interchangeably. If you capitalize
on something, it’s an opportunity.
If your competitor capitalizes on it,
it’s a vulnerability.”
- Alpheus Bingham
Innocentive
August 5, 2009
105

106

“Kids will take a chance.
If they don’t know,
they’ll have a go.”
-- Sir Ken Robinson, TED 2006
107

“Your kids aren’t
smarter than you are.
They’re just not
afraid to look dumb.”
108

Tips on Personal Steps to Explore
• Establish a permanent personal email
• Get profiles in Facebook, LinkedIn
• Get a Twitter account
• Get a Flip camera (or iPhone 3G S?)
• Create a personal YouTube account
• Start a personal Blog
109

Visit Mayo Clinic Social Media Sites
• Follow, subscribe or “Fan”
• http://twitter.com/mayoclinic
• http://www.youtube.com/user/mayoclinic
• http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/
• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayo-
Clinic/7673082516
• Consider sharing your Mayo Clinic story
110

Starter Steps for Organizations
• Claim your Twitter “handle”
• Create a Facebook “fan” page
• Create a YouTube channel
• For Extra Credit: If you have
organizational commitment, create a
multi-author blog
111

The Social Media
Pyramid
112

113

Maslow’s Hierarchy
114

A Well-Balanced Social Media Diet
115