The document discusses the impact of digital and social media on physician-patient communication, highlighting that 84% of U.S. adults use the internet and 71% engage with social media, which enhances connectivity. Physicians are increasingly using social media for information sharing, and patients now expect updated, reliable online resources from healthcare providers. Tools like YouTube and Twitter are becoming essential for patient education and real-time news dissemination.

1. WHAT EVERY PHYSICIAN
NEEDS TO KNOW:
COMMUNICATING WITH PATIENTS
IN THE DIGITAL AGE

2. WHAT’S CHANGED?
• Digital and social media such as
websites, social networks, blogs,
and online communities are
universal in our lives.
1

3. INTERNET AND
SOCIAL MEDIA USE
According to the Pew Research Center:
• 84% of U.S. adults use the Internet*
• 71% of online adults use social media sites*
2
* http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/06/26/americans-internet-access-2000-2015
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/social-media-update-2014/

4. INTERNET AND
SOCIAL MEDIA USE
• The widespread use of sites such as Twitter, Facebook,
Google +, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Slideshare,
LinkedIn, Yelp, and Healthgrades brings unprecedented
connectivity to physicians and patients.
2

5. PHYSICIAN SOCIAL
MEDIA USE3According to the Journal of Medical Internet
Research*
:
• 61% of physicians use social media once a
week or more to look for information.
• 46% say they contribute new information on
social media once per week or more.
* http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/01/01/docs-often-use-social-media-on-the-job-survey

6. SMARTPHONES
Smartphones are further fueling the rise in connectivity.
• 2/3 of Americans now own smartphones*
and
they use them to watch videos, listen to music or
podcasts, and for social networking.
• Smartphones are also fueling the rise of video.
Because smartphones make it easy to watch and
share videos, people are reading less and
watching more.
4
* http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/03/PI_Smartphones_0401151.pdf

7. ONLINE VIDEOS
578% of adults online watch or download video.*
• They are watching videos that answer specific
questions, such as “What can I expect after my
colonoscopy?” or “Should I have a PSA screening?”
* http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/10/video-the-rise-of-online-video/

8. YOUTUBE
6• YouTube is now the number two search engine after
Google.
• More people search on YouTube than Yahoo or Bing
combined.
• Hospital systems and physicians have been using
YouTube — in addition to their websites and blogs — to
educate their audiences.
• The Mayo Clinic YouTube channel currently has more
than 3,600 videos with than 20 million views.

9. TWITTER AS A
NEWS SOURCE7
• Twitter now has more than 200 million active users
who post more than 400 million tweets a day.
• Twitter has become the “new” newswire and
millions of people now rely on it as a news source.
• It has supplanted the Associated Press, Dow Jones,
and Bloomberg for breaking news.

10. CHANGING
EXPECTATIONS8More and more, patients want to interact with
physicians online.
• Online information should be up-to-date,
reliable, and easily accessible.
• Physicians must constantly adapt their
online presence to meet these needs.

11. CHANGING
EXPECTATIONS
• A website with outdated content can
make your health care organization look
unprofessional and irrelevant.
• Credibility can be lost by simply not
keeping a website up-to-date.
8

12. CHANGING
EXPECTATIONS
In addition to keeping your website updated, consider
the following to help connect with patients online.
• Create and manage a LinkedIn profile.
• Update your profile information on physician
review sites.
• Create your own blog or contribute to your
hospital or specialty society blog.
8

13. PROTECTION FOR
A NEW ERA OF
MEDICINE
ABOUT TMLT:
With more than 17,500 physicians in its care, Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT)
provides malpractice insurance and related products to physicians. Our purpose is to
make a positive impact on the quality of health care for patients by educating, protecting,
and defending physicians. www.tmlt.org
Find us on:
9