Twitter and Facebook: Hands-on How-to-Use Social Networking Workshop for Educators

Introductions Mark Ryan, MD, FAAFP –Assistant Clinical Professor, Dept of Family Medicine and Population Health, VCU School of Medicine Aaron J. Michelfelder, M.D., FAAFP –Professor of Family Medicine –Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine Mary Theobald, MBA –STFM Vice President of Communications and Programs Traci Nolte –STFM Director of Publications and Community Sarah Wood –STFM Marketing Specialist for Membership and Community

Physicians and educators should be active participants in social media in order to liberate their expertise. Social media provides novel opportunities for collaboration and networking without regard to geography. Patients are more likely to trust physicians they know, they can identify, and who are local. Why this matters

Setting up a Twitter Account

Choose your username (handle) –short and easy to remember is good

Personalizing the Twitter Account Use a URL that matters Make your biography true, and relevant

Basic Terminology of Twitter Some jargon: All Twitter usernames (handles) start with Retweet (RT): one user re-posts another’s post. This allows sharing of information and can help start conversations. Replies start with another’s user name this notifies the other user you are speaking to them. Direct message (DM): only viewed by recipient, not the public.

Creating and Finding Hashtags Hashtag (#): topics of interest can be tagged with a #. For example, any post focused on health care reform can be tagged “#HCR”. This allows you to search for any recent posts that incorporate that tag. – #s allow for Twitter-based conversations (#hcsm, #MDChat) via TweetChat.TweetChat – #s are catalogued at the Healthcare Hashtag Project, and can be defined by common use (or asking the community).Healthcare Hashtag Project

Creating and sending Tweets Who you are addressing Hashtags

“Following” and “Followers”

Accounts I follow Accounts I don’t follow, but can

Discussion of Twitter Privacy Assume anything you say on Twitter is public, and cannot be taken back. Locking your account makes it more private, but I would not presume it to be ironclad. If you don’t want it found online, don’t put it online.

Find resources worth following. Interact with people. Post regularly and frequently: Twitter is very “in the stream”. Be a resource to the community. Develop lists to filter out the stream. Use tools (TweetDeck, HootSuite, etc.) to review metrics and manage accounts. Best practices for Twitter

Now Let’s Practice Set up your Twitter account Start Tweeting using #STFM13 Our Helpers will go around the room Questions?

Setting up a Facebook Account

Personalizing Facebook Personalized photos and “cover”

Personalizing Facebook Add as much information as you choose

Personalizing Facebook Standard elements Pages (followed or admin) Groups (member or admin)

Addressing FB Privacy Settings They vary, and are fickle. Be aware of changes, and watch for updates. Facebook seems to have taken a hint, and there is now a central dashboard that appears to make it easier to manage settings.

Addressing FB Privacy Settings

Facebook Posts

Effectively using Facebook Use photos. The (current) algorithm values visuals. Post often, but not too often—avoid burning out your audience. Be interactive, and include commentary in your posts.

Managing Friends You can accept or decline friend requests. Most recommendations advise not “friending” patients. You can block or remove friends at any time.

Creating Facebook Groups and Pages Groups: –Shared interests –Can be open or closed –Allows for internal group discussions Pages: –Represent an organization, person, or entity –Can be used to separate personal from professional –Built-in metrics and management tools

Groups

Closed group Group description Add group members

How do I use a FB group? Share discussion and resources. Develop collaborative projects. Follow-up from meetings, classes, etc. Keep learning communities intact after classes or conferences.

Pages Recent posts and their reach Built-in metrics— clicking opens more detail

Pages

FB pages FB pages cannot “friend” people or accounts. Instead, people “like” your page. Once “liked”, your page updates are viewable in that account’s timeline

What do I post on a FB page? For a practice: –New staff/clinicians –Info on sports physicals –Flu shot reminders (and how to schedule) –Immunization reminders –Tips on healthy living –Reminders on using urgent care instead of ER –Personal staff notes (birth of babies, new certifications, etc.)

What do I post on a FB page? Medical schools/residency programs: –Academic calendar reminders –Staff changes –Staff promotions –Grand rounds topics –New online courses –Event reminders –Alumni announcements –National news related to family medicine –Job openings

What do I post on a FB page? Personal-professional: –Can be a way to promote your school/department through you as an “entity” –Publications –Presentations –Links to relevant professional materials –Some employers require a professional page –You must approve any posts to your page

Linking Twitter and Facebook Don’t link automatically. Consider tools that allow SELECTIVE cross-posting.

Now Let’s Practice Set up a Facebook page Our Helpers will go around the room Questions?

Social Media and Medical Student and Resident Education –We must teach medical students about the potential risks of using social media. In 2009, JAMA reported that “60% of U.S. medical schools surveyed reported incidents of students posting unprofessional content online.” JAMA reported –Some family medicine residency core competencies could be addressed via social media: medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism and systems-based practice.

Medical Student and Resident Education: Faculty Roles Family medicine faculty can facilitate student and resident learning via social media: –Identify valuable resources: blogs, Twitter accounts, Facebook, YouTube channels. –Moderate Twitter chats (or journal clubs?). –Use social media tools in productive and professional ways. –Record videos or podcasts to supplement teaching.

Social Media and Core Competencies Some family medicine core competencies could be addressed via social media: medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism and systems-based practice

Social Media and Core Competencies Patient care: NO. (Not yet. Ever?) Medical knowledge: Increased access to new sources of information; opportunities to discuss information with multiple contacts. Practice-based learning and improvement: probably not yet.

Social Media and Core Competencies Interpersonal and communication skills: as social media becomes more widely used, we need to teach learners these skills. Professionalism: Accountability to society and the profession, and sensitivity to diverse populations. Systems-based practice: Enhanced awareness of team-based care and the roles of other professionals and of patients.

Tweeting During Educational Sessions Many of us tweet during conferences –Share information and insights –Make connections –Ask questions Tweet during class –Ask questions –Engage the audience and the speaker

Wrap-up