If you plan to use any patient photos or information, it is essential to discuss the intended use with the patients and obtain written consent. “I am extremely grateful to my patients who allow me to share their experiences, which is very personal. Many patients who agree to share their photos do so with the hope of helping others in similar situations,” Dr. Yang said.
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September 2024Dr. Yang continued, “Your professional account is an extension of your professional persona, so be professional. If it is something you wouldn’t discuss openly at work, you probably shouldn’t be discussing it on social media.”
Dealing with Negative Comments
Negative comments and posts are inevitable, but they can be managed correctly.
Dr. Yang advised physicians to respond to negative comments or posts “in a polite and honest manner or decline to comment.”
According to Dr. Morse, most negative comments are unrelated to you or the content you’re putting out. If you’re getting the same comments repeatedly, perhaps consider why, “but in general, remember what your personal mission is for your social media use, and as long as your content is in line with that, ignore them.”
Dr. Vila said that negative comments and posts occur most frequently on TikTok because the number of people seeing your posts who have never heard of you is much higher than on other social media platforms. “You can either take it on the chin and respond in a funny, lighthearted way or just delete the comment and block the poster. I’d like to be funnier, but sometimes, the truth is that the comment is hurtful and it’s best to delete it,” he added.
To prevent any social media legal liability concerns, Dr. Vila avoids giving individual medical advice.
“It’s OK to speak in general terms, but you will get questions from people about their specific problems because you’re a doctor on social media. I don’t respond to these comments, and I have a disclaimer on my YouTube page that I do not give out individual medical advice on the internet,” Dr. Vila said.
When to Hire a Professional
According to Dr. Yang, hiring a professional to handle your social media account can be beneficial when you need more time or desire to do so. It can also be useful “when you want additional help creating content or growing a following, or when you have a very active account with multiple posts and reels a day or posts/reels that require a lot of time.”
Dr. Vila explained that while running quality social media accounts requires a time commitment, he manages them himself.
“I’m a strong believer that the best accounts work because they have an authentic voice that can only come from the individual. The accounts run by marketing teams can be spotted a mile away with the stock photos and generic captions,” Dr. Vila said.
Dr. Krane also manages her own professional social media account. “I do everything on my own, so this requires a high degree of simplicity and ease. In order for social media to be sustainable for me, it needs to seamlessly blend into my schedule, not be an additional ‘to do’ item.”
“My posts are templated, and my ‘walk and talk’ videos are created while I walk to my car after work,” Dr. Krane explained. “My rule is: one take or no take; there is no editing, splicing, or fancy add-ons. This is no doubt a lo-fi and unpolished approach, and not likely what marketing experts would recommend, but it seems to work for me and make facial plastic surgery a more approachable topic to the audience.”
Katie Robinson is a freelance medical writer based in New York.