by Richard Godby, MD

Q: What sparked your interest in using social media as a platform for wellness in Medicine?

A: As we planned for developing wellness programs within the Department of Medicine (DOM), it was immediately obvious that communication would be a key element for assuring success. We thought that social media had great potential for getting our messages out to DOM faculty, staff and trainees.

Q: What forums do you use and why?

A: Initially, we focused on Twitter as the primary medium for communications about wellness and professional development. The idea was to send out short messages to busy people on a frequent basis to allow them to read them during the brief pauses in their workflow. We have subsequently added LinkedIn and Instagram. In addition, I write longer pieces which I share on my blog.

Q: Name the benefits and challenges of using social media in Medicine in a brief experience.

A: It has been relatively easy to build a moderately large group of followers on social media platforms in a short amount of time. Interestingly, there has been a robust interest from outside of DOM and outside of UAB. One of the challenges of using social media to advance communications in medicine is the assessment of impact. While most platforms give some statistics, it is difficult to track the impact on a specific target audience, such as UAB Department of Medicine. 

Q: Who do you follow?

“Most of the people I follow are those who followed me. I was delighted when Daneille Ofri (NYU/Bellvue physician and writer for New York Times and Slate) and filmmaker Julie Cohen (Director of RBG movie) followed me on Twitter, so of course, I follow them. I also follow some of the people who write for the Harvard Business Review, e.g., Chip Conley (executive with Airbnb). Finally, I try to identify and follow thought leaders, such as Atul Gawande.

Q: How do you decide what/when/where/how often to post?

A: I try to post only when there is something to say, but typically will have 3-5 posts per week, sometimes more. We recently did a month-long campaign promoting taking the stairs for exercise, and there were posts almost daily, plus weekly (humorous) videos of my media persona, Dr. Well-Be.

Q: What does the future of using digtial media in Medicine look like?

A: I think social media, and other aspects of digital media in medicine, will continue to grow as communications tools within medical practice for the foreseeable future.

Q: Any other predictions or pearls of wisdom regarding the use of social media in Medicine?

A: Self-care is an important part of professional life, and we all need to pay attention to it. Connecting with others in Medicine is a great way to promote wellness.

Follow Dr. Well-Be on the following platforms:

Twitter- @JIKennedyJr
LinkedIn- John Kennedy
Wordpress Blog
Instagram- jikennedyjr