Pick the online platforms or applications that you are most comfortable with. As with a weight-loss program, you are more likely to stick with it if you focus on the platforms you enjoy. Some physicians, such as pediatrician Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, otherwise known as Seattle Mama Doc, loves blogging because it gives her the opportunity to go in depth on issues. Others, such as Dr. Linda Pourmassina and Dr. Howard Luks, appreciate the brevity of Twitter. Some, including Dr. Bryan Vartabedian and Dr. Mike Sevilla, embrace Facebook. Other physicians prefer Q&A forums, such as Avvo, that are specifically designed for medical providers and, as a result, offer security and ease of use out of the gate. Write down your objectives, determine where your target audience is online, research the different platforms, and select those that best achieve your goals and usability comfort level.

Look at what other physicians are doing online. Many of your colleagues have already learned how to responsibly use today’s most popular online social platforms and reputation-building channels in a HIPAA-compliant manner. In addition, take advantage of conferences and webinars to learn more about the opportunities that digital media present.

After you spend time researching, create your own digital media policy. Be specific on what you will and will not do. Some things to consider in your policy:

• Do not post content or answer questions anonymously.
• Do not talk about patients, even in general terms. Instead, talk about conditions and treatments. For example, “There are a number of symptoms associated with migraines…”
• As you get started, read your post or Q&A forum answer aloud before you post it. This will help you apply the “elevator test”—if you wouldn’t say it in public in an offline setting, don’t post it online.

Keep your personal and professional online lives separate. For example, if you want to have both a professional and personal presence on Facebook, create separate pages for each. Don’t mix up your content; do pay close attention to the privacy settings you set on each page. The same applies to Twitter. If you have a professional page on Facebook, allow and encourage people to “like” your page.

It’s OK to answer general health questions online. Whether it’s participating in secure online Q&A site, such as Avvo or offline in a Q&A at a speaking engagement, answering general health-related queries in a public forum is permitted under HIPAA. Q&A forums are increasingly popular and powerful tools for people to learn about conditions and treatments—particularly because Google places high value on this content and ranks it high in condition-related and doctor name search results. When participating in online Q&A, use the same common sense and practices to ensure the privacy of your patients that you would in any public setting. For more information, view an example of the types of questions consumers ask doctors online.

Avvo CEO, Mark Britton also provided his thoughts on HIPAA (and why doctors should not use it as an excuse to stay away from communicating online) in this interview with Mark Ragan, the CEO of Ragan Communications: