Why is it that physicians are slow to catch on to the latest in information technology? Many of us have read about the “twittering” in the OR recently. As a surgeon, many thoughts come to mind; I will not be sharing any of them on this blog. However, the point is very well taken. People are twittering, blogging, chatting, emailing, and talking in all forms about this phenomenon. Clearly, it is a “new” concept.
How can physicians embrace information technology and add value to their services by implementing many of the “mainstream” applications into their practices and daily activities? Dr. Shelley Binkley has found an answer to this question. Dr. Binkley is an OB/Gyn physician in Colorado who is “trying to improve health awareness through blogging and social media.” Incidentally, I found her on Twitter. Her blog/website can be found at www.HealthEWoman.org.
What has Dr. Binkley achieved via social media? She has chosen an Internet medium that combines both a website and a blog to globally reach women and simply “help” them. She certainly hooked me! On her blog, she does several things.
- Provides free, factual, unbiased medical information that is of interest to women and encourages them to respond with their stories. The page layouts are bright, inviting, and very easy to navigate. Kudos to DIY Themes.
“HealthEWoman is my effort to gather in one web site the collective wisdom in our stories, fuse it with established and cutting-edge medical knowledge, to help us all make better, more informed health-care decisions.” Dr. Binkley explains this in the “How To Use This Site” section.
- Provides her credentials and contact information, securing credibility with readers, while clearly defining her purpose and mission as a physician.
“My ultimate goal is to do the greatest good for the most women world-wide. Whether you’re a client of mine, or someone living on the other side of the globe seeking information about your health, I want to help you.”
- Welcomes patients to her practice, Alpine Women’s Care, where she eloquently reassures patients that they will receive “personal care in a private setting.” A relationship and comfort level is established before the patient ever arrives at the office.
After acknowledging a patient’s time is valuable, she proceeds to say, “Our waiting room is quiet and inviting. Because we structure our patient flow to be efficient, you won’t be waiting long, and during your brief check-in time, you’ll enjoy comfortable seating, soft music, and good reading.”
- Displays her competence and expertise by describing and offering two books that she has authored, Get A Grip On Your Hormones! and DIY Baby: Your Essential Pregnancy Handbook.
Dr. Binkley should be commended for her expertise and compassion as a physician, but also as a pioneer in the medical profession for using information technology to reach women around the globe and simply “help” them.
Until next time, follow me on Twitter!
March 6th, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Thank you so much for the wonderful post!
The URL for my website is actually healthewoman.org
Thanks again!
Dr. Binkley
March 6th, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Hello Dr. Binkley,
You are most welcome for the post. I wanted to show the rest of the medical community how you have used information technology and social media to simply “help” others. The Internet and its applications have immense potential, limited only by our imagination and willingness to step out of our comfort zones.
Having said that, you caught me in a fatal flaw (not sure “fatal” is a good word for a physician to use). Attention to detail is of the utmost importance. The error you described has been corrected, and a very important lesson has been learned.
Thank you so much, and I look forward to your future blog posts and tweets (for those of you who do not know what a “tweet” is, stay tuned “Tweet 101″ is on the way)!
Susanna Beshai, M.D., M.B.A.