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yeschaoticsheepstarlightposts · 5 years ago

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15 Things You Should Never Do at the Doctor's Office

Think of your happiest relationships, and there is an honest chance all requires open communication, honesty, and trust. That goes for you and your doctor, too. Lie out of embarrassment, and she or he can't treat you. Show up unshowered to a doctor visit, and she or he won't want to. Ghost her too repeatedly, and a break-up is inevitable.

Be a far better partner and you will recover healthcare.

To uncover what to do—and what to not do—at the doctor's office, Eat This, Not That! Health talked to the country's top docs to seek out the #1 things medical professionals say you ought to avoid at a doctor visit. Read on. Your life depends thereon.

1 Never Be a Passive Listener Nurse Showing Patient Test Results On Digital Tablet Shutterstock Becoming a lively listener, not a passive one, is the No. 1 thanks to being a far better patient, say doctors Mikkael Sekeres and Timothy Gilligan of the Cleveland Clinic. They revealed within the NY Times that too many of their patients nod mechanically at what they're saying, without fully understanding the knowledge being relayed.

The Rx: Asking questions, requesting that the doctor repeat something, taking notes or bringing along a loved one who can do any of the above can assist you to become a life partner in your care.

2 Never Show Up With a Self-Diagnosis and Tell Your Doctor What to try to the patient is angry on doctor due to medical error Shutterstock There's a fine line between a lively listener and being a know-it-all. Consult Google to self-educate, not self-diagnose, says Suzanne Koven, a medical care internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. "I have enormous respect for patients' autonomy and understanding of their bodies, and to some extent, doctors are working with patients during a collaboration," she told Scientific American. "But to pretend that both parties are bringing the identical degree of data to the table is disingenuous. Once during a while, somebody will are available determined that they have an MRI to rule out such and such or this drug to treat such and such, and I'll need to say, 'Whoa, slow down, let's mention you and your symptoms.'"

The Rx: Do your research. Ask questions on anything you do not understand. But leave the diagnosis to your doctor.

3 Never Lie female holding fingers crossed behind her back Shutterstock According to a survey conducted by ZocDoc, almost one-quarter of individuals mislead their doctors. (Women were slightly more likely to love, at 30%, compared to 23% of men.) Embarrassment and fear of being judged were the foremost common reasons given. Stop it right now! "Sugar-coating bad habits or nagging symptoms doesn't help," advises David Longworth, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic. "Your doctors are confidential partners in your care. they have all the knowledge available to assist you to create smart decisions. that has everything from your habits to each medication you're taking, including over-the-counter drugs, herbal products, vitamins, and supplements. If you are not consistently taking medication, ask your doctor about why — including if you cannot afford them."

The Rx: Always be candid. Anything less may be a waste of your time. Leave embarrassment and shame behind. Your doctor is there to enhance your health, not nag you.

4 Never Leave Things Out Man writing at the desk Shutterstock According to the ZocDoc survey, 64 percent of seniors said they've avoided mentioning health issues with their doctor because they didn't think the matter was that serious or worth discussing. None folks want to perform a hypochondriac's soliloquy at the doctor's office, but it isn't the time for false modesty either.

The Rx: If you think that you would possibly get tongue-tied within the moment, write down your symptoms or things you want to debate together with your doctor before your visit.

5 Never Be Late Asian businesswoman watching the watch time worried and scared of getting late to the meeting Shutterstock Remember the last time you sat during a lounge, doing what space was for, for an hour? That's likely because people before you were late for his or her appointments, backing up the entire queue. Reinforcing this little bit of sense may be a doctor who posted on Reddit: "Every outpatient office has time put aside for sick visits, and time blocked off for pre-scheduled visits," wrote _PyramidHead_. "People will often call in when the office opens and invite a sick visit to deal with their pharyngitis, whatever. More times than I can count, the person will say, 'I can't are available until 4:30,' usually the last slot of the day. Which is ok, but once they then don't show up, I'm annoyed. Especially if the last pre-scheduled visit was as 3:15, and that I waited around for an hour — only to possess someone not shows up."

The Rx: Keep your appointments and get on time. Or call to let the doctor's office know what is going on on.

6 Never Be a Jerk to the office Aggressive man yelling at the nurse in the clinic Shutterstock Don't make a scene at the front desk about wait times or rant a few charges mandated by your insurance. "Complaining to the front office about your copay is pointless; they need no control over that," wrote Redditor _PyramidHead_.

The Rx: Be proactive: Call ahead to ascertain if the office is running behind if you would like to, stay informed about insurance features like your deductible, and skim #8 on this list.

7 Never Show Up Unshowered man is taking shower in the bathroom Shutterstock This one's sense (and common courtesy). Unfortunately, judging from postings by medical staff on social media, it's an all-too-common occurrence. Remember when mom asked if you were wearing clean underwear, just in case you were during an accident and ended up in a doctor's care? Mom was right.

The Rx: you do not need to prep like it is a date, but be clean.

8 Not Know What Your Insurance Covers Older patient at woman doctor office paying exam with MasterCard Shutterstock It's near rock bottom of the list of last things any folks want to do: Spend time on the phone with the insurance company. But if you're having a procedure, need medical devices, or are prescribed new medication, it's better to call ahead and sign up than be caught with a bill — and need to spend longer on the phone — after the very fact. If you would like a colonoscopy, the procedure could be covered, but not a specific facility or anesthesiologist.

The Rx: Call ahead to see. If you've got concerns, tell your doctor.

9 Not Know What Medications You're On female physician prescribing pills to an older black male patient Shutterstock This is a frequent complaint voiced by doctors and other medical professionals. If you're seeing a replacement doctor who won't have access to your records, he or she won't mind in the least if you bring along a cheat sheet together with your meds listed. It could prevent drug interactions and large problems down the road.

The Rx: jot your medications and dosages and convey the knowledge along to your doctor visit, or keep it on your phone.

10 Never Ignore Medication Instructions woman takes medicine capsules Shutterstock Always take medication as prescribed. Failure to try to do so is one of the highest complaints medical professionals voice on social media. On Reddit, a doctor going by the nickname AstralResolve explained their frustration with a standard scenario: "' I stopped taking the antibiotics cause I began to feel better. Now I'm sick again and therefore the antibiotics aren't as effective.' Every freaking time. We instruct you disregard, bugs get stronger and more resistant."

Redditor walrustude, a doctor, said noncompliance supported online research was his top gripe: "Straight up refusal to follow medical advice or to comply with taking one pill each day known to dramatically improve symptoms, all because this mommy blog said the simplest thing is apple vinegar or because WebMD suggested cold showers." Your doctor doesn't mind questions supported your research; just don't present them with something you read online as the incontrovertible fact that applies to your particular case.

The Rx: Follow prescription instructions to the letter, and voice any concerns to your doctor.

11 Never Conceal that you've got Stopped Taking Your Medication hand-throwing pills away Shutterstock This is another frequent occurrence, medical professionals say. "People stop taking medications all the time, actually because they feel better or can't afford the value. it is a chronic situation, especially as Americans grow old," writes aging expert Barbara Hannah Grufferman on HuffPost. Remember #3 and #4 on this list — a doctor's visit may be time for total honesty. Anything less is counterproductive.

The Rx: Tell your doctor everything. If finances are a problem, be blunt. (Your doctor or office could also be ready to help with co-pay cards or other solutions.)

12 Never Get Too Many Second Opinions female physician checking male patients vital sign at clinic Shutterstock A second opinion is great. A fifth, not such a lot. "I'm an enormous fan of second opinions," Orly Avitzur, MD, wrote in Consumer Reports. "I encourage my very own patients to hunt them out when faced with a difficult diagnosis or decision, and I have provided them also. But there is a limit. A recent patient was paralyzed by indecision after seeking several medical opinions (I was number seven), all with slightly different recommendations. Medicine frequently involves judgment calls, and sooner or later you will have to trust one among them."

The Rx: Know when to mention when. More information isn't better.

13 Never Bring Relatives Along Who Take Over the Conversation Couple Attending IVF Consultation Shutterstock "While I do not yet bring anyone into my doctor's appointments, I do accompany both my mother and mother-in-law to theirs," says Grufferman. "They are 75 and 83, respectively, and the second set of ears and eyes is usually an honest thing, especially when the doctor is discussing procedures, medicine, and follow-up recommendations. during this case, I think physicians welcome my presence, as long as I do not completely take over. I always take notes and ask the doctor to repeat or review something if I do not understand."

The Rx: Ask well-meaning relatives who come along to your doctor visit to try to more listening than talking.

14 Never Be a No-Show Missed call phone from someone via mobile smartphone while Asian man sleeping on the bed in the late morning Shutterstock "Not only isn't exposure once we were expecting you (and once we have called, texted, emailed, and sometimes all three to remind you that you simply have an appointment) rude and entitled, it also tells me that my time invaluable, which somehow you think that you probably did not need to keep what essentially was a contract that you simply made with me once you made the appointment," writes California physician Rebecca Levy-Gantt during a piece on Medium titled "How to be an honest Patient".

The Rx: If you cannot make your appointment, always let the doctor's office know.

15 Never Ask Your Doctor to Lie A medical doctor making a negative sign for medicine by his finger. Doctor showing forbidden sign Shutterstock This is an enormous no-no. "Sometimes patients will inquire from me to travel back and 'code the visit differently,'" says Levy-Gantt. "I won't change the test codes or the visit codes to accommodate someone, since doing so is a fraud and not an appropriate or legal thing on behalf of me to try to to. Sorry. I will, however, attend bat for a patient (and I have) if I feel a patient needs a specific test done, and therefore the insurance firm denies it."

The Rx: Don't ask your doctor to cheat the system. It's unethical, and do not you would like a physician who's honest in the least times?

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gordonwilliamsweb · 3 years ago

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Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music?

Earlier this month, Dr. Rashid Buttar posted on Twitter that covid-19 “was a planned operation” and shared an article alleging that most people who got the covid vaccine would be dead by 2025.

His statement is a recent example in what has been a steady stream of spurious claims surrounding the covid vaccines and treatments that swirl around the public consciousness. Others include testimony in June by Dr. Sherri Jane Tenpenny before Ohio state legislators that the vaccine could cause people to become magnetized. Clips from the hearing went viral on the internet. On April 9, 2020, Dr. Joseph Mercola posted a video titled “Could hydrogen peroxide treat coronavirus?” which was shared more than 4,600 times. In the video, Mercola said inhaling hydrogen peroxide through a nebulizer could prevent or cure covid.

These physicians are identified as members of the “Disinformation Dozen,” a group of top superspreaders of covid vaccine misinformation on social media, according to a 2021 report by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate. The report, based on an analysis of anti-vaccine content on social media platforms, found that 12 people were responsible for 65% of it. The group is composed of physicians, anti-vaccine activists and people known for promoting alternative medicine.

The physician voices are of particular concern because their medical credentials lend credence to their unproven, often dangerous pronouncements. All three continue to hold medical licenses and have not faced consequences for their covid-related statements.

But leaders of professional medical organizations increasingly are calling for that to change and urging medical oversight boards to take more aggressive action.

In July, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the national umbrella organization for the state-based boards, issued a statement making clear that doctors who generate and spread covid misinformation could be subject to disciplinary action, including the suspension or revocation of their licenses. The American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Pediatrics issued a joint statement Sept. 9 in support of the state boards’ position, warning that “such unethical or unprofessional conduct may prompt their respective Board to take action that could put their certification at risk.”

And the superspreaders identified by the center’s report are not alone. KHN identified 20 other doctors who have made false or misleading claims about covid by combing through published fact checks and other news coverage.

For example, at an Indiana school board meeting in August, Dr. Dan Stock claimed the surge in covid cases this summer was due to “antibody mediated viral enhancement” from people receiving covid vaccines. PolitiFact rated his claim “Pants on Fire” false.

Dr. Stella Immanuel, a member of a group America’s Frontline Doctors, which has consistently made false statements about covid, said in a video that went viral in July 2020 that masks weren’t needed because covid could be cured by hydroxychloroquine. Immanuel’s website currently promotes a set of vitamins, as well as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, as covid treatments.

Two of the doctors mentioned by name in this article responded to requests for comment. Mercola offered documents to rebut criticisms of his hydrogen peroxide covid treatment and took issue with the center’s “Disinformation Dozen” report methodology. Buttar defended his positions, saying via email that “the science is clear and anyone who contests it, has a suspect agenda at best and/or lacks a moral compass.” He also pointed to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Adverse Event Recording System, considered inconclusive by many experts.

Since the onset of the covid pandemic, misinformation has been widespread on social media platforms. And many experts blame it for undermining efforts to curb the coronavirus’s spread. A recent poll showed that more than 50% of Americans who won’t get vaccinated cited conspiracy theories as their reasons — for example, saying the vaccines cause infertility or alter DNA.

Some physicians have gained notoriety by embracing covid-related fringe ideas, quack treatments and falsehoods via social media, conservative talk shows and even in person with patients. Whether promoting the use of ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug for animals, or a mix of vitamins to treat covid, doctors’ words can be especially powerful. Public opinion polls consistently show that Americans have high trust in doctors.

“There is a sense of credibility that comes with being a doctor,” said Rachel Moran, a researcher who studies covid misinformation at the University of Washington. “There is also a sense they have access to insider info that we don’t. This is a very confusing time, and it can seem that if anyone knows what I should be doing in this situation, it’s a doctor.”

While covid is a novel and complicated infectious disease, physicians spreading misinformation generally have no particular expertise in infectious diseases. Dr. Scott Atlas, who endorsed former President Donald Trump’s unproven statements about the course of the pandemic, is a radiation oncologist.

Traditionally, the responsibility of policing physicians has fallen to state medical boards. Beyond overseeing the licensing process, these panels investigate complaints about doctors and discipline those who engage in unethical, unprofessional or, in extreme cases, criminal activity. Any member of the public can submit a complaint about a physician.

“The boards are relatively slow and weak and it’s a long, slow process to pull somebody’s license,” said Arthur Caplan, founding head of the Department of Medical Ethics at New York University. “In many states, they have their hands full with doctors who have committed felonies, doctors who are molesting their patients. Keeping an eye on misinformation is somewhat down on the priority list.”

To date, only two doctors have reportedly faced such sanctions. In Oregon, Dr. Steven LaTulippe had his license suspended in December 2020 for refusing to wear a face mask at his clinic and telling patients that masks were ineffective in curbing the spread of covid, and even dangerous. Dr. Thomas Cowan, a San Francisco physician who posted a YouTube video that went viral in March 2020 stating that 5G networks cause covid, voluntarily surrendered his medical license to California’s medical board in February 2021.

Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, president of the Federation of State Medical Boards, however, said it’s possible some doctors could already be the subject of inquiries and investigations, since these actions are not made public until sanctions are handed down.

KHN reached out to the medical and osteopathic boards of all 50 states and the District of Columbia to see if they had received covid misinformation complaints. Of the 43 that responded, only a handful shared specifics.

During a one-week period in August, Kansas’ medical board received six such complaints. In all, the state has received 35 complaints against 20 licensees about spreading covid misinformation on social media and in person. Indiana has received about 30 in the past year. South Carolina said it had about 10 since January. Rhode Island didn’t share the number of complaints but said it has taken disciplinary action against one doctor for spreading misinformation, though it hasn’t moved to suspend his license. (The disciplinary measures include a fine, a reprimand on the doctor’s record and a mandate to complete an ethics course.) Five states said they had received only a couple, and 11 states reported receiving no complaints regarding covid misinformation.

Confidentiality laws in 13 states prevented those boards from sharing information about complaints.

Social media companies have also been slow to take action. Some doctors’ accounts — specifically those among the Disinformation Dozen — have been suspended, but others are still active and posting misinformation.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said social media platforms often don’t consistently apply their rules against spreading misinformation.

“Even when it’s the same companies, Facebook will sometimes take posts down, but Instagram will not,” Ahmed said, referring to Facebook’s ownership of Instagram. “It goes to show their piecemeal, ineffective approach to enforcing their own rules.”

A Facebook spokesperson said the company has removed over 3,000 accounts, pages and groups for repeatedly violating covid and vaccine misinformation policies since the beginning of the pandemic. Buttar’s Facebook and Instagram pages and Tenpenny’s Facebook page have been removed, while Mercola’s Facebook posts have been demoted, which means fewer people will see them. Tenpenny and Mercola still have Instagram accounts.

Part of the challenge may be that these doctors sometimes present scientific opinions that aren’t mainstream but are viewed as potentially valid by some of their colleagues.

“It can be difficult to prove that what is being said is outside the range of scientific and medical consensus,” said Caplan. “The doctors who were advising Trump — like Scott Atlas — recommended herd immunity. That was far from the consensus of epidemiologists, but you couldn’t get a board to take his license away because it was a fringe opinion.”

Even if these physicians don’t face consequences, it is likely, experts said, that the public health will.

“Medical misinformation doesn’t just result in people making bad personal and community health choices, but it also divides communities and families, leaving an emotional toll,” said Moran, the University of Washington researcher. “Misinformation narratives have real sticking power and impact people’s ability to make safe health choices.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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stephenmccull · 3 years ago

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Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music?

Earlier this month, Dr. Rashid Buttar posted on Twitter that covid-19 “was a planned operation” and shared an article alleging that most people who got the covid vaccine would be dead by 2025.

But leaders of professional medical organizations increasingly are calling for that to change and urging medical oversight boards to take more aggressive action.

Confidentiality laws in 13 states prevented those boards from sharing information about complaints.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said social media platforms often don’t consistently apply their rules against spreading misinformation.

Part of the challenge may be that these doctors sometimes present scientific opinions that aren’t mainstream but are viewed as potentially valid by some of their colleagues.

Even if these physicians don’t face consequences, it is likely, experts said, that the public health will.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music? published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

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dating24 · 4 years ago

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Jason Domino Wants You to Get Off and Get Information About HIV

Azure-eyed Jason Domino is a British sex worker and porn actor whose adorable accent conjures dirty Downton Abbey fantasies. What makes Domino extra sexy is that he uses his popularity and platforms to advocate for sex workers, promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and combat HIV stigma in adult films. “My very first call to activism was about PrEP,” Domino said. “In 2016 or so, I did an adult film called Porn4PrEP. It was a porn film, but it was also trying to teach people about PrEP so they could make choices.” Domino, who takes the HIV prevention medication, did a scene with an actor living with HIV who happened to have a detectable viral load at the time, boldly showing that PrEP works. You can watch Porn4PrEP—the G-rated version—here: Once Domino started being a PrEP hero and gained a better understanding about undetectability, specifically the reality that people whose HIV is undetectable cannot transmit HIV sexually (undetectable equals untransmittable, or U=U), he made it a mission to inform others. “There’s a lot of HIV stigma going on in the adult film industry,” Domino said. He said there’s “still a lot of traditional views, particularly in the straight spaces. Well, ‘traditional views’ is putting it politely,” he added. “There’s some really awful stigma happening there.” It’s especially challenging in straight porn. In the straight world, if a performer tests positive for HIV, it can mean the end of a career, the end of any work at all. “There was quite a stink a few years back,” Domino said. “August Ames refused to do a scene with a pansexual actor who was working in both the gay and the straight industry. She cited HIV risk and protecting her body. It brought out a load of bigotry in the straight space.” Ames, a rising star in the straight porn world, posted about it on Twitter. The gay community quite strongly called her out for the homophobic way she framed it. It spawned a Twitter war about HIV risk and gays versus Ms. Ames’ own right to decide who to perform on screen with. “ was nasty. I tried to reach her when I saw the community kicking off,” Domino said. “I wanted to try to explain what U=U means and how things are different now. But it’s difficult when someone is already in a defensive space.” The social-media backlash was too much for her, and, sadly, she committed suicide just two days after the Twitter scandal erupted. “It was terrible,” Domino said. “There wasn’t a resolution of her learning and understanding how much HIV has changed. The straight porn community just saw it as a case of cyberbullying.” Ames’ suicide seemed to make the division between the straight and gay porn worlds even more pronounced. “There are these two separate pools of work, and it’s seen that the gay world takes more risks than the straight world,” Domino said. “It’s really difficult.” Seeing this divide and the lack of information and understanding across the spectrum of the porn world, Domino was sparked to join with others in the adult film world to create Porn Professionals for Safety Against Discrimination (PPSD). This site is a place for performers and producers to pledge to agree to a work environment that allows for performers to understand all the risks and non-risks when it comes to HIV and sex. It opens the door for disclosure, U=U, PrEP, sexual health, and choice without fear of judgement or repercussions. The pledge also gives performers the freedom and respect to choose whether or not to engage sexually with people living with HIV and promises to honor confidentiality when it comes to HIV status. The production companies that have signed on so far are Himeros TV, Porn4PrEP, Treasure Island Media, CrunchBoy, The Good Porn Project, and TelevisionX. Health organizations, industry groups, and content platforms are also publicly supporting those taking the PPSD pledge, including JustForFans.com, NAM aidsmap, and the Prevention Access Campaign. Besides the pledge, the site also includes supplementary information about HIV, disclosure, testing, and sexual health for other sexually transmitted infections. Because adult films are a global industry, performers often travel for work to different countries that have different testing capabilities and methods. The actor knowing as much as they can about the challenges beforehand is another key to remaining healthy. “We need to be having these conversations,” Domino said, “because if we’re not and it’s buried underneath, people aren’t going to be able to make right, educated decisions.” Domino, along with fellow adult performer Kayden Gray (from the film U Equals Fucking U), is encouraging other performers to take the pledge. Gray comes from the point of view of someone living with HIV and on successful treatment, and Domino is proof that PrEP works. “Right now,” Domino said, “we’re trying to get more individuals to sign on to the pledge, content creators—because there’s this big movement of people that are filming themselves—along with a number of straight actresses that are living with HIV.” “There’s a long way that we need to bring people,” Domino said. “There are organizations in America and across Europe trying to be safeguards for the porn industry, and there’s pressure from the medical organizations for the porn industry to get it right.” Domino is also raising funds for porn performers to have access to PCR HIV testing. This test reacts to the genetic material (RNA) in HIV, and can detect HIV as early as days after a possible HIV exposure. “With the PCR test, the result is enough information to know someone is either HIV negative or undetectable, verses a result indicating there was a high enough HIV viral load to be detected,” Domino said. This provides enough information for the performers and the production team on set, while still allowing for status privacy of the actor. This also enables productions (studios or the new wave of content creators) to demonstrate they are creating space free from discrimination. As with a lot of HIV knowledge throughout history, gay men like Domino are leading the way to greater understanding of HIV, even in the adult film world. “Sometimes you have to strong-arm them to get them to come along,” Domino quipped, “but we’ll get there.” Check out Jason Domino’s film work and activism on his website, and follow him on Twitter @thejasondomino and Instagram @thejasondomino. Source link Read the full article

#about #domino #information #jason #wants

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dailynewswebsite · 4 years ago

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Pro-anorexia and starvation content still exists on TikTok. Here's what the app is doing about it.

TikTok commits to evolving safeguards round content material that may set off consuming issues. (Getty Pictures)

TikTok is trying into new methods to maintain dangerous pro-starvation and anorexia movies off its platform after discovering how prevalent they have been on the short-form video app.

TikTok made a dedication to assist body-positive content material on its platform with a September assertion asserting efforts to crack down on advertisements selling weight-loss and weight-reduction plan merchandise, in addition to partnerships with the Nationwide Consuming Dysfunction Affiliation (NEDA) and different advocates utilizing the app. Nonetheless, a chunk within the Guardian confirmed simply this week how straightforward it’s for customers to search out dangerous movies by means of loopholes, reminiscent of utilizing slight misspellings for search phrases generally related to the pro-eating-disorder neighborhood that TikTok blocks.

The professional-eating-disorder neighborhood (which additionally dubs itself pro-ED and pro-Ana, for anorexia) is a dangerous, web-based subculture wherein “folks with anorexia, bulimia, or different consuming issues assist practices concerned with anorexia or weight reduction,” based on the American Dependancy Facilities web site. “These websites could strengthen the illness of anorexia, as folks concerned within the discussions typically reward weight reduction and discourage wholesome physique form and measurement.”

The movies the Guardian not too long ago uncovered has customers encouraging viewers to, for instance, “flood these feedback with methods to unfastened alot [sic] of weight in three days, wholesome or unhealthy.” In keeping with TikTok, efforts have already been made to make sure that these movies aren’t allowed on the platform.

“As quickly as this concern was delivered to our consideration, we took motion banning the accounts and eradicating the content material that violated these tips, in addition to banning explicit search phrases. As content material modifications, we proceed to work with skilled companions, replace our know-how and evaluate our processes to make sure we are able to reply to rising and new dangerous actions,” TikTok U.Ok. mentioned in a press release to the Guardian.

A consultant for TikTok U.S. assures Yahoo Life that the crew behind the U.S. platform has taken comparable motion. “We not too long ago launched new advert insurance policies that ban advertisements for fasting apps and weight reduction dietary supplements and place stronger restrictions on weight reduction claims and references to physique picture. A lot of these advertisements don’t assist the constructive, inclusive and secure expertise we attempt for on TikTok,” the consultant says. “As well as, we don’t present search outcomes for phrases associated to consuming issues, and we frequently replace our safeguards to account for intentional misspellings and as phrases/phrases evolve.”

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Representatives for the app say that outcomes for searches associated to consuming issues will not present up. (TikTok)

TikTok’s September assertion additionally made point out of steps customers can take to make sure that they’re not being served sure content material by reporting movies, blocking customers, filtering feedback and utilizing options to inform TikTok that they’re “not ” in seeing associated content material.

Relating to making certain that dangerous content material doesn’t make its means onto the app to start with, nevertheless, Clara Guillem, a 24-year-old content material creator who focuses on psychological well being and eating-disorder restoration, tells Yahoo Life that TikTok’s proactive measures aren’t sufficient. “The reality of the matter is that there are two totally different ways in which pro-ED content material makes its approach to TikTok. One is the apparent: Utilizing weight reduction hashtags, and totally different misspellings of proana search phrases (pr04n4, edthings, thinsparation),” Guillem says through e-mail. “The opposite is just not so apparent: Masking content material as pro-recovery.”

Guillem explains that widespread hashtags like #edrecovery will typically be used to submit content material which may not be supposed to hurt viewers however does, by the use of placing an consuming dysfunction or habits related to it on show. “Earlier than-and-after restoration images, the place the earlier than images can be utilized as ED inspiration,” she shares for example. “Different content material may embrace ‘bragging’ about eating-disorder signs or making ‘relatable’ posts like ‘you possibly can solely acknowledge these photographs for those who’ve had an consuming dysfunction’ adopted by images of crushed ice, apple cider vinegar, mint gum, health apps and others issues that in a means find yourself instructing children how one can efficiently starve themselves.”

Coming throughout this content material, whether or not intentional or not, might be extraordinarily dangerous, NEDA communications supervisor Chelsea Kronengold tells Yahoo Life. “With social media, it’s identified that persons are extra more likely to observe recommendation or observe developments from friends or folks they understand to be friends, so micro-influencers, and even you’re on a regular basis influencers, extra so than celebrities,” she says. “And so, these influencers which might be well being and wellness and weight loss plan, health, which have a big following, may cause hurt and injury, as a result of persons are taking their probably nonmedical, nontraining recommendation at face worth. So there are these wild fad diets and developments that persons are taking as medical recommendation when it’s not.”

The ability that this content material can have on customers might be seen by means of the huge responses and the dangerous communities that it in flip varieties.

Tw/consuming dysfunction, physique picture

Simply noticed a tiktok the place they confirmed actually skinny our bodies and captioned it “true magnificence is one thing it’s important to work for

” it’s simply terrible how this obsession with being skinny remains to be right here and hurting so many individuals

— ngl I really like u (@herewearepft) December 1, 2020

additionally, many little children are gonna lookup consuming dysfunction. that’s how i discovered ed tumblr and edtwt. they actually aren’t as onerous to search out as lots of people assume, and with how widespread tiktok is, an ed neighborhood can be a ticking time bomb

— daisy ♡ swag (@halfdeaddaisy) December 8, 2020

It’s additionally not new to TikTok, as quite a lot of social media platforms earlier than it have labored to dam comparable harmful content material and communities. Beforehand widespread hashtags like #thinspo discovered houses on Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram earlier than folks advocated in opposition to them. “Plenty of what I ‘discovered’ to do really got here from Tumblr,” Guillem says of her personal consuming dysfunction, which she developed at age 14. “Consuming issues are so aggressive, and on that web site (and between my sick pals and I) there was all the time an invisible push to be the ‘sickest’ one. Individuals would submit their sickly our bodies and habits underneath a number of totally different ‘pro-ana’ hashtags that children like me would simply get sucked into. Even after the competitors and Tumblr took absence from my life, the consuming dysfunction stayed.”

And whereas Guillem thinks that TikTok ought to “utterly ban any tags that can be utilized on this means,” TikTok’s security coverage supervisor, Tara Wadhwa, tells Yahoo Life that the app is cautious of eradicating sure hashtags that additionally present assist.

“TikTok helps those that need to share their story and use their voice to lift consciousness for consuming issues,” Wadhwa says. “Our insurance policies goal to allow folks to search out assist inside communities on TikTok whereas additionally addressing and eradicating content material that promotes consuming habits which might be more likely to trigger well being points.”

Whereas the steadiness of enabling supportive communities on the app and figuring out dangerous content material inside them is a troublesome one to strike, TikTok’s partnership with NEDA is to ensure it’s heading in the right direction. The short-form video app has even earned reward for elevating creators who’re posting movies of themselves consuming meals and providing customers a secure house to just about be a part of them, in an effort to supply meal assist to younger folks with, or recovering from, an consuming dysfunction. The app hopes to not solely remove dangerous content material but additionally make the most of the partnership with NEDA to current customers with useful sources as an alternative.

“We’ll quickly start redirecting searches and hashtags — for phrases offered to us by NEDA, or related to unsafe content material we’ve faraway from our platform — to the NEDA Helpline, the place NEDA can then present confidential assist, instruments and sources,” the TikTok rep says. “TikTok not too long ago supported Weight Stigma Consciousness Week by launching a devoted web page in our app to assist NEDA’s #EndWeightHateCampaign. This web page was featured in our Uncover web page and educated our neighborhood about what weight stigma is, why it ought to matter to everybody and the way somebody can discover assist or assist others who could also be struggling.”

Should you or somebody you recognize is fighting physique picture or consuming issues, NEDA’s toll-free, confidential helpline is accessible to assist by telephone (800-931-2237) and click-to-chat message. Disaster assist can be out there through textual content message by texting ‘NEDA’ to 741741.

Learn extra from Yahoo Life

Need life-style and wellness information delivered to your inbox? Enroll right here for Yahoo Life’s e-newsletter.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/pro-anorexia-and-starvation-content-still-exists-on-tiktok-heres-what-the-app-is-doing-about-it/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

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promarketo-blog · 5 years ago

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Digital Marketing for Physical Therapist

Our day-to-day living lifestyle is changing exponentially due to digitalization with much variance. People want everything on the go even doctors, health professionals and Physical Therapist. To bring your presence on all over the internet you need Digital Marketing for Physical Therapist. In the current urban world, Digital Marketing is the most cost-efficient and effective solution to reach out to your potential audience in quick time and get potential Physical Therapy patients who need your services.

Digital Marketing for Physical Therapist

As we can see, Physical therapy marketing is getting much tricky to built and attract people towards the services provided by them. Cause of this is the increase in the competitive industries in medicine.

With the increase in demand for Physical Therapists and Physical therapy services in the market, numerous service providers bestow different services as per patients’ demands. Furthermore, now these aren’t just a few services but beneficial marketing strategies. Thus it gets merely tricky to have a better grapple on market space along with attracting more patients. And retain payments as well by the patients.

We’ll see how Physical therapists can effectively & efficiently have held on the market with the use of Digital Marketing Services for Physical therapists. With which they can attract their patients along with no harm to the revenue collection by Physical Therapy services. Sometimes getting started with the digitalization process for Physical therapy services or any other services can be tough and challenging while you can follow a few straightforward inbound marketing services for Physical therapy to get set up a much better hold in the market.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

SEO can be considered as one of the most critical and crucial factors in setting up a digital marketing platform for any competitive industry, whether medical or software. Have you seen different options in the drop-down menu when you search for something? That’s what SEO does. It improves the website so that it gets displayed in the search engine results. Sometimes the code of the sites takes time to be scanned by the Google’s Algorithm, but it can consume even more time in building a trust factor for your website, thus don’t wait for the moment to come, make a website and follow the instructions below.

SEO can be done by streamlining your code, so it loads faster. Along with that, the use of keywords makes your website stand out than the rest. For example, if you use “Physical Therapy in (your city)” on your website’s homepage, there is a better chance that Google will show the respected site in the results when someone searches the keyword. Thus Search Engine Optimization for Physical therapist is as important and for anyone else. By using keywords, earning links from different websites, etc. a physical therapist can do the same to make his/her website popup on the search engines results.

2. Social Media Services for Physical therapist

In how many ways a physical therapist can reach out to its audience on a much larger scale than ever? Well, social media does the job for you. Social Media Services for Physical therapist also plays a vital role in setting up the pace. As Social Media marketing revolves around creating profiles on several/major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. There are many ways in which social media services helps Physical therapists as it provides you a platform with large personnel base where you quickly increase your local listings, by adding personal information like name, contact number, address, etc. on such massive platforms.

Also, it lets you build relationships with patients directly as by reaching out to them via replying through comments, emails, or direct messages. It also promotes your websites with the use of posts, tweets, and other methods. And majorly because signing up on these social media networks are totally free, with a great benefit and colossal return. Thus to build a great digital patient/customer base, you need to be active on the social media handles and update it regularly so that you can earn them providing quality content consistently.

Thus managing all these on your own gets tough and challenging as you move forward in the race. Therefore rather than putting your efforts and time in such management, we suggest hiring a Digital Marketing Agency. A Digital Marketing Agency is a body that takes out the whole management aspect of everything you want them to.

ProMarketo is the legitimate and premium digital marketing agency that has built its legacy through the client service. With much variety of services offered, ProMarketo provides some of the best in the market Digital Marketing tools and services. ProMarketo offers digital marketing services like –

SEO, i.e., Search Engine Optimization

Local Search Optimization

Performance Marketing Services

Content Writing Services

E-commerce Management Services

Conversion Rate Services

Performance Marketing Services by ProMarketo are top-notch and ever-lasting. As the much larger variety of reason that is needed by any digital marketing personnel like –

Intense Marketing researches

Use of researched data confidentially

Provides Tailored advertising strategies

Monthly reports generation about everything

And much more like this.

Also, as the name suggests, Content writing services include every single word that is displayed on the screen that concludes as quality content comes under Content Writing services by ProMarketo — thus hiring a Digital marketing agency just like ProMarketo is recommended as it makes your work easy, organized at your end with a seamless working environment for you so that you won’t get your precious time wasted and can be utilized in the patient’s recovery.

There are a couple of advantages of hiring a Digital Marketing agency that you should look at –

Focus on the real Business

A digital marketing firm manages the technical and the social aspect so that you can give your 100% in the actual Business.

Overall costs are less

After everything is centralized to one firm/agency, the total costs reduce to an extinct.

Experts with work experience

Also, as you are working with experts, they can suggest you with the best compatible service you should take and guide you through them as well.

Scalability

As setting up the whole digital marketing services for Physical Therapists are more robust than the well-established agency that has customer case on a large scale, so that you also get scalability with your Business.

Tools required – Agency have them already

Also, sometimes a few tools may or may not be available at an individual scale, but the agency happens to have the required tools for the job to be done.

Get New Ideas

Working with professionals rather than figuring out things on your own makes is unorganized and jumbled. Hiring such people who can guide you through and can also provide you new ideas that might be beneficial for overall development in the customer’s point of view is always welcoming and overwhelming.

Thus these are some of the highlights that clear the blurred thoughts away and making it easier for you to decide and choose your Digital Marketing agency like ProMarketo efficiently.

Final Words –

With digitalization globally, every field has started its progress. Digital Marketing Services for Physical Therapists is a straightforward step forward in getting the Physical Therapy business in the digital market. Also choosing/hiring a digital marketing agency is considered a better and a wise choice as it provides much better organization and management in the longer run.

#digital marketing for physical therapist #• Social Media Services for Physical therapist #Performance Marketing Services #Content writing services #Search Engine Optimization for Physical therapist #search engine marketing for physical therapist

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gordonwilliamsweb · 3 years ago

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Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music?

Earlier this month, Dr. Rashid Buttar posted on Twitter that covid-19 “was a planned operation” and shared an article alleging that most people who got the covid vaccine would be dead by 2025.

But leaders of professional medical organizations increasingly are calling for that to change and urging medical oversight boards to take more aggressive action.

Confidentiality laws in 13 states prevented those boards from sharing information about complaints.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said social media platforms often don’t consistently apply their rules against spreading misinformation.

Part of the challenge may be that these doctors sometimes present scientific opinions that aren’t mainstream but are viewed as potentially valid by some of their colleagues.

Even if these physicians don’t face consequences, it is likely, experts said, that the public health will.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music? published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

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addictionfreedom · 6 years ago

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Addiction Treatment Centers In Iowa

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Pyramid healthcare opening

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letterbead93-blog · 6 years ago

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Review of Nutrium: Nutrition Software for Dietitians & Their Patients

I am really interested in how nutrition professionals can use technology to improve the quality of the services we provide for our clients. So I was intrigued Manuela from Nutrium got in touch with me to see if I would like to review this nutrition software.

*Please note: this is a sponsored post, but all opinions shared are 100% honest. This post also contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission for click-through purchases*

Nutrium is a Portuguese company which describes itself as: “nutrition software where dietitians and patients work closely together”. The goal is to improve nutrition professionals workflow during and between appointments, by simplifying the tasks of professionals and motivating patients to achieve their goals.

For a 25% discount for Nutrium you can follow this link and use the code: DIETETICALLYSPEAKING

Appointment scheduling

Database of patients

Patient notes – which includes options for documenting:

Background information such as: social history, medical history, medication, eating behaviour, diet history and goals

Numerous anthropometric measurements (including: weight, height, BMI, skin fold thickness), biochemistry and body composition

Nutritional requirements with the option of using any of the following equations: Henry, Harris Benedict, Harris Benedict (revised), Mifflin St Jeor, Katch McArdle, Cunningham and WHO; as well as macronutrient distribution and fibre. For paediatric clients the Slaughter equation is used, and for pregnant women additional energy requirements are added as per the Food and Nutrition Board reccomendations.

Food diaries

Nutritional recommendations

Messaging platform to communicate with patient’s in the app

Ability to track patients’ activities

A food database which incorporates:

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) SR27 database

The Irish Food Composition Database (IFCD)

The UK Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID)

You can also input your own food

A recipe creation tool

A tool to create and monitor customised meal plans – including template meal plans, and lists of ‘foods to avoid’ and ‘recommended foods’ for various nutritional issues; as well as detailed nutrition analysis (per nutrient, per food group and per meal)

The option to create a list of ‘equivalents’ e.g. carbohydrate exchanges for clients with diabetes, or protein exchanges for clients with PKU

Tracking of weekly statistics about appointments and the option for notifications

A mobile app which can be used by the health professional and the client for communication as well as tracking and monitoring (which is available for Android and iOS)

I found this software for dietitians to be really useful. I particularly like how customisable the software is as you can choose which features to use, and which features to give your clients access to. For example, if any clients aren’t keen on using this type of technology, it can also be used just to store notes and create plans which can be downloaded and printed for the client. You can also control which parts of the app are accessible to your client, so depending on their needs and preferences you can alter how closely you monitor their progress.

I have found the software itself to be user-friendly and comprehensive.

I love that all the steps of a patient consultation are in one place.

It simplifies communication as you don’t need to worry about deleting emails periodically. Importantly, it stores patient information confidentially and is GDPR compliant. It is also good to know that Nutrium is already used by Registered Nutritionists and Dietitians in various countries.

Another benefit is the wide variety of food databases and nutritional requirement equations it incorporates, which includes those that are relevant to UK Registered Dietitians. The USDA database isn’t the most up to date version, but this is currently being updated. It is also worth noting that it doesn’t have the option to add stress factors and mobility factors, so it it more suitable to an outpatient setting, rather than for those who are acutely unwell.

The food diary feature is handy, but unfortunately there isn’t currently an option to add extra information such as symptoms, which would be useful for clients with IBS or food intolerances. There is also no option for integrated video calls at present. But this software is regularly updated based on feedback, updated guidelines and evidence, and new features; so there are plans to add video calls and symptom tracking to the food diary in the near future.

On a personal level, I find the wording of the template meal plans a bit too prescriptive, but this can be overcome by devising my own customised meal plans in Nutrium.

Overall, I think Nutrium is a great platform for dietitians and nutritionists to use, which makes the organisation and record keeping side of client consultations easier and more efficient.

If you are interested in trying Nutrium (or if you are already signed up) you can follow this link and use the code: DIETETICALLYSPEAKING for a 25% discount!

You can also follow Nutrium on social media at:

Sponsored Post

This post contains affiliate links to the sign-up page for Nutrium. This means that if you click on one of these links and decide to purchase a subscription to Nutrium, I will make a commission from Nutrium at no extra cost to you. I am promoting this software because I feel it offers useful tools for dietitians and nutrition professionals to use with our clients. See my disclosure policy for more information about ‘Advertising, Product/Service Reviews & Partnerships’ on this site.

Source: https://dieteticallyspeaking.com/review-of-nutrium-nutrition-software-for-dietitians-their-patients/

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nrip · 6 years ago

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The Do's & Don'ts of Social Media Marketing for Healthcare

Social media has fundamentally altered the way that patients perceive healthcare. According to a study conducted by Evariant, 57% of patients decide where to pursue medical treatment based on the provider’s social media. However, since only about 1 in 4 hospitals are using social media as part of their marketing mix, maintaining an active social media presence gives your organization an opportunity to stand out.

Healthcare social media marketing can further establish trust with patients, educate followers about health and wellness, and inspire individuals to pursue careers as medical professionals. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to make the most of your healthcare social media marketing strategy.

Don’t give personalized medical advice.

Healthcare providers may be in the business of helping others maintain good health, but social media is not the place for diagnosis and treatment. Some patients may post a medical question on one of your social media pages or send a direct message listing their symptoms. In these cases, ask them to follow up with an in-person appointment.

Your organization’s website and contact information should always be visible on your social media profiles. You may also wish to add a disclaimer on your social media sites that no medical diagnosis or treatment will be administered online.

Do share health-related news and articles.

Rather than giving individualized medical treatment, use social media to share industry news, medical breakthroughs, and relevant research. For example, Main Line Health, a healthcare network in the greater Philadelphia region, often uses Facebook to share health and wellness news that is relevant to patients and the community.

In a recent post for National Drug Take Back Day, Main Line Health’s Facebook page encouraged followers to go through their medicine cabinets to check for expired medications. Main Line Health’s post also offered a clear call to action by sharing different locations within their network where these medications can be safety disposed.

Don’t violate patient privacy laws.

Due to the sensitive nature of medical practice, it is important for healthcare companies to conform to all applicable privacy laws. HIPAA laws are in place to protect patient confidentiality, so any information that could possibly identify a patient without their consent (photos, names, etc.) cannot be shared on social media. If a patient wishes to be featured in a social media campaign, they will need to give explicit permission, in writing, to the healthcare provider.

Do communicate real-time updates that could affect patients.

Sometimes you may need a way to communicate with patients en masse. Real-time updates can be anything that would affect a patient’s ability to receive medical care at your facility. For example, is the parking garage closed for repairs? Has one of the offices temporarily moved to another wing of the building?

You can pin a post to the top of your social media feed so that it is the first thing followers see when they visit your Page. You may wish to combine social media updates with an automated phone call or email message to ensure patients are aware of any changes that could affect their visit.

Don’t operate in a vacuum.

It can be tempting to post updates and news on social media without listening to follower feedback. But this leads to missed opportunities to understand your patients’ questions and concerns. For example, if followers are asking questions about whether or not to get a flu shot, it might be worth writing a blog post for your organization’s website and sharing it on social media so you can provide general, but timely health advice. If patients leave reviews on your social media pages, you can also use this information to identify your organization’s strengths and improve weaknesses.

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In addition, social media is part of a larger conversation, not a platform for just posting your own materials. Use industry-relevant hashtags, reshare other healthcare organizations’ content, and encourage patients and employees to interact with your Pages. Ask employees to reshare posts from your organization’s page to their personal page.

Do set clear expectations for your admins and your followers.

When used as a responsible communication tool, social media can deliver immense value to your organization. However, it only takes one person violating HIPAA to get you in a lot of trouble. Give employees a training session and a handbook with social networking policies and branding guidelines, whether they are managing your social media or just using their personal profiles. Restrict admin permissions for Company Pages and stay abreast of best practices.

Employees aren’t the only ones who should have a clear understanding of how to interact with your social media. It also helps for medical providers to establish expectations for social media followers at the outset. For example, the Canada-based Sunnybrook Hospital has published a social media commenting policy to ensure respectful discourse and protect individuals’ privacy. If you deem anything offensive or inappropriate, remove it from your Page immediately. Monitor your social media channels for comments, and respond quickly to violations.

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Don’t only use one form of content.

Are all of your social media posts linking to your blog or your website? Or do you only share press releases and industry news rather than also highlighting patient success stories (when, of course, they give explicit permission)? Share images, infographics, blog posts, videos, and other forms of media to keep audiences engaged. The Mayo Clinic Facebook page is an excellent example of diversifying content types to appeal to a range of audiences. Here is a sampling of posts that include video stories, blog articles, and infographics.

Do use the power of social media to advance public health.

Some organizations use social media to communicate public service announcements and combat misinformation. For example, the World Health Organization uses social media to share infographics with research or health and safety advice. In an effort to encourage more people to use vaccines, the World Health Organization’s Twitter feed has included many infographics related to the positive results of immunizations, including the near-eradication of diseases and the benefits of herd immunity. WHO also uses the hashtag #VaccinesWork, taking part in a broader national conversation about the need for vaccination.

Ready to bring your healthcare social media marketing to the next level? Contact Pacific54 today for aconsultation.

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technicaldr · 6 years ago

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10 Ways to Ask Patients for Reviews

Doctors, dentists, and specialists play an essential role in patients’ lives, and most patients investigate reviews to be sure the professional is trustworthy and knowledgeable. However, this makes it challenging for new medical offices or hospitals. Many doctors, dentists, and other professionals wonder how to ask patients for review, while still maintaining a strong relationship and adhering to privacy laws. Here are a few ways to ask patients for reviews politely and professionally.

10 Easy Ways to Ask Patients for Reviews

Asking patients to leave reviews can be a delicate process. This is especially true for medical practices like surgery or hospice care, where both empathy and professionalism are important. It is also essential to protect the patient’s personal records and confidentiality. However, it is possible to gather reviews while showing respect, empathy and concern for privacy. Remember that patients who have a good relationship with you and value your work will be happy to share with others.

No matter what method or methods you choose to get patients to leave reviews, remember the following:

Always show empathy and respect

Show that you appreciate your patients

Choose review sites carefully. Ask patients which they use, and see where your competitors are.

Don’t surrender all your reviews to third-party sites. Remember that third-party sites and the patients themselves own those reviews, so it’s important to gather some yourself to use on your website or marketing materials.

After a patient leaves a review, be sure to take them off the list, so you don’t ask them again.

Always maintain HIPAA compliance. Do not contact patients via email without their express consent, only use testimonials or reviews with the patient’s express consent, and never reveal any personal information, including the patient’s name, unless they have given permission to do so.

1. Automated Emails

Automated review requests do not have to be unfeeling. Carefully-worded automated requests can have the same impact as an individual email, and require only a fraction of the time. It’s helpful to use a series of emails to ask patients to leave reviews, to be sure the message is received. To get the best response, personalize these emails. Use the patient’s first name, thank them for their first visit or repeat visit, and ask about their experience.

Include a link in the email directly to your own review page, or a third-party site. Keep in mind that a patient who submits a review to a landing page on your website can also help you get reviews on other sites more easily. It should be easy to submit a review, and instructions should be clear. It’s helpful to include an example review, since patients don’t always know what to say.

Remind patients that it is not necessary to include personal health information, or details about their visit. Also, remember that patients may provide whatever information they like, but HIPAA laws prohibit healthcare providers from releasing medical or personal information without the patient’s consent. To comply with HIPAA when asking patients for reviews, consider the following:

Remind patients they do not have to elaborate on details about their visit. Provide examples of general statements such as “the doctors are very caring and take time to answer questions” to demonstrate.

Give patients the option to submit reviews anonymously, or inform them that you will remove their name if they wish.

If you reply publicly to a review, either to thank or refute the reviewer, do not disclose any of their personal information or information about their visit, including their name. Use general statements, such as company policies.

Make it clear what you will use the review for, and where it will be shown. Also, clearly show where the patient may give their permission. Inform them that submitting a review is appreciated, but not required.

Only contact patients via email if they have given express permission to do so.

Remember that not all patients wish to be contacted via email. Only include patients who have consented to being contacted through email. Always use HIPAA compliant email software when transmitting any patient information.

Make your review gathering landing page and display page with Boast »

2. Print on Appointment Cards

Appointment cards are handy reminders patients can pin on their calendars, keep on their refrigerators, or at their desk. Since patients tend to keep them and put them in visible places, this is also an ideal place to put a reminder to leave a review.

When you add a link to an appointment card and ask a customer to leave a review, make sure the link stays active and relevant for as long as you use the cards. If you change your landing page or decide to target a different review site, be sure to change the printed link as well. Also, point out the link on the card and ask the patient for a review when they receive the card, to ensure they don’t overlook it.

3. Print on Take-Home Instructions

Like appointment cards, take-home care instructions also tend to have more longevity than other paper reminders, mailings, or emails. When asking patients for a review using take-home care instructions, it’s particularly important to use a respectful tone. Remember that patients may be in pain, and an overly cheerful request might not be well-received.

Consider a request like the following: “Thank you for visiting our medical practice. We strive to give you the best care possible, and help other patients get the care they need. If you received high-quality care from your medical professional, please share your experience with other patients using the following link.”

4. Promotional Items

Promotional items like magnets, pens, or notepads with your office’s name and phone number on them helps patients keep your office at the top of their mind. This is also an easy way to get patients to leave reviews. Since promotional items tend to have more longevity than paper reminders, it’s even more important here to ensure the link to your landing page or a third-party site stays active.

A more cheerful reminder can be appropriate for promotional items. Consider a short phrase like, “tell us about your visit!” or a direct request, “please leave us a review.” To limit the space used by the link, you might use a link shortening tool like Bit.ly or Goo.gl. Once again, be sure that the shortened link stays active.

5. Ask at an Appointment

If you have some one-on-one time with patients at the end of their visit, this can be a good time to ask patients for reviews. You might combine this with an appointment card or another written link, or use a tablet to bring up the review page directly. If there are some waiting times during appointments, such as between seeing a nurse and doctor or dental hygienist and dentist, this might be a good time to ask patients to fill out a review directly on the tablet.

When using a tablet to collect reviews, make sure the device is not used to access other patient’s information, or any part of your record-keeping system. This will help to maintain security and HIPAA compliance.

6. Phone Call

Many doctors, dentists, and other specialists use a calling system to confirm or change appointments, or verify information. This can also be a good time to ask patients for reviews. At the end of the phone call, include a short phrase to direct patients to a landing page on your website or a third-party site. In your CRM or calling system, be sure to make a note of any patients who have already left reviews, so you don’t ask them again.

7. On Your Site

If patients frequently visit your website to make appointments or access information, this is a good place to ask patients for reviews. Use a call-to-action (CTA) on the sidebar, banner, or in the middle of the most frequently-visited pages of your site to ask for a review. The CTA should direct straight to either a landing page on your site, or a third-party review page.

8. Postcards

Like after-care instructions and appointment cards, postcards can also be a helpful way to ask for reviews. Whether you are sending paper appointment reminders, holiday cards, news and information, or something else, include a link to your review page. Remember to thank your patient for continuing to trust your office with their care.

9. Request on Social Media

Social media is a helpful marketing tool for many local offices. This allows patients to get the latest updates about your practice, ask questions, and get health tips while using a site they normally use anyway. If your patients regularly interact with your posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or another platform, this is a great place to ask them for reviews. Make a post linking directly to your landing page or preferred review site, and don’t be afraid to post more than once. Try different days of the week and times of day to see when your posts get the most interactions.

10. Previous Reviewers

If you ask patients to leave reviews on your own landing page, you have more control over the reviews, and you’ll be able to see who has actually answered your request. This way, you can follow up with previous reviewers and ask them to share their thoughts on other sites. Make this as easy as possible, using either a video review they already made, or text they already submitted. This way, they can submit additional reviews in just a few moments.

Remember that you cannot use, reproduce or reprint reviews left on third-party sites. These reviews are considered property of the reviewer and the site. Reproducing them without a patient’s permission also violates HIPAA laws. However, you can post reviews that you collect on your own site (with your patient’s permission to do so). This flexibility makes it ideal to gather reviews on your own platform first, and ask customers to spread the word after.

Which method works best for your practice will depend on what your patients prefer, what sort of practice you have, and what automation processes you already use. Whatever strategy you use, remember that your patients are also busy people and you will have to ask more than once. As long as you show appreciation for your patients, protect their privacy, and ask for reviews in a respectful manner, a number of your patients will be willing to provide reviews.

Technical Dr. Inc.'s insight:

Contact Details :

[email protected] or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

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mrlongkgraves · 6 years ago

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Kids don’t just grow out of their mental health issues

One in five adolescents in the U.S. suffers from developmental, mental or behavioral health illnesses, according to the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

To avoid serious, adverse outcomes, it is crucial these illnesses be detected early by pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatric-focused APRNs and pediatric nurses.

Dawn Garzon Maaks, CPNP

Dawn Garzon Maaks, PhD, CPNP-PC, PMHS, FAANP, president of NAPNAP, shared with us about what the organization is doing to help children with mental health issues and support those who provide care to affected youth and their families.

Garzon Maaks is a professor at the College of Nursing at Washington State University in Vancouver. She also is a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and an advocate for advanced practice pediatric-focused nurses.

Q: Self-harm and bullying are concerning issues in adolescent mental health. How do pediatric nurse practitioners screen for them and help parents become more aware?

All children get bullied at least once and, unfortunately, many see bullying as something that just happens. Sustained bullying can cause traumatic stress and may be considered an adverse childhood experience.

This non-trivial bullying is hard to detect. Often survivors do not report what is happening because they are afraid they will get into trouble or the bully will actually escalate their behavior.

Bullying and self-harm are much more common now than in past generations. Technology keeps us socially interconnected no matter where we are.

Research tells us social media and technology use that is excessive or inappropriate actually increases the risk of anxiety and stress. Self-harm is usually not a suicidal behavior but rather a symptom of overwhelming mental pain.

Pediatric nurse practitioners and other APRNs who care for our youth must talk about these issues as part of routine anticipatory guidance. We have to ensure we do good skin and mental health assessments as part of wellness care or any time symptoms have the potential to be stress related.

Parents need to learn that bullying is not a rite of passage and that self-injury and risk-taking can be subtle.

Q: What other adolescent mental health issues should pediatric care practitioners be aware of and what resources are available to them?

We need to assess for adverse childhood experiences and all children, especially those older than 11, must be screened for anxiety and depression. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people 10 to 24 years of age and, in some states like Utah, it is the leading cause of death. We lose thousands of children each year to suicide.

Of course, substance abuse is another critical issue that must be screened for. Unfortunately, just telling young people to say no doesn’t work.

NAPNAP’s Developmental Behavioral and Mental Health special interest group has an amazing website full of provider resources on a wealth of mental health issues, and they have a great resource for parents on how to raise a healthy teenager.

Other good sources for more information include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Adverse Childhood Experiences website and the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s adolescent substance abuse screening page.

Q: How do you recommend pediatric nurse practitioners screen for these issues in adolescent patients?

Children ages 11 and older should be screened annually for depression and substance use. I personally recommend including anxiety screening as part of wellness care, given the increase in anxiety rates.

The Developmental Behavioral and Mental Health special interest group’s resources listed previously are great and include links to a number of screening tools for each condition. From ADHD to eating disorders to anxiety and autism, these passionate advocates have valuable references for anyone looking for pediatric developmental, behavioral or mental health information.

It is best to use standardized tools that really get to significant symptoms and not over identify or under identify issues. Of course, it helps to separate older children from their parents, if they are willing to do so, to maintain confidentiality and remove the fear of getting into trouble.

Q: What are some intervention strategies for at-risk adolescents, namely, those who have been bullied, have performed acts of self-harm or have attempted suicide?

The most important thing is to perform good quality wellness care. When we do expedited older child and adolescent well visits, we miss many of the subtle signs that tell us kids are struggling.

I like to ask kids if anyone has ever made them feel unsafe. It is an open-ended question that lets them steer the conversation.

Look at your patients’ skin! Of course, you should preserve modesty, but if you do not get them into underwear and robe, you will never notice wounds hidden under bulky clothing.

Suicidal ideation is real. It is important to ask your patients if they have ever thought of harming themselves or others.

If they say yes, ask open-ended questions to find out when this occurred. If recent, ask if it consisted of only thoughts or if there was a plan involved.

The key is to have in place how you will refer out, if needed, prior to finding a child in crisis. We prepare for how we will deal with a medical emergency in practice. It is equally important to think about how we will deal with a mental health emergency.

Q: As an organization, what is NAPNAP doing to educate their members about adolescent mental health?

We have our NAPNAP Partners for Vulnerable Youth that is in its second year of dealing with the issue of child trafficking. Our aim is to educate providers about human trafficking and give them resources on how to help these kids.

Our Developmental Behavioral and Mental Health special interest group is passionate and engaged, and our Adolescent Health Care and School-based Health Services special interest groups provide members with resources and opportunities to network and address these and other critical issues.

We support the pediatric primary care mental health specialist role and published an official statement on pediatric mental health and violence in September.

We have members who serve as content experts to federal and professional organizations who seek, like us, to keep kids healthy in body and mind.

Each year our national conference includes several behavioral and mental health sessions or mini-tracks. We invite pediatric nurse practitioners, FNPs and other providers to join us for our next conference March 7-10, 2019, in New Orleans.

Providers can find behavioral and mental health education on our online education system or at our specialty symposia hosted in the summer and fall. Clinical practice resources also can be found in our For Providers channel.

Take these courses on adolescents’ mental health issues!

Self-Injury (1 contact hr) The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association defines self-mutilation as the \\”deliberate self-injurious behavior causing tissue damage with the intent of causing nonfatal injury to attain relief of tension.\\” Self-injurious behavior can have serious consequences for the person and elicit feelings of helplessness from caregivers. This module will provide the knowledge to dispel the mystery and promote effective treatment for people who engage in self-injurious behavior. It informs readers about the disease, causes, assessment and treatments.

Helping Children Who Are Being Teased and Bullied (1 contact hr) Surveys have shown that about 20% to 28% of American youths (middle school and high school age) report being bullied. Research studies have shown that those who are chronically teased or bullied can suffer short- and long-term psychological consequences and physical problems. This educational activity will help you to distinguish between being teased and bullied and to present effective strategies to help youths, families, and school personnel prevent or respond to harsh teasing or bullying.

Sorting Out Mood Disorders in Children and Adolescents (1 contact hr) This continuing education module highlights mood disorders (also called affective disorders) that are diagnosed in childhood and adolescence. Bipolar and depressive disorders, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition:DSM-5 are discussed, including disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which appeared for the first time in the DSM-5. Identifying and diagnosing childhood mood disorders requires special knowledge and skill. Children and adolescents with mood disorders present differently than adults with mood disorders. Mental health professionals who work with children must possess a child-centric understanding of mood disorders to identify problems, provide proper treatment, or refer to the appropriate discipline.

The post Kids don’t just grow out of their mental health issues appeared first on Nursing News, Stories & Articles.

from Nursing News, Stories & Articles https://ift.tt/2JuQAc7

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outsourcininsit · 7 years ago

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How to Attract More Patients in Your Clinic

Patients are the fundamental part of every medical practice.

Gaining a loyal following in the medical industry is much easier said than done. It requires effort, but it’s well worth your while.

While it is necessary to maintain your relationship with existing patients, it is also necessary to grow your clinic and add new patients.

Here are some ways to improve your marketability to your current patients, making them that much more likely to sing praises about you to their network of family and friends.

Go Online

If your business doesn't have a robust online presence, you might as well not exist. It’s doubtful that anyone will walk into the first medical office they see and arbitrarily decide to become a lifetime customer.

Google handles over 3.5 billion searches on a daily basis and a recent survey showed that 41 percent of patients said that their choice of physicians and hospitals were influenced by the social media.

Before selecting a doctor, eight out of ten patients will do turn to Google to answer health inquiries.

If your medical practice isn’t online, chances are you’ll not be in great shape for the future, and many patients will not know you exist.

Consider getting an Amazing Medical Practice Website and also invest in digital inbound marketing strategies, such as blogging, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media marketing to make your clinic stand out.

Make sure that your website is beautiful, easy to use, informative, and mobile-responsive.

With over 60% of searches coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive website will keep you above your competitors.

An online presence is not just a beautiful, polished website; it is also a reflection of the care you provide and an extension of your office.

This is critical for the growth of your clinic and for attracting new patients. The objective of your website is to enlighten your current and potential patients so they can make informed decisions and call your clinic for an appointment.

Creating a clinic website is probably the best marketing tool in your arsenal.

Utilize Social Media

Other than a means connecting with friends and family, social media is a powerful marketing tool.

Physicians are understandably wary of social media, which many believe is a double-edged sword. But the truth is, it can also be a huge, cheap marketing asset and a great way for healthcare providers to engage with their patients to build brand value for their practice.

Social media is also an avenue to advertise your clinic. When your patients “like,” ‘’follow’’ or “share” your content on social media, their entire social network see it.

That can push a lot of user traffic to your page and may help generate leads without spending a dime on advertising.

The trick is to provide fresh and relevant content so that your followers can engage and share your content.

Post short articles and details about wellness tips, medical advances, general health information, preventive care, news about local health events or any relevant information regarding the services you provide.

You can use hashtags such as #HealthcareForAll, #Nurses, #Physician and #PatientExperience to reach your audience on Twitter.

It is not a good idea to communicate any patient-specific confidential or sensitive health information through the social media.

Embrace modern technology

It’s the digital age now, and it’s necessary for the healthcare community to utilize more technology in their practice.

Young people are keen on having a technologically connected healthcare experience, and you can easily achieve it through cost-effective technical updates.

For instance, consider having an electronic registration or check-in when patients first arrive, they should also download their lab results from the portal instead of calling your clinic, and patients should be allowed to schedule appointments or make inquiries via email.

Offer patients the option to pay for their appointments online. That way they will honor their appointments more.

Also, consider making the waiting room a pleasant experience for your patients, offer WiFi or have a TV playing with Netflix or any other streaming site.

Emailing prescriptions to your patients is also a great way to rise above your competition and prove that you are committed to their wellbeing.

By Including details about medication, dosage and any special lifestyle-related instructions that you’d like them to follow, you are ensuring better patient adherence to treatment.

Hospitals are increasingly adopting the use of mobile apps as a means of connecting with their patients.

Your Mobile app should offer patients the convenience of being able to book appointments, get second opinions, receive health information, health reports and even get in touch with doctors whenever they need to.

If patients are contented and happy with the convenience offered by your clinic, it means better health outcomes for your patients – and the more likely they will refer other people and to your clinic.

Train your team appropriately

Even if you have a functional website or active social media accounts, it is imperative to train your team to interact and listen to the needs of your patients.

Nurses, receptionists, and the support staff need to ensure that the patients have the best experience whenever they visit your clinic.

Simplifying appointment booking, reducing long waiting periods, quick billing, supporting insurance reimbursements, improving access to health records and scheduling follow-up care are some of the critical aspects of clinic management that can increase patient satisfaction and improve referrals.

It is important to train your staff appropriately in subjects relating to clinical knowledge and strategic direction.

They should be able to present a great first impression and address patients questions regarding your practice. Your staff should not only speak intelligently about the specific medical services you provide but also offer details such as equipment used during procedures, pricing, what to expect during a consult, etc.

Post real pictures of your team.

Ditch stock photographs and generic photos on your practice website and social media profiles.

Instead, post real-life images of your team, office and the comfort your clinic offers patients.

Add some personality to your practice website and make it an extension of your clinic.

Encourage online reviews:

An individual’s health is serious to them and their loved ones.

To make sure they are going to the right practitioner, tech-savvy individuals will search the Internet and social media for patient reviews of your clinic to read how they describe their experience.

Patient reviews are one of the good ways to attract new patients and grow your clinic. Encourage patients to share their experience on an online review website.

Send a follow-up email to your patients, thanking them for their visit and encouraging them to review you online.

There are some review platforms out there that allow patients to post their reviews such as

Yelp

Google reviews

ZocDoc

Angie’s List

Healthgrades

You can also incentivize feedback, reviews, and referrals by hosting contests with prizes and giveaways or offering discounts or free services such as monitoring items for blood pressure or heart rate.

With the permission of your patient, you can share their reviews on your website.

Try some little gestures to make your patients happy, it reaffirms your relationship with them and motivates more positive word of mouth referrals and online reviews for your clinic which in turn leads to more revenue for your business.

Most importantly, you need to monitor your online reputation.

Unfortunately, it’s usually the disgruntled patients that are most vocal on online reviews; this can lead to a massive misrepresentation of the care you provide.

Respond quickly to both negative remarks and praise; by addressing patient concerns and complaints online, you demonstrate a proactive nature to prospective patients.

It shows potential patients that your clinic cares and actively engages with patients. The more positive reviews you get, the more calls you’ll get from potential patients.

Now you know that there is a “demand” for reviews and referrals make sure you have the supply!

Ask for referrals

Your patients will not refer your clinic to their family and friends if they aren’t satisfied with the quality of your services.

Strong referring relationships bring patients your way and as such are important in today’s competitive market.

Physicians shouldn't rely solely on their past reputations; they need to revive the old relationships and secure new ones.

The dynamics of strong referring relationships are built on knowledge and trust.

Referring individuals want to know that their family or friends will be in good hands when referred to you, certainly as this reflects upon their reputation as well.

It is essential to find out who referred your new patient by using an electronic referral system to keep track of your referral colleagues and identify trends in their referral patterns.

This is because it is worth the time to thank your patients for referring people to your clinic. This gesture makes them feel special and goes a long way in ensuring you have a healthy relationship with your patients.

Create a Brand Name

Professional Branding is a concept that lends itself particularly well to the medical industry. It is how businesses of all types reach the next level of popularity even if you are a medical practitioner. It should also be uniform across all platforms, including both print and online.

Most doctors never consider branding their practice; others dismiss the exercise as a mere stunt that could devalue their credibility. This is a big mistake.

Branding doesn’t mean remodeling your clinic to become commercially appealing. No! It merely means focusing and building your public image around what your practice does well.

For instance, your office could brand itself as an ideal home for children with a particular illness, on-the-go professionals, or for the elderly patients.

Standardizing your brand will help increase and develop trust in the medical community and tells your patients about the services that you provide.

Be the Best

Times have changed in the medical community, and your competition is getting more resourceful and smarter each day.

You have got to differentiate your practice and expand your profile from your competitors.

Creating a brand gives you the opportunity to carve out your niche. You have to be the best in your niche.

Engage your social media to its fullest potential. Generate the best content possible. Teach your patients that taking care of their health should be a top priority and shouldn't stop when they leave your clinic.

All your hard work will come to nothing if you can’t give the best care to your patients. If you do that, you’ll have the best of both worlds.

Patients will be proud to be associated with your clinic, and they’ll be happy to help you spread the word.

Physician Outreach

In addition to referrals from family and friend, it is also a good idea to build a relationship with referring physicians, emergency physicians, and primary care providers in your community.

Patients will often ask these physicians for recommendations, and your networking skills could help increase your patient volume. This usually happens when specialized medical procedures are required or when a case requires second opinions.

Referrals from physicians are hence an important means of making impressions in your clinic.

Doctors and physicians around your clinic area will be interested in referring their patients to you if you’ve been referring patients their way. Maintaining a good relationship with them can ensure better business returns.

Start a blog

Considering 72% of people looked up health information and medications online before or even after being diagnosed by a doctor, a well-written blog post may be the answer they are searching for.

Health providers should educate their patients about a variety of topics such as case studies with current patients, thoughts on specific treatments, announce local events, wellness tips and share updates about your practice.

Sharing health information through the patient portal or the mobile health application is a great way to educate your patients. Remember to create a link to your website or launch this on your website only

By updating and writing fresh content regularly, you will help boost your SEO and make it easier for patients to find you on the search engine.

You can then promote your blog using your social media accounts to engage with potential and current patients.

Most people don’t even think about their doctors unless they’re sick. That’s a right mentality, but it’s not necessarily the correct one.

You want your patients to always think about their health, even if that doesn’t mean visiting your office on a regular basis.

Talking to your patients about relevant health topics – and more importantly, helping your patients to understand why those topics are so critical – is a major way to improve both your business and your patient satisfaction.

The more your patients care about their health, the happier and healthier they’ll be. And the happier they are, the more likely they are to recommend you to their friends.

As a patient leaves your clinic, give them free educational materials related to their condition and encourage them to read them.

Say someone is "Diabetic," give them a brochure of "Daily tips for best diabetic care" and talk about it. I am not referring to materials lying in the front office.

Know your target audience

Before you reach out to new patients, it's important that you understand your current patients.

Take a look at your records and take note of the average gender, age, location, and profession of your existing patients.

The information will help you to identify the best marketing techniques to promote your clinic and attract new patients.

Get listed in online local directories

Over 70 percent of people searching for medical experts make their selection based on local listings in online directories such as White Pages, Yelp, Google+, etc.

Listing your clinic in a local online directory is a great way to steer targeted traffic to your website.

Use email marketing:

Email marketing is an efficient method of maintaining a steady flow of patients.

It is used for

Sending newsletters

Reminders

Promotional offers

General updates about your clinic to your existing patients.

Generate media exposure:

Proper media exposure can attract a large volume of new patients and increase the expertise and branding of your clinic.

Generating media exposure requires follow up, time, effort and a thorough understanding of how the media works.

Media exposure can produce surprising results when done correctly.

Connect with your Community

Giving back to the local community is one of the simple ways to get new patients to your clinic. Make sure to participate in fundraising efforts or community events.

Provide medical services or supplies on a volunteer basis. It helps retain current patients and projects a positive and charitable image of you.

Set up a seminar to explain and educate your community about medicine, treatments or even healthy lifestyle habits. Accept invitations to speak about trending health concerns.

Organize a wellness clinic at the local senior center. Speak about adolescent health at the high school in your community.

Host workshops for kids and teach them how to take care of their hygiene and health. Parents will sincerely appreciate this and will consult you when they are in need of a physician.

The idea of connecting with your community is to get noticed by people who are unaware of your clinic and the services you provide. It’s an opportunity to educate, support and expand the list of potential patients in the community.

Re-engage past patients

Set up a system for monitoring every patient appointment, flagging those who haven’t returned to your clinic for a certain period and sending reminders to them

Try a “we miss you” mailing campaign to re-engage with your patients Even if they seem reluctant; you might just be able to convince them to come back with a few small gestures and the right timing.

Follow up with patients

Most clinics spend a better sum of their resources to attract new patients, and they forget to take care of their current patients.

You need to follow-up with your existing patients after their checkups. The follow-up care is a part of the health plan, and it ensures that your patients are on the right path to recovery.

It is natural to forget things, and the doctor’s appointments are no different. Email reminders have been found to be extremely helpful in reminding patients to come by for appointments.

You can schedule follow-up emails after each checkup to ensure your patients never miss their appointments.

Focus on your patients

You have to focus on building personal connections with your patients by showing real interest in them. You must be able to make your presence positive and uplifting. Your manners, the look, and feel of your clinic are also essential.

Always answer your patients emergency calls. If they are suffering and you are not available for them, they will never come to see you again.

You need to be available for your patients during emergencies because if you don't, they will leave you and wouldn't waste a minute spreading a good word about your practice.

Care for your patients

You need to monitor your patients continually. It must be exhibited from the highest level in the clinic down to the lowest. Your patients will surely notice if your front desk is so nice, while the nurses are terrible & rude. Wherever, a patient visits your clinic; they should feel comfortable and safe.

Spend time with patients and answer questions about their medical conditions, fear factor or peer factor, self-website references, etc.

If your patients have a chronic or complex medical condition, they need more than medical advice; they need inspiration, motivation to live and see the world differently. Find ways to give them hope.

Sometimes, launch a Free Consultation of first visits; this will let the patients come-in more to the clinic before becoming a "loyal patient."

Send personalized reminders for their chronic care and the reason why it is important.

Make surprise calls or SMS to your patients; it gives them a sense of relief, motivation, and happiness that someone is caring

Finally, never underestimate the value of a smile and genuine empathy which touches anyone, there is no creativity than real care and love for your patients & intention to improve their health and motivation.

By nurturing strong relationships with your current patients, you will attract more patients to your practice.

Try any of these ways to attract more patients and improve your patient experience. Results may not happen immediately, but you have to be open to experimenting.

Best of luck!

from Outsourcing Insight https://www.outsourcinginsight.com/increase-patients-in-medical-clinic/

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marithadotws · 7 years ago

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The delicate practice of social media for doctors

See on Scoop.it - Medical-IT

A study by researchers at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, US found that 72% of fresh urology graduates had public Facebook profiles of which 40% contained “potentially objectionable” content. This included pictures of the doctors’ drunk and medical ethics violations such as revealing their patient’s health information. The study brought to light the concern that a physician’s social media use has the potential to break patient trust. Lead researcher Dr Kevin Koo said, "we all have a role to play in making sure the high standards of patient confidentiality and the doctor-patient relationship are upheld."

Many have examined the implications of HCPs utilising social media

The issue has been a concern for the medical profession for some time now with many GPs surgeries, hospitals, universities and medical societies creating guidelines on what they deem as inappropriate online behaviour. For example, the American Medical Association issued guidelines in 2010encouraging doctors to "consider separating personal and professional content online" and reiterated the importance of patient privacy. Despite this, Koo is uncertain how many doctors "even know that guidelines exist." The study found one case in which a patient’s x-ray and name were included in a social media post. Another study conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that of 13,000 tweets by 237 doctors, 6% were a potential breach of patient confidentiality. Interestingly, in a study by researchers at the University of California San Francisco, in which 48 medical boards were asked which of ten social media scenarios would prompt an investigation, most said misleading claims about treatment outcomes would. In a separate case in January, a Canadian nurse, who posted about her grandfather’s inadequate care in another clinic, was penalised.

Maintaining a healthy work-personal life balance

It can be difficult not to cross the line into prohibiting a doctor’s right to share their lives or their opinions however as under “potentially objectionable” content, posts expressing views on religion and politics were also included in the New Hampshire study. “No one expects doctors to never post an opinion,” Koo said. "We realise they don't live in a vacuum.” Dr Matthew DeCamp, from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics in Baltimore suggests doctors "ask yourself if this is something you really want in a public space.” Some doctors have mastered this balance well and created stellar social media presences. Most guidelines seem to contain the same key behavioral rules and recommendations. Firstly all doctors must be accountable for all content posted on any of their social medical accounts. Secondly it is advised that doctors do not accept friend or follow requests from current or previous patients and in general avoid interacting with them online. Additionally, patient photos or patient-specific information should not be posted online under any circumstances. Doctors should also be mindful that others may look up to them for general medical advice and so if they do post any, it should be up to date and as accurate as possible. However social media can also help the medical profession in general as a means to market services and promote good health practices and there are a number of techniques that can help create the best website for a medical centre. MIMS

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nancyedimick · 8 years ago

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Can you get a court to take an opinion that mentions you off its Google-searchable website?

Say that you’re involved in a court case — as a plaintiff, as a civil defendant, as a criminal defendant, or perhaps even as a nonparty. The court case may well appear in Google results when people search for your name, both on the government’s own sites and on sites such as findlaw.com, casetext.com, or leagle.com. (Lexis and Westlaw versions of the case, which cost money, don’t show up on Google results; Google Scholar versions don’t show up in ordinary Google searches.) Can you do anything to get these taken down?

The answer is: Maybe, if you ask nicely and have what a judge thinks is good reason (and if the opinion is non-precedential) — but maybe not. It seems to be left largely to judges’ unguided discretion.

1. A few weeks ago, for instance, a federal district court judge (Eric Vitaliano of the Eastern District of New York) wrote an opinion rejecting a Social Security ligitant’s request to get an early opinion taken down from the court’s site:

In February 2014, plaintiff Tamara Nelson filed a complaint, seeking review of the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) finding that her disability had ended in April 2010. On December 31, 2014, Judge John Gleeson issued a Memorandum and Order (the “Order”) remanding Nelson’s case to the Commissioner for the calculation and award of benefits.

On November 14, 2016, appearing pro se, plaintiff filed a letter motion, which requested that the Court seal her casefile because some “law research blogs” had posted the Order online and the publication of this information was frightening her. Without elaboration, Nelson also asserted that the publication of this material had caused her to fear for her safety…. In [a later] letter, Nelson distraughtly explained that the availability of the Order online had only worsened her anxiety and depression and had caused her to suffer panic attacks. She also offered that, even if the Order could not be sealed, she would feel better if it did not appear on law blogs or show up in online search results…. [A still later] letter went on to explain that she has lost friends as a consequence….

[This Court’s] denial of [Nelson’s] motion in no way suggests that the Court does not take Nelson at her word that the availability of the Order online has caused her great distress. The public availability of such orders is, unfortunately for her, the consequence of a public dispute resolution system financed with taxpayer funds.

Electronic access, moreover, is not unique to Nelson’s case; nor, surely, is Nelson alone in unhappiness. In Social Security cases, orders regularly include sensitive personal health information regarding a claimant’s disability.

But, we do not have Star Chamber justice in the United States. Access by the media, the legal profession and the public at large to courts deciding cases openly on the public record helps solidify that arrangement, which is why, consequently, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure establish a baseline requirement that orders such as the one aggrieving Nelson will be available to the public through remote electronic access.

Moreover, it is the availability of public access to such decisions that helps ensure the refreshed validity of caselaw and that parties similarly situated are treated equally under the law. In line with these considerations, a movant bears a weighty burden when requesting that a case be sealed.

Succinctly, Nelson’s predicament is no different than that facing any other social security claimant who brings her case in federal court, and, at bottom, nothing in Nelson’s file qualifies for sealing, especially since the horse of online access to the Order has long since left the barn. Consequently, neither Nelson’s case (broadly) nor the Order (specifically) will be ordered sealed, and her motion seeking such relief is denied….

Likewise, in In re de Groote (Bankr. D.D.C. 2008), the court denied a “motion to remove memorandum decision from court’s website,” “because by statute the court is required to make its written decisions available to the public in electronic form.” In Yongo v. Ashcroft (1st Cir. 2004), the court refused to remove an asylum decision from a court site, though without a categorical statement that such removal is impermissible:

Yongo’s counsel, Jeffrey W. Goldman, has now filed a motion requesting this court “to place this matter under seal; to remove the Court’s Judgment and Written Decision from the Court’s web site; and to recall, to the extent possible, any public placement or posting of the Court’s Decision and Order.” As grounds, counsel cites to the confidentiality provisions of 8 C.F.R. 208.6 pertaining to asylum applications and related documents, and says that the court has now “posted [on the world wide web] confidential information about [Yongo’s] torture; the name of his persecutors; and the reasons he fears returning to his home country ….” The cited regulation by its terms does not apply to any disclosure made to a court considering legal proceedings arising from the adjudication of an asylum application.

When briefs and administrative records are filed with a federal court, they are customarily treated as available to the public; but common practice, reflected in our own local rules, permits a motion to seal any document so filed. It is, needless to say, the responsibility of counsel to make such a motion in timely fashion and to show good cause for the requested sealing. A review of the docket sheet confirms that no such timely motion was made by Mr. Goldman or any other attorney representing Mr. Yongo in this case.

The court’s subsequent decision provides nothing more than the same relatively tame description of the background events that appears in the publicly filed briefs and similar publicly available records in this case. If there is any basis for the sealing of any part of the court’s decision, it is not apparent from counsel’s motion which — rhetoric aside — contains no reference to anything specific in the decision. Nor does the motion offer any reason to believe that anything in the decision would be likely to threaten harm to Yongo.

And I’ve seen many other cases where such motions to remove have been denied without explanation. See Bennett v. NTSB (4th Cir. 2003); Paredes v. Attorney General (11th Cir. 2007); Elhadidi v. Secretary of Health & Human Servs. (Ct. Fed. Cl. 2013); Gradinger v. Washington Nat’l Ins. (11th Cir. 2007); In re Zaffiro (Wisc. Ct. App. 2006); In re Bush (Pa. Super. Ct. App. 2016); Smith v. Smith (Wisc. Ct. App. 2006); United States v. Hart (8th Cir. 2005).

2. On the other hand, sometimes courts do remove opinion from their web sites.

A. Here, for instance, is a letter that led the court in Correctional Medical Care, Inc. v. Gray (E.D. Pa. 2008) to remove an opinion (as with all of these, a non-precedential opinion, which wasn’t designated for official publication) from the court’s site:

I am requesting on behalf of my client … that the above referenced Order be removed from the Court’s/Pacer website.

[My client] and his wife are involved in domestic litigation and are separated. My client informs me that his children have been encountering difficulties because their friends are looking up [My client and his wife] and reading court files that are publicly available. While this pertains to a different case, the opinion is harmful to my client and his children in that this case was dismissed with prejudice, but the dismissal order does not show in search engines and so suggests an untrue (or at least an unproven) set of circumstances that paint Mr. and Mrs. Gray in an unfavorable light.

Since this case was dismissed with prejudice and without the full record being available, we respectfully request that you remove this opinion from public view on the internet. We thank you kindly for you attention to this matter.

The court expressly refused to remove the opinion from PACER, the subscription-based service that can be used to access court files if one wants to access them; and the opinion is also available on Westlaw and Lexis, two even more expensive pay services, as well as two free services, casetext.com and courtlistener.com. But the court agreed to remove the opinion from its own site.

B. Here is one successful letter from a bankruptcy case (In re Granoff (E.D. Pa. 2013)):

I was told by [someone at the clerk’s office] to write this letter to get my name removed from your website. This was an appeal for a bankruptcy for Civil action that happened seven years ago. I was never able to bankrupt myself and this is damaging my online reputation…. I am currently seeking employment and would beg the court to remove this from their website as many employers Google your name after receiving a resume. I was never charged with a felony or even a misdemeanor. Thank you for your prompt response on this manner.

C. Or consider this letter sent to the court in 2015 as to State v. Touchette (Mich. Ct. App.), a non-precedential opinion that held that a second-offense drunken-driving case against the defendant could go forward (despite defendant’s Fourth Amendment objection):

I am writing in regards to COA 279214, a Michigan Court of Appeals case from 2008. Recently, I was made aware that when an individual searches the Internet using my full legal name [omitted by EV] with a search engine such as Google.com, the court case aforementioned appears in the search results….

The main reason for the request is that this case is from an event that happened close to 10 years ago in my early 20’s and is not a reflection of a the person I am today. From this point, I completed all sentencing requirements on lime with no issues and have not had any encounters with law enforcement since. If a potential employer or other professionally contact were to search my name, this item appears in the search results. Although I understand this is a public record, there is a difference between publicly available and being publicized. This document is being publicized using my name and Google or oilier similar companies have business models to profit off including such items in their search results while only having negative effects for me. In addition, the support for the case was based off one individual’s pre-trial testimony and may not give the full details of the case.

Further, the method of using a public folder provides inconsistency in the way documents are found, indexed and presented in search results. Depending on the structure of the document will determine if it appears in search results at all. As an example, the number of times ones name appears in a PDF may make it more relevant and increase die position in search results if that name or a similar spelling of die name is searched. Alter a quick test using the names of other cases found in this same public folder (http://publicdocs.courts.mi.gov:81/opinions/final/coa/), where the defendants names were searched in a similar fashion, I found that at times the court cases did not appear in the search results, and if they did, the document appeared much lower in the search results. Even more serious cases, such as felonies or violent crimes do not appear in this manner on the Michigan Courts website.

Also, I performed a quick search to understand if other courts both in Michigan or other states use the websites in a similar fashion, where court cases are placed in public folders on their website domain, and was not able to find any that used this same method. If there is a reason for including the cases in public folder, such as newsletter links as an example, there [are] other better ways to store documents or at the very least prevent the case from being indexed in internet search results.

I am not asking that the document be sealed or expunged, rather just prevented being indexed in the internet search results. This is a rather simple task for most technology professionals and basic instructions can be found:

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93710?hl=en

Finally, without this change, this will have long-term implications to my reputation and ability for the pursuit of happiness with the unknown of when this will come up in conversation. I appreciate the consideration and the courts efforts to remedy this situation. Please let me know if there are any questions or additional steps to rectify the situation.

The court removed the opinion from its site, though it’s still available on Westlaw. And see also Hicintuka v. Holder (5th Cir. 2009) (removing a non-precedential opinion in an asylum case, based on a claim that the availability of the opinion could endanger the asylum seeker, who had been denied asylum and who would presumably be back in his home country); McPherron v. Unemployment Compensation Bd. of Review (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2008) (sealing opinion altogether, as well as removing it from the site).

3. What if you also want to get the opinion removed from other Google-searchable sites, such as findlaw.com, casetext.com, and the like? Even if a court takes down the opinion from its site, the other sites are under no obligation to do the same. The court probably won’t even try to order them to do so (indeed, in the Granoff case, it expressly declined to do so). And I think any such attempt to order a site to remove a formerly public opinion would be unconstitutional: The government generally can’t restrict people from communicating information that was once a part of public record. See, e.g., Florida Star v. B.J.F. (1989).

But some of the sites might be willing to echo the court’s decision: A site might take the view that its job is to faithfully reproduce those things that the court is willing to make public, and once an opinion is no longer made public by the court, it makes sense for the private site to follow suit. (Google Scholar, for instance, also omits the opinion in Touchette’s case, noting that “As a courtesy, we have removed 1 sealed court opinion(s) from this page” — though that is somewhat imprecise, since the opinion is not technically sealed but just taken down from the court’s site.) On the other hand, other sites might believe that their task is to provide the maximum possible information for searchers, in which case they may keep the opinion up. Leagle.com seems to take this view, for instance, at least judging by its About Us page.

* * *

None of this tells us, of course, what courts should do. I think the courts should not be able to stop private sites from displaying certain decisions that have been made public in the past; but a court’s control over its own site is a different matter. On one hand, I see the arguments for having courts provide maximum information for the public, especially since each opinion can provide insight on what the legal system is doing. Moreover, why should courts help people hide information from others (prospective employers)?

On the other hand, I see the arguments for courts deciding that they don’t want to help reveal to the public information about private people that they see as no longer really relevant. After all, a court often has the discretion to reveal more or less in its opinion — it can often decide non-precedential cases without a published opinion at all, or publish an opinion that uses pseudonyms, or an opinion that declines to mention certain information. It likely should also have the discretion to change its mind, though that doesn’t tell us how it should exercise that discretion in any particular case. (Also, even if a court has a statutory obligation, under some state or federal rule, to make its decision available to people who want to look it up specifically, I’ve seen no statutory rules that require courts to make their decisions available in a way that shows up on Google searches.)

I also see both the arguments for leaving this as a highly discretionary decision and the arguments against that. Discretion leaves courts with the flexibility to have a strong presumption in favor of publicity and depart from that only in cases where the particular details suggest that certain information isn’t really important and is potentially harmful to the people involved. On the other hand, it also virtually ensures that similar cases will be routinely treated differently simply based on which judge happens to decide the case (or which day he happens to decide it).

In this post, though, I don’t aim to resolve these questions — just flag them, and flag the reality that in our system courts are making such decisions, and sometimes making them in favor of removal and sometimes against.

Originally Found On: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/05/03/can-you-get-a-court-to-take-an-opinion-that-mentions-you-off-its-google-searchable-website/

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