Letter From the Lipid Spin Editor: Lipidology is not "Other-ology" - Can Social Media Help?

The field of Clinical Lipidology is growing slowly. Each year new members of the National Lipid Association are approved, and every year some of them choose to pursue training and certification pathways via the ACCL and ABCL. Many of our members have an interest in lipidology, but may spend most of their time in other specialties such as Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Family Practice, Endocrinology, Pediatrics, Ob/GYN or Osteopathy just to name a few. Others practice Lipidology as their primary vocation. They may direct lipid clinics, research programs or teaching & education programs in lipidology. The NLA, the ABCL and ACCL along with a growing number of health care practitioners interested in Lipidology have all increased awareness about this specialty. Recognition, for our field both by patients and colleagues, however remains stubbornly low.

How do I know this? Observational (shudder) data! Simply go on line and sign up for a medical website. When faced with a drop down menu asking for area of specialty, lipidology is often absent. Rather than being a lipidologist, I often feel like an "other-ologist." We are facing an identity crisis; all too often letting others categorize and describe us.

I believe it is only through our own bully pulpit that we can make others aware of who and what we are. Social media is a wonderful tool to help us - if used properly and appropriately.¹ Where else can someone “selfproclaim” their own expertise and receive immediate validation by others? Why wait for others to recognize and promote our cause? We can do this ourselves. Social media offers a wonderful chance to tell others who we are, what we do, and, most importantly, engage the reader in the process.²

Practice patterns have changed, and so have referral patterns. Patients no longer wait for primary providers to refer them to specialists. They read about illness online; they find specialists no longer through work or family networks, but instead they use online communities, chat rooms, web sites and search engines.³ If we want to provide our expertise for the benefit of patients in need of our services, we need to let those looking for us know that we are here.

But wait, does this mean we should all take to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and reduce our message to 140 characters? Of course not! I believe we cannot hide our collective heads in the sand! For those inclined using social media in a responsible way improves overall online visibility via search engines and makes others take notice.

The next time "Lipidology" is absent from a drop down message, send an email to their Webmaster, or even better, post your thoughts online! Given the social media mandate to engage and respond, results can and do occur. Just recently, a company that does online scheduling reached out to me. They were hoping to start a dialogue with our group. When I noticed that lipidology was not a choice for specialty for them, I told them not to waste my time. Within 24 hours it was added to the menu.

Collectively we can choose to be ignored, or we can choose to be recognized. Wonderful tools currently exist that enable and engage both the layperson and the expert professional. No tool can function if not utilized properly. By understanding and embracing the roles these social media and online communities play, patient referrals can increase and most importantly, patient care will improve.^4,5

This, in turn will advance our mission to improve awareness and recognition of our valued and chosen field of Clinical Lipidology.

References

1. Online Medical Professionalism: Patient and Public Relationships: Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards Ann Intern Med. 2013;158:620-627
2. Physician tweet thyself: A guide for integrating social media into medical practice BC Medical Journal Vol. 55 No. 1, Jan/Feb 2013
3. Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices, Kevin Pho MD & Susan Gay GreenBranch Publishing 2013
4. The Social Media: Its Impact on a Vascular Surgery Practice Vasc Endovascular Surg April 2013 47: 169-171, first published on February 20, 2013
5. Recommendations for Using Online Social Networking Technologies to Reduce Inaccurate Online Health Information Online J Health Allied Sci. 2011 July 30; 10(2)