Doctors Are Using TikTok To Educate Patients

You’ve finally mastered the basics of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn...now let us introduce you to TikTok!

TikTok is a video sharing social media platform that consists of dancing, lip-synching, comedy skits, and more recently, health education. 

Doctors and nurses have joined the app to create content and connect with patients through this latest social media trend. TikTok is giving healthcare professionals a way to showcase their personality and potentially acquire more patients through their relatability. 

Since its release in early 2016, TikTok has been downloaded more than 1 billion times globally and has accumulated 800 million monthly active users worldwide. With this many users, TikTok is a platform many healthcare providers are now considering to use.

Before you start creating content on TikTok, it’s important to note a few do’s and don’ts of the app.

DO:

• Do keep up with the latest trends on the app and what your target audience is responding to. 

• Do use hashtags to try and get your video on the ‘For You Page’. Look at the trending hashtags on TikTok and add them to your video caption.

• Do keep your patients’ privacy and practice in mind. Posting PHI (protected health information) will violate HIPAA. If you want to use a patient for an educational or light-hearted video, make sure you get their permission beforehand.

• Do be mindful of your surroundings when taking video in the office. You’ll want to make sure that monitors are clear of PHI and also there are not any patients in the background that have not given consent to be on your social media platform.

• Do use your TikTok account to inform the public of accurate information regarding their health. Dr. Leslie, a 29-year-old family medicine doctor at the University of Minnesota Medical School went viral on the platform for creating content about the dangers of vaping in hopes to influence teenagers and young adults. Go, Dr. Leslie! Another great example is Dr. Lora Shahine! Dr. Shahine is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist who is bringing awareness to close to 40K followers on the topics of infertility and miscarriage.

Due to the recent uproar of problematic TikToks posted by healthcare providers, we feel like it is important to warn you of some don’ts. 

DON’T:

• Do not post misinformation that may cause harm to an individual’s health. According to HubSpot, 50% of TikTok users are under the age of 34, with 26% being between the age of 18 and 24. This is a young and impressionable audience that may take misinformation regarding their health as a fact.

• Do not go against TikTok’s community guidelines. This includes posting graphic content such as wounds or injuries. TikTok’s guidelines are very strict and if not followed, could result in your account being terminated.

• Do not use the app as a place to vent about your patients or your practice. Doctors and nurses that have gone viral recently for creating content complaining about patients have been receiving backlash for creating mistrust between the doctor-patient relationship. 

Whether you need help determining if you could benefit from TikTok, or if you need a professional audit of your current social media presence, MOXY Company is here to help! Simply call us to set up an appointment at (985) 256-0720, or click here to fill out our online contact form.