EP162: Professional Use of Social Media: Interview with Dr. Carole Keim

Honing in your message is such a valuable communication skill set.   —Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN   As a board-certified pediatrician, author, podcaster and social media maven, Dr. Carole Keim has seamlessly transitioned from meeting clients in clinics to connecting with them in non-traditional ways.    Dr. Keim has been providing reliable medical advice to new and anxious parents all around the world in formats that are accessible from anywhere, meets new parents where they are, and offers just-in-time learning – particularly during the first few years of childhood.   Interested in learning more about how healthcare professionals can use social media? Check out this insightful interview with Dr. Carole Keim. ▶️    ✔️ How it all started – Dr. Carole's WHY Dr. Carole embarked on her social media journey during the pandemic when everyone was relying on online platforms. While transitioning to house call practice, she noticed that many parents were seeking information online instead of bringing their children to clinics.  Realizing the abundance of misinformation available, Dr. Carole decided to create short videos. Through platforms like TikTok, she successfully connected with people worldwide as her engaging content went viral, supporting everyone, regardless of their location.   Accustomed to delivering short presentations and having vast experience from working in various clinics, Dr. Carole found it effortless to create 1-minute videos. This was her way of sharing valuable information on different topics repeatedly with parents and while addressing panicked phone calls she received during the middle of the night. ✔️Why use social media as a Healthcare Professional? What made her social media channels so popular was that she didn't originally have any intention of selling anything. Instead, she simply wanted to provide valuable information to people. However, her platform unexpectedly became a means to share her book "The Baby Manual" with those who needed a no-fluff guide for new moms.  This led to the creation of a successful podcast, which has been downloaded over 50,000 times and listened to in more than 135 countries. The podcast even reached the top of the charts in both the Pediatrics and Motherhood categories.    ✔️ Tips, tricks & advice to get started If you're a healthcare professional who's just starting to use social media, it's completely normal to feel a bit nervous about the possibility of someone misinterpreting your medical information and causing negative outcomes.  However, bear in mind that while medical advice is personal, there are universal truths to rely on. It's important to embrace your own unique voice and have confidence in your expertise. At the same time, advise your audience to first seek their own local healthcare providers who have a personal understanding of their specific situation.    Make sure your communication is clear and concise. The goal of medical education is to establish a strong connection with your audience and provide them with actionable and useful information that gets straight to the point.   Dr. Carole Keim MD is a board-certified pediatrician from Boulder, CO.  She is the author of The Baby Manual: The Ultimate Guide for New Parents, Bye Bye Boobies (a coloring book to help toddlers who are ready to stop breastfeeding), My Happiness Journal (a mindfulness journal with guided prompts that help you to feel happier as you write in it), and Holistic Mamas Handbook.   Dr. Keim believes that a holistic, patient-centered approach is best, and believes in empowering patients and parents to take care of their own health and their child's wellbeing.  She wants to help everyone everywhere (and is doing it!) with her podcast, book, and social media accounts.    Website link: linktr.ee/drkeim  The Baby Manual: The Ultimate Guide for New Parents: https://amzn.to/47OYLud Bye Bye Boobies: https://amzn.to/46ShkMG  My Happiness Journal: https://amzn.to/46NPQbi Holistic Mamas Handbook: https://amzn.to/3GxdHkT    #HCSM #HealthcareSocialMedia #MedEd #MedicalEducation #Patient  #Physicians #Nurses    ------------------------------------------------------------------------About MelissaBPhD Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN. I am a nurse, nurse practitioner, nurse educator and nurse researcher with over 25 years of experience in the aging and long-term care healthcare space. You can visit my website at MelissaBPhD.com to learn more about me, how you can work with me directly, and/or support future episodes of the podcast. Within the first 18 months of launching this podcast, we reached a ranking of top 10% globally. I have all of you who've been with me on this journey so far to thank for that!  The best way you can help the podcast continue to grow is to LIKE the podcast with a thumbs up, SHARE the podcasts you like with others, SUBSCRIBE, and LEAVE A REVIEW. These things only take a minute of your time, but they really do help increase my rating and ranking; but more importantly, these actions help other people find the podcast. 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