Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
– Albert Einstein
True Thought Leaders in Medicine and Social Media
The discussion surrounding key opinion leaders, thought leaders and ‘influencers’ in medicine and healthcare deserves further attention.
Those who grasp(ed) the emerging realities in healthcare policy, HIT and rapidly emerging new media trends … and lead others to show them the way are the KOLs I follow.
- they emerged “organically” on Twitter and their blogs: @kentbottles and @philbaumann are two who deserve mention
- they have a clear grasp … or are honest when they don’t — of the rapidly changing environs we work in
- Many of us are subject to violent opposition locally… yet experience international recognition for our efforts.
We were not created by an industry — we understand —or try very hard to understand the emerging reality tunnels
We should not be elevated to being a thought leader by a manufacturer … t0 push agendas or products because we look the part or present well on stage.
We should not be elevated to this position because a marketing department head believes that’s who we should be.
We should not be an overnight creation or sensation at the whim of those who hold the reigns…
Social Media and Emergence of Key Opinion Leaders in Medicine
Social media created — and levels the playing field ( @doctor_v deserves attention for his thoughts in this area).
We are not brave or brilliant… we think and we ponder — and we speak up (or blog). – I’m far too humble to think otherwise.
YOU decide who the key opinion leaders are and if our message resonates – and thus offers value.
Key opinion leaders in medicine and social media deserve recognition, a podium and a means to spread their message far and wide.
With the dramatic evolution of:
- Medicine and Social Media
- Mobile Health
- Electronic Records
- Shared Decision Making
- Cost controls
- Service line refinements
- Captive practices and emerging employment models
- Government Intervention and regulations
The need to look to relevant, engaging, and perhaps provocative KOLs and thoughts leaders in healthcare will rise dramatically as the landscape we knew molds and changes afoot like the sands I stood upon during my recent vacation.
Marie Ennis-O'Connor (@JBBC) says
Thank you for writing this! It is a topic that has been exercising my mind this week, particularly as I fielded criticism of a list of my key influencers which I posted on slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/ennoconn/health-care-social-media-influencers
The most vehement reactions came from those who stated that these lists are meaningless – but who defines meaning? Isn’t it as individual as we are? As you so rightly state “YOU decide who the key opinion leaders are and if our message resonates – and thus offers value.” After all, one person’s meaningless Twitter account is another’s Klout score (this was suggested to me as a more meaningful way to create this kind of list). Again for some this may be how you decide who is worth following on Twitter, but Klout scores are also an imperfect measure of influence. If I chose only to focus on Klout scores, then I would be missing out on some great Twitter accounts. In fact one of the most surprising things I found when creating my list was the low number of followers on some accounts . Some of the accounts I most respect for what they are doing to change the conversation in healthcare have a surprisingly low number of followers – proof once again that quality engagement should never be measured in numbers. By the same token, some of the better-known accounts have huge numbers of followers, but I wonder how many just follow these accounts because everyone else does – ergo they must be influential/meaningful/worth following. Creating this list made me question how meaningful they still are to me. Am I still learning from them? Are they still pushing the boundaries? It is good to review the lists of people you follow every now and again and ask these questions. You might be surprised at the answer you get. Still, we all have to start someplace, and usually we start with the wisdom of the crowd until we find our own individual tribe and our own meaningful level of engagement. I am also like you of the subversive belief that people can make up their own minds who to follow – a list is just a starting point to explore things further for yourself.
Howard J. Luks, MD says
Thanks Marie.. and happy new year!
Keep up your hard work. What many fail to realize is that we have been stuck in a giant echo chamber for many years now. The same folks talking about much the same issues. Many many more voices are necessary. Patients are heading online in large numbers. Health care providers are starting to get the message too… and they are showing up on twitter and require a little hand holding to get them started. Your lists, as with others give these newbies a good place to start!
As with beauty … the true value of “meaning” is in the eye of the beholder/reader :-)
Howard