Why Physicians Need to Have an Online Identity

The healthcare profession has lagged behind not only in healthcare IT but also in utilizing existing social technology to communicate with patients. The Internet has not waited for doctors to catch up. Rather than physicians establishing their own online identities, other parties such as rate-a-physician sites have done it for them.

Message boards and rate-a-physician sites have value but at best are incomplete and may give a skewed image. By showing transparently who they are, while at the same time providing information that personally connects with and helps others, doctors, through eClinic, can take control of their own online identity.