Risk Management

OMIC Launches Social Network

A recent study of web trends suggests that the ophthalmic community has embraced social media for online marketing and professional collaboration to a greater degree than other medical specialties. In 2010, ophthalmologists were more likely to use online physician directories to reach patients and had higher adoption rates for social networking sites to collaborate with both patients and colleagues. A 2011 survey by the American Academy of Ophthalmology indicates that 50% of Academy members use social networks professionally with participation higher among younger ophthalmologists, who are connected through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the AAO Community. The precursor to these sites, ophthalmic LISTSERVs and email groups, are still used by many ophthalmologists for clinical and administrative advice and dialogue as well.

To facilitate enhanced online interaction and feedback from policyholders and the broader ophthalmic community, OMIC has launched several new social platforms. Visit OMIC.com for links to social networking pages on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Followers will be alerted to news, updates, and announcements from OMIC, including notification whenever new patient consent documents or loss prevention resources are published. OMIC’s Twitter feed@myOMIC will link OMIC’s Facebook fans and LinkedIn network with associated content. Ophthalmologists who want only to be notified when OMIC publishes new patient consent documents (and not other OMIC news) can link to and follow our companion Twitter page@OMICdocs.

OMIC’s blog features risk management tips and resources, underwriting and coverage announcements, practice administration advice, information for upcoming seminars and conferences, course materials and forms, case studies, statistics, state and cooperative venture updates, and other relevant OMIC news. Blog entries will automatically be published throughout OMIC’s social network. Those who do not use social networking sites can still follow the RSS feed for OMIC’s blog by visiting http://www.omic.com/blog/ and subscribing to the feed through their web browser favorites tab by choosing the RSS link at the bottom of the OMIC blog page and following the subscription instructions.