As healthcare marketers, it is important to stay on top of what topics are trending among physicians. Some topics are evergreen, and others ebb and flow with the times. Since Doximity is the platform where physicians spend time, we have insight into the topics that get physicians clicking, commenting, and sharing. By tailoring your content to trending topics, you will be able to reach more physicians.
COVID
It is no surprise that COVID continues to dominate the conversation among physicians. From vaccines and boosters to treatments to long COVID to new CDC regulations, COVID persists throughout society, news, research, and popular opinion. While some, like this top-read Atlantic article, posit that the pandemic is “soft closing” due to recent CDC guidelines, others, including physicians reacting in the comments, disagree, revealing the persistent polarization of the virus, the pandemic, and its lingering presence among us. If your organization has valuable insights to add to the discourse around COVID, share them, and be prepared for both dissent and agreement within the comments.
Work Satisfaction
Work satisfaction, or lack thereof, is trending among physicians. Topics like clinician burnout, workplace strikes, imposter syndrome, and compensation are front of mind. Doximity’s Op-Med platform features opinion pieces written by physicians including “Why I Chose to Be Unemployed Rather than Stay at My Hospital” and “Burnout Affects More than 50% of Physicians – But How Do We Know We Have It?” Institutions that are actively addressing these issues for their physician workforce should be proud to share their policies, strategies, and outcomes. Whether it’s a reflection on changing workplace standards and benefits or encouraging a physician to share their experience via Op-Med, creating space for honest discussion about workplace challenges has the potential for high reward.
Health Policy
Between shifting abortion policies, conversations around transgender health policy, and persistent COVID policy discussions, there has been an increase in dialogue around health policy from physicians. Physician experts want to be involved in the discussions around crucial policies that impact not only their patients’ access to care, but in some cases, their own ability to practice medicine. Physicians exist on all sides of the policy spectrum, advocating for policy that honors their opinions, experience, and education. Engaging with health policy topics will look different for each organization, but it is becoming increasingly clear that physicians and patients expect institutions to take a stance on the issues that matter most to them.
Cutting-Edge Innovation
While innovation is anything but consistent, sharing about innovative procedures, clinical trials, research, and treatments consistently garners physicians’ attention. A great way to pull your own physicians into your marketing strategy is to reach out to them directly and learn what is exciting and new in their specialty. Not only will your team appreciate the acknowledgement of their work, your audience will welcome the news and associate your institution with innovation.