Wellpoint Gives Voice to Physician Leaders

A social media initiative gives future physician leaders a platform from which to share their ideas on healthcare in an effort to boost debate and engagement within and beyond the medical community.

In a crowded marketplace, it's not necessarily the vendors with the best deals or loudest touts who do the best business. The most successful ones are the ones who know how to engage with customers.

The crowded health insurance marketplace is no different. Wellpoint, with its American Resident Project, is banking on it.

In the first year of the program, the payer has given young medical professionals—future leaders—an online platform to engage with colleagues in healthcare, in provider-to-payer communities, and with consumers in the marketplace.

"The fact of the matter is, we are one voice in the healthcare debate. One of the voices that was not being heard was emerging healthcare leaders… It impacts all of us. The physicians are a key element of the discussion. This is an opportunity to highlight and share ideas," a Wellpoint spokesperson told me.

The roster of bloggers for the American Resident Project started with a dozen fellows, nine of whom have stuck with the monthly blog posting schedule through the program's first year and collected a $2,000 annual stipend. Collectively they have written 50 blog posts and amassed 3,000 registered followers.

Two fellows shared their thoughts on the program with me. Elaine Khoong, MD, received her medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine this year. Arshya Vahabzadeh, MD, serves as a resident physician in child and adolescent psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. They have each contributed one blog post each month since February.

After speaking with them, I sent them each a few questions via email. Their responses have been edited for space and clarity.

HLM: What motivated you to blog about your medical education experiences and healthcare issues?

Khoong: Originally, I had two main motivations. The first was that it provided an avenue through which I could share my perspective with a wider audience. The second was that it provided a valuable learning opportunity for me to improve my ability to succinctly and persuasively communicate my ideas.

In medicine, there is an unspoken understanding that science or evidence is what contributes the most to health. The physician-scientist is revered, and publication in premier medical journals determines prestige, promotions, and respect.

Although I still wholly support evidence-based medicine and plan to pursue a research career, I am increasingly convinced that to improve healthcare (and especially health) the medical community must be less insular.

Vahabzadeh: Throughout my training I have discovered that by fostering an open dialogue, we can identify the challenges and opportunities present in our healthcare systems. I believe that generating this dialogue is of fundamental importance in building more efficient and higher quality healthcare systems.

I consider it my duty as a physician to work toward improving the healthcare system in which I work.

I have personally seen the impact of both blogging and other social media in generating awareness in critical healthcare issues, and helping to instigate change. As a result, I consider highlighting these issues in an open forum as much a part of my mission as my clinical, educational and research projects.

HLM: Why was the Wellpoint blog an attractive forum for you?

Khoong: The American Resident Project is an exciting forum for me because of its focus on medical students and young physicians. We are and will be working in a health environment that is drastically different and arguably more challenging than in the past.

Our society needs innovative ways of delivering and paying for healthcare. These solutions will have to be adopted by the newest generation of physicians, so it's best that we become engaged as soon as we can.

Vahabzadeh: The American Resident Project has been a tremendous resource for my own personal development. The ability to gain mentorship with highly experienced leaders in healthcare and network with like-minded peers has been invaluable.

I also feel that the American Resident Project blog is impactful, not only having its own influential readership, but also having its articles reproduced across several other prominent blogs.

HLM: Do you feel the Wellpoint fellow blogs are a constructive contribution to the process of building greater cooperation between healthcare payers and providers?

Khoong: Serving as a writing fellow has been a great opportunity to hear about payers' approaches to and perspectives on changes in the healthcare landscape. As fellows, we've had the opportunity to speak with and learn from several leaders within the WellPoint organization.

As a future healthcare provider, I feel that I have gained some insight about the payers' perspective.

Vahabzadeh: I am optimistic about the future relationships between patients, providers and payers. All three parties have a set of intrinsic goals, such as the delivery of high quality, cost-effective healthcare. Physicians should continue to play an important role.

HLM: Why is it important for healthcare professionals like yourself to share your views with a wide audience?

Khoong: Healthcare providers have a front row seat to seeing how policy changes have affected the delivery of healthcare. For too long, many of us have sat back while others with much less insight into the healthcare system have dictated how care should be delivered.

It is our duty to our patients to bring our wisdom and expertise to the table to ensure that new policies will improve patient care and the healthcare system as a whole. By at least engaging in the discussion, we gain a better understanding of others' points of view.

Vahabzadeh: While there are a plethora of voices in the healthcare debate, the opinions of frontline healthcare professionals are often unheard. Clinically trained professionals, such as physicians, have a richness of experience, and a deep understanding of the realities of healthcare delivery, that are difficult to replicate.

I believe that by harnessing the thoughts and hopes of healthcare professionals today, it will allow us to build a better healthcare system for tomorrow.