WHY THIS SITE
I want to be honest, I'm an introvert...
Detailed health information and much more than "advertising"
I'll be honest: after a first website I created at the beginning of my career as an orthopedic surgeon, which lasted about a couple of years, I removed it for precisely this reason. I was embarrassed. And being shy and introverted by nature, I must confess that the very presence of this site online bothers me a little.
In Piedmont, especially in Turin, a doctor who has his own website is viewed, especially by colleagues, in a bad light, as if it were a sin of pride or a subservience to vile marketing.
There's a sort of unspoken rule among doctors—not all, mind you, but most, especially in Turin and Piedmont, where I live and work—that your name as a specialist in a specific medical field must be spread exclusively by word of mouth. If you have or have a website built, you're considered a "marketeer," and that's because you want to be "advertising" , but advertising and the "marketing"old 80s style, ugly, almost like a TV shopping model.
And the very fact that you were in any way committed to updating the content of the same site meant that you weren't dedicating enough time to updating it, either to the practice or to your patients. In short, lack of seriousness.
This age-old reticence stems partly from Piedmontese culture, but also from the well-founded belief that patients should not be seen solely as clients, but above all as human beings in need, with a serious health problem to resolve.
If you ask any doctor, they'll most likely deny this. But the truth from those who experience things from the inside is exactly this. I repeat, it's not an absolute rule; there are exceptions, but in general... the doctor with a website is not seen by other doctors as a serious doctorAt least this is the prevailing thought in the Piedmontese medical climate. And not just in Piedmont, but also in other parts of the country and the world. I mention Piedmont and Turin because, having worked in different settings throughout my career, I know that in this wonderful city where I work, this attitude is particularly felt—I would say, typically "Savoyard."
The need for a controlled online presence for professionals in the digital age
Now, I believe that this unspoken rule, this "carbonaro" climate of colleagues who publish content on the Internet must be not only debunked but absolutely eradicated.
The Internet, and with it also the website of a professional, must be one instrument and like all tools there is no good tool or bad tool but it strictly depends on the motivations and how it is used.
Furthermore, we have now reached the point where it is not only important to have a online presence as a professional, even if only a few lines, but also indispensable not so much for working, but because it is inevitable that one's presence is already there. And if it's not the professional checking it, someone else will.
If I type my name and surname on Google today I appear as an orthopedic surgeon and doctor on many sites to which I have never given any consent to publish my nameThese sites they simply sell services to doctors and they do what doctors don't want to do out of modesty or incompetence or, much more often, lack of time: simply communicate what they do to the public, who no longer use the yellow pages but use a search engine when they have a problem. But this communication from these sites it is simply done to produce volume (making these sites profitable from the number of patients they "bring" to the professional), not to accurately inform the patient of the specific skills of the professional, in this case a doctor. I think it's very unfair that a patient with a problem, searching on the Internet, can become prey of these companies. It's right that she can make an informed choice and not be steered toward those who pay the most and advertise the most, but toward the specialist most suited to her specific problem.
By this I do not mean to say that these platforms are evil and should be banned; they certainly represent an important support for doctors who do not have the ability or time to create a small site to describe their activity and they offer a small selection potential patients with respect to the specifics of the proposed professionals. However, they also exclude many other valid experts in the same field, and within the list of proposed professionals, the one who pays the most will certainly stand out, which does not always coincide with the best or most suitable professional.
The Internet is so present in the lives of all of us, regardless of age, that today it can't be ignored The need to have an online presence as a professional, even if only minimally. Online presence refers to the extent to which your name is present across various channels such as websites, blogs, social media, emails, search engines, and paid advertising. Even if you don't want to or don't intend to, Most doctors have an online presence anyway.
After all, the Internet is part of people's daily lives, from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep (or even while they sleep). On average, people use Internet for 6h43min every day.
In my case, even if I didn't have a website or social media profile, patients will still talk about their experiences with me, my practice, or my collaborators on social media. There's no point avoiding it: my name is already there. But, in this form, my online presence is not under controlThey're not there to interact with patients or understand where improvements can be made.
I heard then, with very late and due to a forced period of stoppage from work in the operating room due to a knee operation, the need to develop an online presence planned that responds to the andpatient needs and help them achieve their health goals.
Important aspects of a doctor's online presence for patients
Doctors' online presence includes information about their qualifications, on their skills and their general practice. An online presence is very important for doctors today and can be of great benefit to patients, colleagues in the specific scientific field, students and residents, and ultimately to the doctors themselves.
I think doctors should have a website, because people would be able to look into the updated qualifications and skills and not from different sources. Doctors can update their website with new information about research they're conducting or if anything has changed in their practice.
An example could be simply the one that applies to my case: it is true that an orthopedic surgeon is able to easily distinguish and treat the underlying pathologies of all anatomical districts (back, foot, knee) because during his training he has worked in all these fields and probably, especially if he works in a hospital, he deals every day with pathologies and problems that affect all joint areas. But in most cases he will be specialized in a specific field.
The reasons for this superspecialization there are many, to name a few the possibility of keeping up to date with the literature and scientific progress in that particular field (it would be impossible nowadays to keep up to date with everything!) and of being able to offer better treatment to one's patients and the possibility of focusing one's surgical practice so as to reduce risks, which are always present in any type of intervention, and increase the success rate.
But there are many other aspects of the importance of having a website or an online presence that are the motivation for building this site, which cost me a lot of effort and time.
An online presence is important for doctors today because it's an effective tool for improving patient outcomes. This happens in many ways and at many levels.
Empowering patients to actively engage in their healthcare by providing the right information.
A surgeon's website is a quick and effective way to provide patients with information about their health. The site can and should ideally provide patients with clear and concise advice on how to improve their health, but it also includes a warning: advice should be taken with caution and not followed blindly.
Generally, there are two types of patients: those who want to investigate and learn more about their problem and those who don't want to know anything about their problem (due to a small dose of hypochondria that is present in all of us!) and simply want the solution, preferably as quickly as possible.
For the first type of patients, the website offers valuable resources specific to their problem that allow them to better understand what solutions are available and how to heal more quickly.
For the second type of patients, however, we can try to make them understand that there is no magic wand and that any type of healing is the work of the body and takes time, and the surgeon or the pill can only be a guide, a catalyst to push the body in the right direction.
Establish a relationship of trust
One of the most important aspects to consider when working with patients is establishing a relationship of trust. The better the relationship, the greater their adherence to the proposed treatment and the better the final outcome.
Most doctors' goal is to provide the best care to their patients, but their websites should serve this purpose as well, not just as an "online resume."
Before your appointment and medical examination, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the doctor, his or her specialty, and how the visit will be conducted. Visit this website for more information on what I do specifically and how you can contact me.
Ensure patients have easy access to practice resources. Patient health often depends on their level of engagement in their treatment and access to the tools and information they need.
The surgeon's website is an important way to provide patients specific information on health conditions and treatment strategies.
Patients who are more engaged in their treatment are known to be more adherent to treatment, resulting in better outcomes. They are the ones who have all the tools they need to manage their health. Ensuring patients have easy access to practice resources is crucial.
Websites can be, and this site intends to be, one precious instrument to help patients manage their health and stay up to date on the latest advances in shoulder surgery.
But also to be able to access a wide range of information that is closely related to their problem, but which often there is no time to ask during the visit to example:
- What is the best brace after this specific type of surgery?
- Where is the best place to go for this type of analysis?
- Where is the best place to go for a shoulder MRI?
- How many nights in the hospital after this specific type of surgery?
- How long before I can drive after this specific type of surgery?
- Is there a special diet that could help me heal this specific problem?
- Is there an easy way to park my car at this studio?
This website aims to become a portal where patients can find all this information and resources independently and constantly updated.
Save time (and money)
This website is an important way to provide patients with a set of tools that are commonly available today but not made available by all professionals, which allow them to save money and time in many different ways.
Save money with online medical consultations (telemedicine)
Doctors, including myself, spend an enormous amount of time with patients discussing the trade-offs between different options. It's time-consuming and not "reimbursed."
But doctors' time is often very limited. In a recent survey, doctors reported spending an average of only 10 minutes with each patient. Extra time is also needed for tasks that have nothing to do with direct patient care, such as administrative work, reporting, insurance paperwork, and hospital regulations.
Online medical consultations can sometimes save patients and doctors a lot of money.
In the vast majority of cases, online consultations in orthopedics cannot be carried out without an in-person visit. Indeed, there are many clinical tests that orthopedic surgeons must perform on patients and that cannot be done via video call, even if it's a high-quality one. The doctor would risk missing some details about the patient's medical history and thus committing a serious omission in patient care.
As a general rule, it is good to specify that an online orthopedic visit can never replace a live physical examination, but it can be a valid one. supplement today and even more so in the future.
There are some scenarios where videoconferencing can be useful for facilitating a face-to-face visit. Let's look at one or two scenarios as examples.
Online medical consultation for new patients (telemedicine)
A practical example is shoulder pain that has been worsening for several months, with no history of trauma, in a patient over seventy. In this case, the primary care physician only prescribed anti-inflammatory pain medication, without significant results. If this patient consults the doctor directly, he or she will certainly formulate a diagnosis that will need to be confirmed by what are called first-level tests. In this example, most likely, a simple series of X-rays. In this specific example, during a video consultation, the orthopedist could, after listening to the patient's pain history, prescribe a series of specific X-rays to perform a more comprehensive in-person assessment. This would translate into significant savings for the patient (online consultations are much cheaper than in-person consultations) and time "wasted" by the patient. (Patients often complain of having had a quick visit and receiving only an answer in return, but a prescription for tests, only to have the answer at a subsequent visit.)And it also saves the doctor's time, as he would have many more elements available during the in-person visit to be able to make a correct diagnosis and a more effective therapy.
Another example of screening pre-visita It could be a similar case to the one just mentioned, but of a patient who turns to the orthopedist for something that falls outside his specific field of study and specialization. At this point, the orthopedist can prescribe the first-level tests as in the example above, but refer the patient for the subsequent visit to a another professional more specialized in that part of the body.
Online medical consultation for follow-ups (telemedicine)
In some cases, patients may need to see their doctor for a checkup or after an injury. In this case, it's important for the patient to know what type of appointment they need, so they can determine whether the appointment can be done online or in person. If there is even the slightest doubt, the consultation must be carried out in person.To this end, it is important for doctors to have an online consultation service available on their website or through third parties.
An example of this scenario could be a specialist check-up visit after the prescription of an MRI High-field ultrasound for a suspected rotator cuff tear. In this case, the specific and detailed clinical examination has already been performed, and it's simply a matter of reviewing the scans. This still requires the doctor's time, but it can also be done remotely, as in this case, a repeat clinical examination is often unnecessary.
The same case, and for the same reason, also concerns osteoarthritis, a degeneration of the shoulder cartilage that is already in an advanced stage visible on an X-ray presented at the first orthopedic visit in the office. In this case, a CT scan is prescribed to plan the surgery. Again, it's not necessary to re-examine the patient, but simply to review the tests and disturb a patient simply to hear confirmation of the diagnosis and treatment. When, in this case, the CT scan is used primarily for specific planning of the surgery and probably a big waste of time for the patient to physically go to the office.
Another possible scenario could be the two-year follow-up after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, in case everything goes well, or the same goes for a reverse shoulder replacement. Again, if everything is fine and you only need to see the x-rays of the prosthesis, it's worth considering a virtual visit.
These, of course, these are just examples of the types of check-ups that can benefit most from this modality.
Online consultation service requirements
- Safe
- GDPR compliant,
- encrypted,
- easy to use
- independent of the platform and operating system of the patient's device
- ability to transfer files if needed
Patient online consultation requirements
- smartphone o tablet/computer
- stable and fast internet connection
- stable smartphone holder (link) in case you need to show shoulder movement
- Optional: quality microphone connected via cable or Bluetooth
Saving time and money, but not quality
Patients can save significantly through several aspects of the treatment process. First, it's estimated that the pre-visit phase can save up to 70% compared to the cost of an initial visit. Furthermore, post-visit review of exams can save up to 50% compared to the cost of a follow-up visit.
Finally, one should not overlook the savings resulting from the reduced need for transport and the cost of parking, aspects that are often underestimated but which impact the personal healthcare budget. I often visit places relatively far from Turin, such as Rivarolo Canavese and AlbaUnfortunately, due to hospital and clinic commitments, I only go once a month. This allows me to have closer follow-up visits to view instrumental tests and clinical check-ups. without waiting a month for a check-up. However, physical presence is often required.
Especially in the case of patients who live in particularly isolated areasEven just having the ability to contact the doctor privately to ask him a few questions or have him review some tests can represent an added value that is definitely worth considering and much appreciated.
Another less important thing to consider is the savings of pollution Air pollution resulting from fewer trips. This may seem like a minor issue to many, but we must understand that air pollution has negative consequences for our health and the environment around us. Reducing our travel can help improve the quality of the air we breathe, but I realize few people are aware of this. While it may not seem immediately obvious, reducing air pollution is an important factor to consider when assessing the impact of our daily actions.
But saving time is the real main advantage
The most important "saving" is timeThe younger you are, the more abundant or even infinite time seems. As the years pass, the time you can spend with your family and loved ones becomes increasingly scarce, and knowing you'll have to waste time traveling or looking for parking often becomes frustrating.
The real saving, from the patient's point of view, is not so much the economic one, but rather the time, which for anyone, like me, includes the value, it is absolutely precious and limitedHaving the ability to take advantage of remote visits, or at least access information and contact the doctor via a website, becomes invaluable. Even just one hour saved contributes to the quality of life or can perhaps be used, for example, to dedicate more in-depth time to a specific physical therapy program.
Time is really the only truly scarce resource we have , but fortunately it is also the most democratic: 24 hours are granted to each of us every day, and not wasting them always remains a value.
Telemedicine visits are currently not permitted by the AOU Citta della Salute e della Scienza of Turin - CTO Hospital.
Currently (2024), after years of private practice, I have returned to the Intramoenia regime with the City of Health and Science in Turin (after the birth of my son). This regime does not allow this type of online consultation.
However, being ready to implement this service, should the legislation or contractual conditions change, is very important in my opinion. It's not a fundamental service, but it's certainly useful to offer patients for all the reasons listed above.
Importance for other physicians in the specific scientific field of shoulder surgery
The centrality of professional development in the field of shoulder surgery: the role of the website
Furthermore, the website of a professional in a specific field, such as shoulder surgery in my case, can be a resource for other professionals in the field, as well as for new specialists. Obviously, for this to be useful, it is essential that the website, especially its scientific updates, be current and constantly updated.
This certainly requires commitment, but it can be useful in providing, through tools such as newsletters, blogs, or social media posts, a means of providing scientific updates to colleagues who have less time to do so. Furthermore, it can provide topics for discussion or sharing experiences in particularly complex cases. It can also provide inspiration for initiating multicenter studies, with the aim of joining forces to make scientific progress in this specific field of shoulder surgery.
So, the website can also be a source of continuous updates in a very specific field or niche, and this site, obviously in its own small way, aims to be that for shoulder surgery.
Obviously, I make no guarantees, but this site is also planning a nice program of continuous updates on the latest scientific research on shoulder surgery that I hope my work in the field and my family will allow me to maintain as long as possible.
Important for students and residents at the University of Turin and, in general, for all orthopedic surgeons and aspiring orthopedic surgeons who wish to delve deeper into the field of shoulder surgery.
This site is of fundamental importance, in my opinion, to students and residents. I've worked in a university hospital for many years and interact with residents and students every day. Often, due to lack of time, it becomes difficult to devote attention to teaching residents, who are forced to learn in their spare time and, above all, by observing work without receiving truly detailed explanations. The risk is that some concepts are misunderstood and not fully understood.
This deeply saddens me because, having studied both in Italy and abroad, I know the right level of quality for a resident. I'm especially sorry for those who are particularly motivated to learn the ins and outs of shoulder surgery. I realize the level of teaching that should exist and is currently lacking, and this deeply saddens me.
One of the reasons I'm investing time and money in this website is to create a portal dedicated specifically to them, so that there are valid courses for learning and caring for people in this specific field. There will be a section of the site dedicated exclusively to courses which students of the Turin Faculty of Medicine, and in particular Turin orthopedic residents, will have free access to attend various levels of courses on shoulder and elbow surgery.
Furthermore, the idea is to also create a kind of Kanban Chart online accessible to trainees who wish to perform scientific works in the field of shoulder surgery, allowing them to see what studies are underway and automatically suggest new studies, saving time and energy, guided step by step through the process. These parts of the website will certainly take time and will be constantly evolving, but the important thing is to get started; otherwise, everything will remain a work in progress, in the land of "I'll get there sooner or later."
Importance to me
Finally, this website is intended to be of importance to me as well as to others. Above all, it should allow me, as it does the patient, to: buy time, which in my case is a very important value.
The first way that can save me time is to make myself known to the patient, so that the visits are increasingly super specialized, which concern shoulder surgery is becoming more and more commonAt the beginning of my career, I saw patients with problems in various areas of the body. Over the years, I have increasingly specialized in shoulder surgery and pathologies. For several years, most of my visits have focused solely on this area. It's important to ensure a high level of quality, so I prefer patients with these conditions to come to me. For other cases, I usually refer them to trusted professionals who address their specific concerns.
I also save time because patients with the right knowledge, such as the basic tests for shoulder problems, arrive with the right tests to perform an adequate clinical and instrumental assessment. Another thing that saves me time is remote follow-up visits, telemedicine, although unfortunately these are not currently available. However, I already offer some patients the option of sending me the tests online, so we can then talk on the phone, absolutely free of charge, via an encrypted link.
The website saves me time as I can include detailed articles and explanations that would otherwise require many hours of consultation in the studio. For example, I can provide video guides or specific pages with explanations of specific physiotherapy exercises, instructions on how to perform certain types of tests, or information on how to book a test or procedure and where to have it done. These resources can be created only once and reused over time without having to make any further effort.
This website would also like to try to continue in my mission of treating my patients, the same way I would like to be treated. While I probably wouldn't waste my hours visiting the website of the professional who treats me, I would certainly appreciate a well-maintained website that offers concrete and useful tools for speed up and optimize healing.
It is also nice to have a freelance practice updated to 2024 and not stuck in the early 2000s. I often compare myself at conference level with colleagues who do the same job as me outside of Italy and sometimes the level of digitalization of the average Italian orthopedic surgeon.
Another way that should be helpful is with regards to payments, although currently, in the intramoenia regime, it is done through the public administration portal, which is quite easy to use. But this site is also intended to be a help that allows online bookings both for patients and for my secretary Angelica, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart for all the precious help he gives me every day.
And just like last thing, This site is intended to promote what I do, the so-called "marketing", as some of my colleagues in Turin call it. But marketing in this case is nothing more than bringing the right patient to the right specialist, which is ultimately a value and a very positive thing. However, in the medical world, patients certainly don't come to a professional because they have a nice website, but only if it works well and by word of mouth. So, definitely this last point is the last in the ranking of motivations which lead me to spend all this time writing this very long explanation (!!!), but above all all the energy I have dedicated and will dedicate to maintaining and creating this website.
I truly hope this site can be useful not only to me but to all my patients and colleagues.
Thank you.
If you can avoid seeking the approval of others your power is limitless
Kevin Kelly
