A DIGITAL STRATEGY
FOR “THE MAVEN PROJECT”
Lisa Carron Shmerling, JD
2014 Tufts Medical School MPH Candidate
HCOM512 Digital Strategies for Health Communication
August 4, 2014
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Table of Contents
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................... 3
II. ABOUT THE MAVEN PROJECT ...................................................................................... 4
The Organization ................................................................................................................................ 4
Why MAVEN Was Chosen ................................................................................................................. 5
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL PRESENCE AND A DIRECTED DIGITAL
STRATEGY ................................................................................................................................... 5
Digital Presence .................................................................................................................................. 5
Digital Strategy .................................................................................................................................... 6
IV.
PLANNING HORIZON: ..................................................................................................... 7
V.
MAVEN SWOT ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 7
VI.
PRIMARY GOALS AND MEASURES OF SUCCESS ACHIEVABLE .......................... 8
VII.
PERSONAS AND SCENARIOS .................................................................................... 10
Use of Personas and Scenarios.................................................................................................... 10
Persona #1: Janice Kleinberg, MD ............................................................................................ 10
Persona #2, Juan Hernandez, MD.............................................................................................. 11
Persona #3, Ron Matthews .......................................................................................................... 12
Persona #4, Charlie Harmon, MD............................................................................................... 13
Lessons Learned From These Personas .................................................................................. 14
VIII.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ 14
Competitive Analysis Generally ................................................................................................. 14
Selection of Competing Organizations for MAVEN’s Analysis.......................................... 15
VolunteerMatch.org. (Figure 1)............................................................................................................ 15
Volunteers in Medicine (Figure 2) ....................................................................................................... 16
Doctors Without Borders (Figure 3) ................................................................................................... 17
Encore.Org (Figure 4)................................................................................................................................ 18
The Analysis....................................................................................................................................... 19
IX. THE MAVEN DIGITAL STRATEGY .............................................................................. 25
MAVEN’s Mission .............................................................................................................................. 25
MAVEN’s Target Audience & Users ............................................................................................ 26
Technology ......................................................................................................................................... 26
MAVEN’s Organization ................................................................................................................... 27
Design .................................................................................................................................................. 27
Web Content ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Social Media ....................................................................................................................................... 36
CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................... 36
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 37
Appendix A – Lessons Learned From This Exercise ............................................................ 38
Appendix B – About the Author .................................................................................................. 39
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 40
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I.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A digital presence based upon a cohesive, well-planned digital strategy is
critical to a healthcare organization’s ability to succeed in an overwhelmingly
technological marketplace. This is particularly true for the MAVEN Project
(MAVEN), a fledging organization whose core mission is reliant upon its digital
capacity.
A user-friendly MAVEN website and thoughtful social media campaign will
need to effectively recruit and retain volunteer physicians and engage clinics
desiring staff augmentation. Volunteers and clinics must be able to easily match
and connect with one another on the website. Once a volunteer and clinic are
engaged, the website will serve as the gateway to the technology platform that
facilitates the provision of medical services via teleconferencing and
telemedicine. Equally important to the foregoing activities, the MAVEN website
and select social media will need to continue to generate the “buzz” that leads to
MAVEN brand recognition as the premier domestic volunteer physician corps
providing needed medical care to underserved and vulnerable populations. In
addition to maintaining the interest of volunteers and clinics, this branding will
also support the recruitment of potential investors and other philanthropic grantmaking institutions that are critical for MAVEN’s sustainability.
Digital strategies are not “one size fits all”. A digital strategy must be
tailored to each organization’s business and resources. It should also include
input from its key personnel and stakeholders. Moreover, given the speed at
which our technology advances and new social media appear, digital strategies
are by their nature, a dynamic document that needs to be periodically revisited
and revamped. As such, the preliminary digital strategy described in this
document is intended as a starting point for establishing MAVEN’s digital
presence.
To develop this document, MAVEN’s strengths and weaknesses were
evaluated and primary goals and measurements were identified. Four personas
were created to provide insight into anticipated users and to ensure that the
digital strategy would align with the intended target audience. An analysis of the
websites and social media outlets of organizations with similar missions was
undertaken to understand the competitive landscape and to identify features and
approaches that may bear upon MAVEN’s digital strategy. Based on the
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foregoing activities, a preliminary digital strategy was outlined to facilitate
MAVEN’s achievement of a successful online presence through the
implementation of a website and the leveraging of a few, selective social media
channels.
II.
ABOUT THE MAVEN PROJECT
The Organization
The MAVEN Project (MAVEN) is an early-stage public, California charitable
corporation, founded by Dr. Laurie Green, this year’s past Harvard Medical
School Alumni Council President. MAVEN’s mission is to create a corps of
experienced, volunteer physician subspecialists aggregated from participating
medical schools’ alumni base to assist primary care providers at safety net clinics
to address the unmet needs of underserved and vulnerable populations. Its four
key objectives are to:

Match experienced volunteer alumni of accredited U.S. medical schools with
rural and urban Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Free Clinics and
other safety net clinics facing serious provider shortages

Facilitate communication and medical consultation via a HIPAA compliant
technological platform

Overcome licensing, insurance and technological challenges of U.S.-based
physician volunteers

Address the unmet needs of underserved populations throughout the U.S.
The alumni councils of Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School
of Medical and the University of California, San Francisco Medical School (and
potentially Johns Hopkins and Yale) have expressed a desire to participate in
MAVEN as founding members. The United Way of Miami-Dade county has
agreed to serve as a business partner and fiscal sponsor until MAVEN’s IRS
determination of 501(c)(3) status is received. Dr. Green has raised initial funds
that will be used to operationalize 2 pilot clinics: one in rural California and one
in urban Massachusetts. Several talented volunteers have been interning with
MAVEN this summer to further research appropriate pilot clinics and best
practices for patient engagement.
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Why MAVEN Was Chosen
I chose this organization as the subject of this exercise because I believe
MAVEN has the potential to disrupt the current status quo and to make a
tremendous difference in patients’ lives. Many safety clinics, particularly in rural
areas, are in dire need of specialist staff augmentation. Patients who fall within
the cracks of the Affordable Care Act’s insurance mandates experience long
waits to see specialists and often must travel great distances for specialist care.
Further, alumni associations want to engage graduates in the later stages of their
career. MAVEN allows these volunteers to connect with their alma maters while
providing meaningful service beyond the more typical alumni social
engagements. Equally important is that the swelling tide of digital technology
and a slow but steady trend towards cross-state telemedicine licensure place this
project at a proverbial tipping point. It provides a path for MAVEN to prevail over
challenges that previously created barriers to the development of a U.S.-based,
national physician volunteer corps.
MAVEN does not have a digital strategy or a digital presence. The idea of
fulfilling my course requirement while providing a pro bono service to a worthy
cause makes sense.
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL PRESENCE AND A DIRECTED
DIGITAL STRATEGY
Digital Presence
Picture a heavy-set, 6’5” man standing in a small room. He has a
formidable “presence”. The same is true in the digital world. An organization has
a “digital presence” when it has a palpable existence on the World Wide Web.
Although the epicenter of an organization’s digital presence is typically its
website, its connection to numerous social media channels also contribute to,
and expand, its digital presence. Having a digital presence has become an
integral part of health organizations’ business. Why? Having a digital presence is
critical to engaging with an organization’s targeted population.
Within the United States computers, cellphones and smart phones have
become commonplace in our personal and professional lives1. We
communicate, socialize and obtain information digitally. Consider the following
statistics adapted from a 2014 Pew Research Center Internet Project Survey:2
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COMPUTER USAGE
IN
2014
CELL PHONE
OWNERS IN 2014
SMARTPHONE
OWNERS IN 2014
ALL:
BY AGE:
18-29 year olds
30-49 year olds
50-64 year olds
65+
BY EDUCATION LEVEL:
High school grad or
less
Some college
College+
BY ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME:
< $30,000
$30,000 -$49,999
$50,000-$74,999
$75,000+
81%
90%
58%
89%
86%
84%
56%
98%
97%
88%
74%
83%
74%
49%
19%
66%
87%
44%
89%
94%
93%
93%
67%
71%
65%
84%
92%
96%
Table 1
84%
90%
99%
98%
47%
53%
61%
81%
As Table 1 points out, most U.S. individuals use a computer and own
either a cellphone or a smartphone. Moreover these figures are particularly
germane from MAVEN’s perspective. MAVEN’s volunteer pool will be drawn
from physicians who by definition are in the higher educational level, are likely to
be in the higher annual household income category and are most likely to be in
the 50 to 65+ age groups. These potential volunteers have substantially higher
computer and mobile device usage. In fact, it has been estimated that by next
year, approximately 9 in 10 healthcare providers will use smartphones or tablets
and many are “digital omnivores” who avail themselves of tablets, smartphones
and computers in the performance of their professional duties.3 This trend aligns
with MAVEN’s plan to use a web-based technology platform to facilitate
teleconferencing and telemedicine consultations, including digital access to
medical records, images, and test results.
Digital Strategy
A digital strategy is in essence a business plan or roadmap that
strategically organizes and prioritizes an organization’s digital presence on the
web. It facilitates brand-building and marketing spread and allows for the
cohesive integration of various market channels.4 A digital strategy is also an
important financial management tool because it forces an organization to focus
on its most important objectives and target audience, avoids redundancy and
highlights areas where content can be repurposed. It also facilitates a
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comprehensive approach to capturing analytical information that is of paramount
importance for evaluating and refining an organization’s marketing plan.
For MAVEN, the digital strategy is an important tool for achieving success.
It can facilitate MAVEN’s brand recognition as the premier domestic volunteer
physician corps providing needed medical care to underserved and vulnerable
populations. It will also serve as a call to action in the recruitment of volunteer
physicians. Clinics in need of assistance will have a user-friendly “go to” source
for staff augmentation. Lastly, but equally important it can generate “buzz” that
peaks the interest of potential investors and other philanthropic grant-making
institutions that are critical for MAVEN’s sustainability.
IV.
PLANNING HORIZON:
Within the digital strategy context, a “planning horizon” is the timeline for
accomplishing specific goals and objectives. For MAVEN, it is anticipated that
the deployment of a website and digital strategy would commence once the two
pilot clinics are successfully launched. The functionality of the website and use
of social media would be phased in stages over the course of a year, based
upon the availability of resources and technology. Specific timelines are
described in the proposed digital strategy detailed below.
V.
MAVEN SWOT ANALYSIS
As part of the process of developing a digital strategy it is important to evaluate
an organization’s real or potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats (SWOT). The following Table 2 contains a standard SWOT analysis of
MAVEN’s business model:
STRENGTHS
MAVEN’s mission addresses the critical
shortage of specialist physicians for
underserved and vulnerable patients in rural
and inner cities nationwide
The idea has been well received by the
numerous state, federal, academic, non-profit
and for-profit organizations with whom the
project has been discussed
Clinics and their patients will have access to
specialists without charge
WEAKNESSES
MAVEN’s financial model is heavily dependent upon
donors and grants and there is a limited budget.
Despite trends towards cross-state physician
licensing aimed at telemedicine, licensing and
liability insurance must be addressed on a state-bystate basis for each participating clinic.
The viability of MAVEN is linked to the recruitment
and sustainability of physician volunteers
Semi-retired, retired and other part-time
physicians can partake in meaningful
volunteer experiences for which traditional
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barriers (e.g., liability insurance) have been
addressed by MAVEN
Medical Schools & Alumni Associations will
demonstrate their innovation and community
involvement. Related public relations may
lead to additional donations.
OPPORTUNITIES
HIPAA-compliant technology for telemedicine
and teleconferencing has become ubiquitous
THREATS
Scaling of the project beyond the initial pilots may
be challenging
Legislation is pending and there is precedent
within the Veteran Administration and
Department of Defenses’ medical system for
cross-state licensure of physicians
Each medical school’s infrastructure and policies
may impact their ability to participate
Liability issues can be addressed through a
combination of federal and state laws, local
state and medical society’s liability insurance
programs and clinics’ wrap around insurance
policies.
Once laws permit cross-licensing of medical
personnel there may be an increase in competing
organizations
Table 2
VI.
PRIMARY GOALS AND MEASURES OF SUCCESS ACHIEVABLE
MAVEN does not currently have a digital presence. As a result, the four (4)
goals and measures of success are basic in nature. However, these goals
involve significant effort and resources. They are as follows:
GOAL #1:
Create and install a working MAVEN website.
Measure of success:
A Google search for “MAVEN Project” leads a user to
MAVEN’s website. Physicians and clinics can interact
on the website.
Planning horizon:
Six (6) months from successful completion of the pilots.
GOAL #2:
MAVEN’s existence as a premier corps of volunteer
physicians begins to gain recognition
Measure of success:
Google analytics indicate a significant number of visits
to the MAVEN Website (“significant” to determined at
the time of website launch)
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At least 3 media/public relations channels have
covered the MAVEN “story”
Planning horizon:
Within 12 months from website launch
GOAL #3:
The MAVEN website is an effective tool for MAVEN
physician volunteer recruitment
Measure of success:
100 volunteers sign up to volunteer via the website
Planning horizon:
Within 12 months of website launch
GOAL #4:
Measure of success:
Create a social media presence for MAVEN
There are a significant number of followers and social
media participation (likes, comments, tweets) The
exact metrics are to be determined at the time of
launch.
Planning horizon:
Within 12 months of website launch
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VII. PERSONAS AND SCENARIOS
Use of Personas and Scenarios
Personas are fabricated profiles of the intended users of the website and
the social media encompassed in a digital strategy. They are in essence digital
avatars that allow us to avoid the mistake of designing the digital strategy for
ourselves or for the general public rather than for our target audience. They
should be representative of the different types of users and backgrounds that will
benefit from and use MAVEN’s digital resources. Along with each persona,
“scenarios” are added to provide richness and depth to each persona. Scenarios
expound upon the daily lives of the personas and include representative triggers
that cause an individual to take action.
Persona #1: Janice Kleinberg, MD
Dr. Janice Kleinberg, is a 63-year old semi-retired dermatologist. She
grew up in Bethpage, Long Island, New York. Her parents were born in Russia
and emigrated to the U.S. when they were young. They met in Manhattan,
where they lived until Janice’s older brother Sam started kindergarten. Although
Janice’s parents are both deceased, she has fond memories of her childhood.
Her parents valued education and learning and Janice
remembers her family playing scrabble on Sunday afternoons.
Her parents always volunteered with those less fortunate and
instilled this value in Janice as well.
Janice received a joint degree in biology and sociology
from Barnard. She graduated from Harvard Medical School and
completed her residency and fellowship at the University of
California San Francisco (UCSF) medical center. She met her
husband, John, a UCSF professor who was 10 years older than
her, during her residency. They had a harmonious marriage, raised 2 daughters
and remained in the San Francisco area. Both of Janice’s daughters are married.
One of Janice’s daughters lives in Manhattan and the other nearby in a San
Francisco suburb.
Janice worked full-time until 2 years ago when her husband was
diagnosed with liver cancer. She shifted to a 2 day a week schedule to spend
more time with him. He passed away a year ago and Janice has since been
working 3 days a week at the UCSF medical center.
Janice owns an iPhone 5, a iPad, a MacBook Air and a Kindle. She reads
the New York Times on line with her morning chai tea and checks her email and
phone for messages throughout the day. She also uses Doximity to connect with
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other physicians. When she is not at work she spends time in the gym, goes to
lunch with a few close friends and reads medical journals and novels on her
kindle. In the evenings she typically goes online, checking out sales at Rue la la,
looking at recent activity on Facebook, and glancing at Instagrams her daughters
have posted. She is addicted to Words with Friends. Sunday evenings she
Skypes with her daughter in Manhattan. She has sheepishly begun looking at on
line dating services for mature adults but has not established an account. Lately
she has felt somewhat unproductive. She does not want to return to work full
time because she likes having the flexibility to visit her daughters and her 3
grandchildren.
Janice notices an article in the electronic quarterly Harvard Medical
School Alumni Magazine featuring MAVEN. She notices that MAVEN continues
to need additional volunteer physicians. She hits the url link and is connected
with the MAVEN website.
Persona #2, Juan Hernandez, MD
Dr. Juan Hernandez, is a 32-year old full-time primary care physician. He
is a medical director at the rural California Federally Qualified Health Center
(FQHC). Juan grew up in Miami, Florida. The oldest of three
children, he is the first person in his family to go to college and
beyond. He is working at the FQHC as part of a public health
service loan forgiveness program. He has one more year of
required service. His family is extremely proud of him. His father
is a retired Veterans Administration maintenance worker and his
mother is a health aide. He is a graduate of the University of
Miami’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
Juan married his high school sweetheart when he graduated medical
school and they have a two-year old son. His wife is an elementary school
teacher. He is constantly behind at work. He cares deeply about his patients but
he is often frustrated by the lack of resources and the difficulty finding specialists
in the surrounding vicinity. Juan’s bilingual skills have been an asset because he
does not need a translator for his Spanish patients, which saves time. His clinic
sees a constant stream of patients and their families. Some patients don’t show
up, others come in even though they don’t have an appointment. Many patients
are undocumented or do not have insurance.
Juan owns a laptop, a mini-iPad and a smartphone. In between patients
he is on his smartphone - checking his email, Facebook, and the news and
sports headlines. Juan goes for a run at 5:30 a.m. every morning and is at the
office by 7 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. He tries his best to get home by 7
pm so that he can spend some time with his son. After his son is asleep he
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catches up on emails, voicemails and paperwork while he watches HBO series
he streams from Google chrome to his television.
He receives an email from a fellow medical director at a San Francisco
clinic who is equally swamped and frustrated. It mentions a non-profit named
MAVEN that provides volunteers to clinics like his. He searches the web for
MAVEN, finds the website and likes what he sees. He sends an email to
MAVEN’s executive director asking for further information.
Persona #3, Ron Matthews
Ron Matthews, is a gregarious, 28-year old assistant
director of Harvard Medical School’s alumni association, who
works in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is an only child. He
grew up in Wellesley and went to Belmont Hills, a private all-boys
high school. He played varsity soccer and tennis in high school.
After taking a gap year as a ski instructor in Vale, Colorado, he
graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in public relations and marketing. Ron
is not married but often finds dates on okcupid.
Ron has a smartphone and iPad of his own and uses his work laptop work
when he needs a computer. He is constantly checking emails, snapchats, linkedin and his favorite blogs. He tweets a few times a week and listens to music on
Spotify. Although he looks at Facebook, his interest has been waning and has
been less active in posting to it.
Ron arrives at work at 9 a.m. and usually leaves at 5:30 p.m. when his
office clears out. His responsibilities include organizing alumni events, compiling
articles for the alumni council’s newsletter and assisting the director with
fundraising efforts. Ron likes the structure of his job. He is not a risk-taker. He
knows Harvard’s policies and is careful to follow them. He stays late when
necessary, such as publication deadlines or prepping his boss for the quarterly
alumni council meetings.
The theme for the January newsletter is volunteerism and giving back. He
wants to feature alumni who have been active volunteers in socially worthy
causes. He is familiar with MAVEN because he often prepares the materials for
his supervisor’s presentation at the annual MAVEN alumni council consortium
meetings. He looks at MAVEN’s website to see which medical alumni has been
the most active. While there he notices in the banner that Stanford is leading
Harvard in most active volunteers. He makes a note to speak to supervisor
about highlighting MAVEN in their next alumni outreach campaign.
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Persona #4, Charlie Harmon, MD
Charlie Harmon is a 75-year old, retired endocrinologist who
specialized in diabetes. He spends 6 months of the year at his
summer home on Cape Cod in Chatham, Massachusetts and winters
at his luxury condominium in Boca Raton, Florida. As a young man
he served in the armed forces. The G.I. bill funded his college and
he received a degree in biology from Harvard University. He went on
to graduate from Stanford Medical School. During the summer after
his first year of medical school he volunteered on an Indian
reservation in New Mexico. He completed his residency and fellowship at
Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Charlie’s illustrious career was in private practice on Beacon Street in
Boston Massachusetts. He had an ongoing affiliation with the Brigham and was
often invited to attend grand rounds and other hospital events because of his
world-renown diabetes expertise. His trusted office manager, Thelma worked
with him for over 30 years. Thelma handled all administrative matters including
typing, filing, correspondence and managing Charlie’s schedule. For the last 10
years of his career Charlie took on a younger partner, Jack Drew, who brought a
fresh perspective to the practice. Jack considered Charlie an esteemed mentor
and the two were good business partners. Jack’s niece, Emma, spent summers
helping in the office. With Jack’s guidance she established a website for their
practice which brought in additional business. Charlie was appreciative of the
website and marketing effort but did not use it himself. Emma would print out
screenshots from time to time so that Charlie could see the website contents.
At the urging of his wife, Charlie begrudgingly retired. Carol wanted them
to spend more time traveling and enjoying their vacation homes, He continued to
serve on a few biotech boards and from time to time consulted as an expert
witness for medical malpractice cases.
Charlie has a desktop at his Cape home and a flip-phone that is not
Internet enabled. He has an iPad which his son bought him for his 75th birthday,
but which is still in its original packaging. His friends have urged him to take the
free iPad classes at the Apple Store so that he can more readily communicate
with them – especially when he is in Florida. He currently checks his email
erratically but rarely more than once a week and only when in Massachusetts.
His son occasionally assists him in Skyping with his grandchild who is spending a
semester abroad in Barcelona.
On a typical day he gets up at 7:00 am. He retrieves his newspaper from
the front steps, has his coffee, lets his dog out in the backyard and eats the
breakfast Carol prepared for him. He often meets his golf buddies at 9:00 plays
a round of golf, and has lunch at the clubhouse. When he comes home he
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checks the mail, reads current medical journals, and often runs errands with his
wife. If he has documents to review for the boards or consulting in which he is
involved he often reads those in the afternoon. At 5 pm, he and Carol enjoy a
glass of scotch on the rocks and have dinner.
Charlie truly misses practicing medicine. It is the core of his identity and
he feels a part of him is missing. As a former class president, he attends every
reunion and still socializes with his medical school classmates on a regular basis.
On the other hand, he is enjoying time with Carol and his family.
One sunny morning he reads the alumni newsletter and notices an article
about MAVEN. He learns that he could volunteer his time regardless of where
he is physically located and that he can do this with his new iPad. He is excited
and calls the phone number that is listed.
Lessons Learned From These Personas
MAVEN’s website will need to serve a number of purposes. It will need to
engage potential volunteers, match and connect volunteers with opportunities at
suitable, pre-cleared clinics, act as a clearinghouse resource for volunteers and
clinics in connection with licensing, insurance and credentialing issues, and serve
as a gateway to the technology platform that will facilitate the doctor-to-doctor
curbside consultations and telemedicine consultations.
The website will also have a varied target audience. From the four
MAVEN personas, we learn that our target audience is a highly educated group.
It is also a multi-generational population. Many of the specialist volunteers will
be in their late 50s and up. Clinic personnel are likely to be in their 30s and 40s
and alumni staff may be in their 20 to 30s. While all participants will likely have
the means to have technology at their disposal, in practice there will be a range
of technological sophistication. We need to cater to both the novice Internet user
as well as the technically savvy. The website needs to be user-friendly to each
level, easily navigated, engaging and intellectually crisp.
VIII. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Competitive Analysis Generally
A competitive analysis is an exercise to see what one’s competitors are
doing, learn from their innovations and avoid their mistakes. It is in essence a
14
tool for “building a better mousetrap”. The public nature of a digital presence
makes this relatively easy. When designing a new digital strategy, evaluating the
strengths and weaknesses of like-minded organizations’ digital presences’ is
particularly helpful. It allows us to visualize features and to better communicate
our specifications to those involved in building and implementing the website and
establishing a social media presence.
Selection of Competing Organizations for MAVEN’s Analysis
Each of the following 4 organizations were purposively chosen because of
the similarity of their emphasis on volunteer recruitment. Each entity also brings
a different perspective on its approach that provides us with a well-rounded view
into the competitive landscape. A brief description of each organization is
outlined below and then followed by a comprehensive comparison of all four sites
in Table 3. The competitive analysis is instrumental in the preparation of this
digital strategy. Features of competitor sites that are desirable or to be avoided
are highlighted in the MAVEN digital strategy that follows the competitive
analysis.
VolunteerMatch.org. (Figure 1)
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VolunteerMatch.org, featured in Figure 1 above, digitally connects volunteers
with volunteer opportunities. This is one of MAVEN’s core requirements. MAVEN
is currently focused on connecting physicians to opportunities to provide medical
services with clinics. However, MAVEN may also link physicians with other
medically related administrative or educational opportunities in the future.
VolunteerMatch.org licenses their website software to other non-profits at
reasonable rates. They also offer consulting to further tailor the software for an
organization’s needs. Licensing the software and obtaining limited consulting
could provide a jumpstart to the creation of a website.
Volunteers in Medicine (Figure 2)
Volunteers in Medicine, featured in Figure 2 above, is aligned with MAVEN in
that its mission is to recruit physicians to meet the needs of America’s uninsured.
However, Volunteers in Medicine’s organization is focused on recruiting
physicians to start new clinics and provides guidance in their creation. They are
important entity to consider because they center their attention domestically and
are familiar with the challenges safety net clinics face.
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Doctors Without Borders (Figure 3)
Doctors Without Borders, featured in Figure 3 above, is a gold standard for
international physicians volunteering in developing countries. They have been in
existence for over 40 years, won the Nobel Peace prize for their efforts and they
are serious and sophisticated in their digital presence. Their digital strategy has
lends significant insight into volunteer physician recruitment.
17
Encore.Org (Figure 4)
Encore.Org is directed at providing resources to baby boomers seeking an
“encore career”. Encore’s website lends an interesting, although non-medical,
perspective to MAVEN’s analysis because it focuses on the same demographics
as MAVEN is targeting.
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The Analysis
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS (Table 3)
FEATURE
COMPETITOR #1
COMPETITOR #2
COMPETITOR #3
COMPETITOR #4
URL
Purpose/Mission
www.volunteermatch.org
Clearly articulated on the home
page “We bring good people
&
good causes together”
volunteersinmedicine.org/
The purpose and mission could
be clearer. The first screen
specifically focuses on retired
physician volunteers but it
takes a few of the photo shots
and captions to figure out they
help doctors start other clinics
and that nurses, social
workers, pharmacists and other
medical staff participate too.
www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Clearly articulated on their home
page both in words and visually
“Medical aid where it is needed most
. Independent. Neutral. Impartial”.
Their photographs are
photojournalistic and speak as loud
as the words.
http://www.encore.org
Clearly articulated on their home
page both in words and visually
“Encore.org second acts for the
greater good”. The carousel of
photographs demonstrate the
different types of “encore”
positions that individuals can
undertake.
Target Audience
Volunteers of all ages &
organizations seeking volunteers
Physicians who want to start
clinics for the underserved
Medical personnel and other
volunteers who are willing to rough it
and potentially take risks
Organizational Branding
The website consistently
communicates that this
organization is a key resource for
volunteers, non-profits seeking
volunteers and organizations
desiring to partner with
VolunteerMatch.org to facilitate
employee volunteering
The branding could be
stronger. There is ambiguity
between the parent
organization VIM.org vs. the
clinics (some of which are .com
and some of which are org).
They refer to “champions,
patients and volunteers but
champions seems superfluous.
The website is completely clear
about its mission, purpose, and the
seriousness of the need. The
mission threads throughout their
website.
Baby-boomers in their 50s, 60s
and beyond who want to have a
second career that combines
personal meaning, continued
income and social impact in the
second half of life
The websites’ words and visuals
are directed to the baby-boomers
Organization
19
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS (Table 3)
FEATURE
COMPETITOR #1
COMPETITOR #2
COMPETITOR #3
COMPETITOR #4
Although the about section is below
the fold, it is really only necessary
for those wanting a deeper dive
Extensively validated by impressive
media outlets NY Times, WSJ,
Chicago Tribute Christian Science
Monitor
None are listed.
There are multiple international
branch offices. They won the1999
Nobel Peace prize
There are a number of partners
represented in the stories and
news presented on the site.
Other well-known corporations with
whom they have partnered are
listed prominently
The design is refreshing and
pleasant to experience. It is
uncluttered, colorful, exudes
positive energy and
purposefulness.
The design is stale and looks
as if an amateur put it together.
The design is professional, unified,
visually appealing and attentiongetting. It has an edge to it. The
black, red and white colors are
carried through from their logo to
their webpages.
The design is professional and
unified and utilizes neutral earthtones.
Organization
External Affiliations
Design
The home page does not use a
carousel approach to photographs
Section Organization
The sections are logically
organized and easy to follow. It
appears to focus first on
volunteers, then non-profits, then
other organizations
They bifurcate “local” versus
“virtual “volunteer opportunities
The home page uses a
carousel approach to
photographs but the photos are
not cohesively placed
The sections are logically
organized and easy to follow.
Their newsletter button does
not take you to a newsletter.
The home page has a professionally
curated carousel approach to
photographs that is riveting
The sections are logically organized
and easy to follow. There are
extensive sections on the 2
categories of volunteering: office vs.
field.
The home page uses a carousel
approach to photographs but it
also includes an advertisement
for its book, which distracts from
the portrayal of its mission.
The sections are labeled with
“Learn, Work, Connect” and there
are sections for employers,
fellowships, etc. Sections are
logically organized and labeled
although they rely on the subtitle
for an understanding of what is
behind it. For example “Work”’s
subtitle is “Start your journey to
your second act”
20
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS (Table 3)
FEATURE
COMPETITOR #1
COMPETITOR #2
COMPETITOR #3
COMPETITOR #4
Easy to navigate and user-friendly
layout. There does not appear to
be a sitemap. Top causes and
categories are easily parsed.
Cities in which they do business
are also easily identified.
There is a “support” button on the
home page tabs but it is neither
technical support nor a donation
button. It is really a FAQ section.
To get to technical support you
have to get to contact us and then
click on a link. It is not intuitive for
a novice.
Resource information, including
basic recruiting tools, online referral
management, referrals from
corporate partners, tracking and
reporting and photo manager for
free. Others are available monthly
for $8.95 or annually for $75.
There are also links to webinars.
Easy navigation but poor use
of photos and video. Photos
and videos are cut-off.
Information under the tabs is
redundant and wastes valuable
space as a result
None is identified.
Easy to navigate and user-friendly
layout. They appropriately parse
information that appears above and
below the fold. There is a site map
at the bottom of the page.
There are no tabs on the top.
Much of the navigational tools are
on the left side of the webpage,
leaving the center for news,
photos, etc.
None, but users can email feedback
about their website
None
Under the physician and
medical volunteer tab they
have some information about
the process for starting a clinic
and reference their Medical
Advisory Committee that
develops policies and
procedures on licensing and
credentialing, medical liability
insurance, risk, confidentiality,
HIPAA and construction and
outsourcing of labs, etc. But
the information does not go
very deep.
Information is professionally curated
and news articles and videos are
prominently featured on the right
side of the webpage.
There is a lot of expert content.
There are also numerous links to
facilitate obtaining additional
information.
The intended audience of
physicians and medical
personnel would find the site
The site assumes a baseline amount
of health literacy. It is easily
readable.
The website seems to be geared
toward individuals with prior
“careers” vs. “jobs” which
Organization
Layout and navigation
Technical Support
Expert content
They have stories and testimonials
from various viewpoints.
Literacy & readability
Volunteers accessing the site
would find the site to be easy to
understand and written for the
21
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS (Table 3)
FEATURE
COMPETITOR #1
COMPETITOR #2
COMPETITOR #3
COMPETITOR #4
layperson. Nonprofits would also
find it very readable but there are
more business terms – although
those are still elemental.
The font is large and easy on the
eyes.
Their website and social media are
extremely current. (updated several
times on the day their site was
viewed). They prominently list the
number of volunteers connected
(8,222,643) on their screen.
A donation button appears below
the fold in a low-key manner on
each page
easy to understand with good
readability.
Their currency is mediocre.
The website news was last
updated in June 2014. They
use a calendar layout that
draws attention to the
staleness and is hard to follow.
A static donation button
appears on each webpage and
on Facebook as well.
Their website and social media are
extremely current
Their website and social media
are current
They have an aggressive “ask” for
funds, donation buttons appear
prominently on all pages, the
donation page is the first listing on
Google and there is an entire pulldown menu devoted to financial
support. They are transparent with
regards to the use of the funds
(87.4% program services, 11.4%
fundraising and 1.2% management
& general)
There is not a clear donations
button. However, the site
promotes an Encore Book
prominently in the carousel of
photographs and in a few other
website locations (as well as in
the social media)
Registration
Sign in requires email and a
password, it can also be accessed
via Facebook.
The contact tab permits
submission of an email with the
name, address and message.
There are multiple opportunities to
register for communications.
Notifications
Users can opt into notifications.
Pop-up features encourage you to
sign up.
Users can opt into the
newsletter (but it doesn’t
appear on the site)
Users can opt into notifications.
There are multiple opportunities for
one to sign up.
One can register on the home
page but it is not clear what that
involves – newsletters, numerous
emails?
See Registrations.
Organization
Currency
Transactions
increases the level of literacy that
is required. It has good
readability.
22
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS (Table 3)
FEATURE
COMPETITOR #1
COMPETITOR #2
COMPETITOR #3
COMPETITOR #4
Policies
Privacy and other policies appear
on the bottom of the page below
the fold
Policies were not apparent.
There are standard privacy
policies, standard of use.
User participation
Users can just search or they can
build a profile. Nonprofits can avail
themselves of the learning center
resources. For profit corporations
can also participate although that is
less prominently featured.
Users cannot add text to the
website but they can comment on
social media channels.
Scaled for mobile devices and easy
to navigate
Their social media is current and
active and they repurpose content
from their website in an integrative
fashion.
Users really need to contact
the organization to do anything
other than obtain a general
overview and sign up for
newsletter or email a question.
Users cannot add text to the
website but they can comment
on social media channels.
Extensive policies and disclaimers,
including privacy, confidentiality, use
of trademarks/servicemarks, etc.
They appear at the bottom of the
page.
Users cannot add text to the website
but they can comment on social
media channels.
Organization
Mobile
Social Media
Facebook link is on the top of the
front page and there is a social
media bar of icons below the fold
on each page.
Facebook 36370 likes
Twitter 8,859 tweets/ 25.2K
followers
Utube, LinkedIn, Pinterest
Scaled for mobile devices and
easy to navigate
Their Facebook has 770 likes
and was updated in late July.
There is no other social media
listed and Google searches
yield confusion with their clinic
sites.
Scaled for mobile devices and easy
to navigate
Their social media is extensive,
current and active and they
repurpose content from their website
in an integrative fashion including
blogs, videos, photos, news stories,
etc.
Their social media bar appears at
the top and bottom of the home
page and each other page. It
includes a “more” bar as well.
Participants can participate by
engaging with the organization or
with their social networking page
and related links.
They have solid social media
presence and tips for those new
to social networking.
Facebook (37,749 likes)
Twitter (5,344 tweets, 4,116
followers)
Linkedin
TwitterFlickr
Facebook 707K likes
23
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS (Table 3)
FEATURE
COMPETITOR #1
COMPETITOR #2
COMPETITOR #3
COMPETITOR #4
Organization
Google Prominence: Official site
came up 1st
“Alias “mpact online” also directs to
site
iTunes, Wikipedia
Contact
information/ease of
reachability
Overall assessment
Below the fold there is a “Contact
Us” link that lists the phone
number, address and additional
links
Engaging, uncluttered, “happy”
site, makes one want to take the
leap and volunteer
Twitter 11.8K tweets 401K Followers
Google+ 662,068 followers
LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, Utube,
Vimeo, Flipboard
Google prominence – donation
webpage is the 1st to appear
Below the fold there is a
“Contact Us” link that lists the
phone number and address
Below the fold there is a “Contact
Us” link that lists the phone number
and address
Below the fold there is a “Contact
Us” link that lists the phone
number and address
Website seems outdated,
amateurish and geared toward
a older retired population rather
than a youthful senior persona
A premier, serious, informationpacked site focused on curing the
world. Not for the faint at heart.
A solid website, that is current
and directed to its target
audience. It could use space
more wisely and intuitively.
24
IX. THE MAVEN DIGITAL STRATEGY
MAVEN currently lacks a digital presence or digital strategy. This digital strategy
is intended as a starting point for the development of a website and a social
media campaign. It is anticipated that it will evolve with input from the MAVEN
team as MAVEN’s business plan is refined and the pilot projects are
operationalized. Once MAVEN’s digital strategy is crystalized, the pilots have
been successful, and there is sufficient funding, this strategy can be used as a
tool for communicating MAVEN’s vision to professionals who can implement it.
MAVEN’s Mission
At its core, MAVEN’s mission is simple – to recruit physicians to volunteer with
safety net clinics to serve vulnerable and underserved populations. But there are
a number of unique aspects that increase the complexity, set MAVEN apart from
other endeavors and need to be appropriately represented in MAVEN’s digital
presence.
As described at the beginning of this document, MAVEN’s full mission is “to
create a corps of experienced, volunteer physician subspecialists
aggregated from participating medical schools’ alumni to assist primary care
providers at safety net clinics to address the unmet needs of underserved
and vulnerable populations.”
“Experienced” is a proxy for the idea that the most likely volunteers will be baby
boomers and beyond. However, younger physicians may also participate
provided they have been practicing for a minimum of ten (10) years. The
objective is to ensure that participants are sufficiently seasoned to provide sage
advice and to invoke confidence in those they are serving.
“Volunteer”, while appearing self explanatory is particularly important because
offering specialty medical services to clinics eases their financial burden and in
some instances increases their receptivity to telemedicine because of it does not
invoke billing issues for the clinics.
“Participating medical schools’ alumni”, refers to the novel idea of leveraging
medical school alumni councils and associations, whom have direct access to
their alumni databases, to drive volunteers to MAVEN in a collaborative, but
perhaps, collegiately competitive manner.
25
“Primary care”, is highlighted because it is the primary care physicians at the
clinics who would engage in “doctor-to-doctor curbside consultations” or
participate in a synchronous or asynchronous “telemedicine consultation with the
patient.
The acute medical needs of the “Underserved and vulnerable” within the
United States, particularly in rural areas needs to be underscored.
Of equal importance is the idea that these activities are facilitated digitally as
further described in the technology section below.
Given this audacious goal, it will be important to
showcase these issues in a digestible manner using
words, graphics, video and photographs.
MAVEN’s Target Audience & Users
Figure 5
MAVEN’s core target audience and principal users of
MAVEN’s website are described below and illustrated in Figure 5:

Potential physician volunteers, between the ages of 40 and 75, with a
primary focus of individuals between 55 and 75 years of age

Federal Qualified Health Centers, Free Clinics and other safety net clinics
and their practicing primary care physicians desiring to augment their
medical specialty capacity

Medical school alumni associations & councils and their personnel
interested in increasing the engagement of their alumni by participating as
a MAVEN consortium member
However, it is expected that investors and the media will be ancillary users and
will need to be able to readily grasp MAVEN’s mission and activities.
Technology
To understand the role of this digital strategy in the context of MAVEN’s overall
technology platform it is important to understand the two interconnected
components. The “front end” is in essence the target audience-facing website
that is described as part of the digital strategy. The “back end” is the software
26
technology engine that facilitates HIPAA-compliant volunteer and clinic
teleconference communications, the exchange and viewing of medical records,
images, test results and in the case of telemedicine, video conferencing. The
front-end needs to contain a link that approved volunteers can access to facilitate
their consultations.
MAVEN’s Organization
MAVEN will need a comprehensive marketing plan of which this digital
strategy will be a significant component. The messaging that MAVEN finalizes in
its updated executive summary, business plan, and marketing collateral should
be carried over to the digital strategy. This means consistency in the “about
MAVEN” section, the home page, and as applicable, the other web pages.
Social media usage should also be consistent, and where constrained by format,
uniform alternatives be used (e.g., Twitters 140 character limitation may require
shortening of certain messaging). Once a logo, color scheme, fonts and graphics
have been adopted by MAVEN, the website and social media postings should
mirror those choices as well.
MAVEN has a number of external affiliations. The school logo for each
participating medical school’s alumni association should be grouped (with proper
consent for any logo use). Similarly, business partners (such as its fiscal partner
United Way of Miami-Dade county or technology platform vendors) for which
MAVEN has a contractual obligation to feature or where it is mutually desirable to
include should also be prominently showcased.
Design
The “look and feel” of VolunteerMatch.org, Volunteers in Medicine,
Doctors without Borders, and Encore.org provides insight into potential MAVEN
design. From an overall design perspective the MAVEN website should be clean,
professional and streamlined but at the same time welcoming and engaging. In
areas where the medical schools are featured if would be nice to have a slight
academic flair but avoid the look of a Harry Potter Hogwarts set. And, given the
upcoming baby boomer population, a tiny amount of Starbucks hipster panache
might also be well received. Envision Renovation Hardware meets Google.
VolunteerMatch.org, featured in Figure 1, provides a good example of a
simple, engaging user-friendly layout that is easy to navigate. Moreover, the
ability to license the underlying software and configure it for MAVEN is an
attractive idea. However, VolunteerMatch.org’s color-scheme is too much like an
elementary school for a medical school-related site. In contrast, Doctors without
borders’, sharp red, black and white scheme, featured in Figure 2, is crisp and
27
effective. However, the use of red may appear to favor Harvard over the other
founding institutions. We also need to be careful not to make MAVEN appear as
a copycat. As such, it is worth considering the earth tones present on Encore’s
site, featured in Figure 4, but with the VolunteerMatch.org type layout. The
readability of Encore.org’s text and font is also desirable in light of the age
demographics of MAVEN users.
Several of the competitors’ sites handled the layout of sections quite well.
In particular, VolunteerMatch.org’s volunteer and non-profit sections could easily
be MAVEN’s volunteer and clinic sections. There could be another tab for alumni
associations. In addition, as seen in Figure 6,
Figure 6
VolunteerMatch.org distinguishes between “local” and “virtual”
opportunities.
This concept can be transposed into MAVEN’s need for different types of
consultation opportunities: purely
curbside consultations, (asynchronous
telemedicine and synchronous
telemedicine consults. Drawing upon
our personas, we can imagine that Dr.
Kleinberg might be interested in
telemedicine consultations whereas Dr. Harmon may enjoy the banter of a
curbside consult with another primary care physician.
Doctors without borders also draws a distinction between “in the field” and
“in the office” volunteer opportunities. In addition, as illustrated by Figure 7, they
take it a step further by having numerous electronic “tiles” that the type of
volunteer positions they need. MAVEN could have a similar “tile” approach to
describe the specialties that
are needed by the various
clinics (e.g., dermatologists
like Dr. Janice Kleinberg or
a diabetes specialist like Dr.
Charlie Harmon.
Figure 7
Web Content
Table 4 describes proposed content and its placement.
28
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Further links
HOME PAGE
Mission Statement
MAVEN’s mission: Creating a corps of experienced,
volunteer physician subspecialists aggregated from
participating medical schools alumni to assist primary
care providers at safety net clinics to address the unmet
needs of underserved and vulnerable populations”
This should be represented by both words and pictorial
representation. The photographs should be of
professional quality (like Physicians without borders’,
and unlike Volunteer in Medicine’s photographs) and
showcase physicians consulting with physicians and
physicians consulting with patients and their primary
care doctors. Consider a photo carousel with physician
volunteers from each participating school that includes a
school banner at the top.
We want to engage physicians and call them to action.
MAVEN’s Objectives
Ideally MAVEN’s objectives would be conveyed via
infographics. The message to be communicated is that
MAVEN’s objectives include:
 Match experienced volunteer alumni of accredited
U.S. medical schools with rural and urban Federal
There should be a link to a video
of Founder, Laurie Green
explaining the mission
When you hover over the term
“MAVEN” the first time the
definition of a maven could
appear
Given the target audience,
English is the only language
currently contemplated.
Ideally a search engine
optimization (SEO) consultant
could also provide advice to
increase MAVEN’s mission
appearing in Google and other
searches.
There could be links to a glossary
that explains the differences
between FQHC’s, Free Clinics
and other safety net clinics
29
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Free Clinics and
other safety net clinics facing serious provider
shortages

Facilitate communication and medical consultation
via a HIPAA compliant technological platform

Overcome licensing, insurance and technological
challenges of U.S.-based physician volunteers

Address the unmet needs of underserved
populations throughout the U.S.
Volunteer, patient and clinic
stories and testimonials
“Teasers” only, the rest is a link – written, photographic
and video formats
Expert Content/News
Teaser & link to current news, white papers, government
reports etc. re: uninsured & medical care
Highlighting of Participating
Medical Schools/Alumni
Associations
Further links
There could be links that demos
the back-end technology “how
consults work” and point out the
security and HIPAA protections
of the technology platform
Additional links could provide indepth information on licensing,
insurance and credentialing for
each on-boarded clinic
Link to “more” stories and
testimonials
Social media to repurpose this
information
Must be kept current
Their sites should have reciprocal
links to MAVEN
Logos and links to their sites
30
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Further links
“Wild Idea”: A monthly contest between schools for
engaging the most volunteers – that school’s banner
can then fly over the association area or be featured
another way
Highlight Sponsors & Key
Vendors with whom there is a
contractual or other reason to
include
Donation/Sponsorship
opportunities
Button on far right of top tab that appears on every
page. Conspicous but not relentless as with Doctors
without Borders
Links to MAVEN payment
mechanism (interim term –
United Way payment system)
Description of sponsor
opportunities
Social Media Buttons/Links
Top right corner
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Doximity
Others only if there are resources to regularly update
Newsroom/investors/sponsors
Link to useful printable Executive Summary, Fact Sheet
and FAQs
Contact information for media inquiries.
Links to each social media
source
Repurpose content from the
website on an ongoing basis so
these do not become stale
31
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Glossary/Technical FAQ
As seen in Encore.org where they have a blurb
explaining social media sites, this would be a link to a
glossary and FAQ geared towards less sophisticated
senior users such as our persona Dr. Harmon
History of MAVEN
Address, phone numbers, and email at the bottom of
each page
Privacy, Confidentiality, Disclaimers
Links to key bios
 Founder/CEO
 Executive Director
 Board Directors
 Advisory Committee Members
VOLUNTEER PAGE
Clearly articulate what registration entails with regards
to notifications, etc.
Enter key information to facilitate matching, track
cumulative hours served, earn CME credits (where
permitted - e.g., with Doximity’s model)
About
Contact Information
Policies
Leadership/Governance
Register for emails & newsletters
Create User Profile
Further links
Link to Laurie Green video
Emails to MAVEN and clinics,
process for interviewing & onboarding remotely
There could be links to a glossary
that explains the differences
between FQHC’s, Free Clinics
and other safety net clinics
32
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Further links
There could be links that demos
the back-end technology “how
consults work” and point out the
security and HIPAA protections
of the technology platform
Additional links could provide indepth information on licensing,
insurance and credentialing for
each on-boarded clinic
Individual and School “Leader
Board”
Volunteer “Perks”
Featured volunteer
Register for emails & newsletters
Create Clinic User Profile
Volunteers earn “badges” or “stars” for # hours
volunteered
Schools earn logo badges for # hours their alumni
volunteers work
Library usage, subscription usage, vendor discounts,
etc.
Interview of volunteer including photo and bio
CLINIC PAGE
Clearly articulate what registration entails with regards
to notifications, etc.
Enter key information such as specialist needs & time
commitment. Used to facilitate matching, track
cumulative hours provided, type of specialists used, etc.
Also in alumni newsletter,
quarterly, magazines and website
Emails to MAVEN to begin clinic
approval process.
33
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Further links
Links describing approval
process and logistics..
There could be links that demo
the back-end technology “how
consults work” and point out the
security and HIPAA protections
of the technology platform
Featured clinic
Interview of key clinic personnel and for telemedicine
consults with patients, with a consenting patient.
Clinic news
Opportunity to showcase awards & recognitions that the
clinics have received
MEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION/COUNCIL PAGE
Clearly articulate what registration entails with regards
to notifications, etc.
Also include name and direct phone number of MAVEN
personnel
Photographs & testimonials regarding engagement of
alumni, showcase extraordinary efforts to engage with
MAVEN, If possible interviews with medical school
presidents
Register for emails & newsletters
Email template to request that
alumni association be contacted
Lists of Participating Schools
Additional links could provide indepth information on licensing,
insurance and credentialing
Also in clinic newsletter and
website
34
CONTENT (Table 4)
Content
Description
Leader board
Carry over from home page
GENERAL
A mobile & iPad version website should be developed
that is easily navigated from those devices.
Mobile/Tablet Apps
Further links
It will be important to ensure that there is a mobile and
iPad app to facilitate physicians use of the technology
platform for consultations
Analytics
Appropriate analytics need to be deployed on a regular
basis to evaluate and track utilization of the website and
related social media.
35
Social Media
While millennials’ social media skills may appear to be innate, MAVEN’s
target population emphasizes 50+ year olds, many of whom will have learned
social media skills as adults. This is important for MAVEN to understand
because studies have demonstrated that in general, older people are less
attuned to social media than younger populations.5 However, individuals with
higher education and income, such as physicians, typically use social media
more than their counterparts with less education and income.5 Moreover,
physicians’ personal and professional use of social media continues to steadily
increase.6,7 As the source of volunteers reaches deeper into the aging babyboomer pool, presumably more volunteers will be savvy in social media use.
In view of these demographics and MAVEN’s nascent financial resources,
it is proposed that MAVEN’s social media entrés be initially limited to: Facebook,
Twitter, Doximity and Linked-In. Facebook is one of the most widely utilized
social media outlets5 and lends itself to multi-media postings. As such, MAVEN
could easily repurpose its videos, news, articles and notices of upcoming event
on a regular basis. With regards to Twitter, once engrained as a daily habit,
regular tweeting of relevant events and news can occur with a modest time
commitment. Doximity and LinkedIn each have physician groups, with the ability
to target alumni individual medical schools. These would be useful outlets for
physician recruitment that do not require as much updating as Facebook does to
appear current. Lastly, MAVEN may leverage and in some instances, coordinate
with, participating medical school alumni organizations, clinics’ and volunteers’
social media efforts to further spread news and information.
As mentioned in the Content section above, the linked buttons for each of
these social media channels should be prominently displayed on each page of
the MAVEN website.
CONCLUSIONS
A digital strategy is not a static document. It needs to evolve with the
organization and keep abreast of emerging technologies. It also must be
manageable within an organization’s budget and resources. As such, it is
important to regularly review the analytics collected so that the strategy can be
adjusted accordingly. This document is meant as a preliminary digital strategy.
36
Involving the input of other members of the MAVEN team will increase its
effectiveness.
APPENDICES
37
Appendix A – Lessons Learned From This Exercise
This course has taught me the critical role of a digital presence in an
organization’s successful outreach. I’ve learned the importance of approaching
digital strategy as one would a traditional business plan – systematically and with
an eye to the activities of one’s competitors. Equally important I learned to only
implement what one can reasonably maintain in a timely fashion – stale social
media may very well be worse than none. Lastly, I am struck by the amount of
time and effort one must allow to prepare a thoughtful digital strategy.
38
Appendix B – About the Author
Lisa Carron Shmerling, JD, 2014 MPH Candidate
Lisa Carron Shmerling is an August 2014 MPH Candidate at Tufts University School
of Medicine, Health Services Management and Policy Concentration. She is interested
in areas where healthcare delivery and technology converge.
Lisa is currently a business consultant for The MAVEN Project where she is working on
operationalizing the business model. She is also completing her ALE with The
Conversation Project (TCP) (www.theconversationproject.org). Her objective at TCP is
to develop a business strategy to expand end-of-life conversations to the workplace.
She was previously a Senior Health Policy Associate/Lead Legal Negotiator for the
HIX/IES Project at Commonwealth Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical
School.
Prior to transitioning to the public health field, Lisa was a biotech/technology counsel for
28+ years. Her roles included serving as Vice President of Legal Affairs at Momenta
Pharmaceuticals, and Associate General Counsel at Millennium Pharmaceuticals. She
also consulted for numerous early-stage biotech, technology and medical device
companies, including Concert Pharmaceuticals, T2 Biosystems, BBN Corporation and
Prime Computer/Computervision.
Lisa is a former army brat who spent her childhood living in Japan, the Azores and the
Philippines. She lives in Newton, is married and has two daughters, one of which
graduated this year with her MD/MPH from Tufts. For fun, Lisa enjoys cycling, yoga,
reading, gardening and the arts.
39
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