J Canc Educ DOI 10.1007/s13187-016-1006-5

REFLECTION

Reflections on Writing an Engaging Patient Blog Sheryl M. Ness 1

# American Association for Cancer Education 2016

Abstract Blogs can be a novel way to engage patients in a virtual manner. This reflections article provides highlights on how to get started writing a patient blog as well as practical tips to make your patient blog successful. Empowering patients to learn and share through a blog may bring a new level of insight to your education practice. Keywords Blog . Social media . Cancer . Education . Patient support . Survivorship . Virtual support Blogs can be a novel way to engage patients in a virtual manner. Perhaps you are looking for a way to provide patients with an opportunity to learn about new topics, share ideas from practice and research, or to provide peer support. If you are planning to start a patient blog, it is a good idea to have your goals outlined to give structure to the format and content. Writing a patient blog sounds like a fun and easy writing assignment, right? However, if your primary writing experience is based on manuscripts and scientific reports—writing a patient blog can be a bit of a challenge at first. Here are a few ideas to get you started if you are interested in writing a patient blog.

Research and Review Topics As you think about what topics cancer patients might be interested in, think about the patients you see every day in your

practice. What concerns are they asking you about? What is being discussed in research, literature, as well as the popular press? Start by researching and reviewing the topic you want to write about—find the most interesting and unique point and make this your primary focus to get attention. Do background research to find out what others have written on the topic and check your facts. Add references when needed. People who are reading the blog want to know how the topic relates to them, so make it personal by writing in the first and second person voice (I, you, your). An example of this is BHave you ever wondered what it would be like to have your DNA tested? Today, I’d like to uncover a little about the mystery of DNA for you.^

Start by Getting the Reader’s Attention People only spend a few seconds looking at your blog and decide if they want to read on—write a catchy title to get their attention. The title and the first introductory sentences need to hook the reader and get them interested in reading more. The first paragraph needs to be thought-provoking and give a quick peek into the story that follows—people will decide to keep reading or not at this point.

Provide Structure, Flow, and Interest * Sheryl M. Ness [email protected]

1

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA

A good strategy is to break up long paragraphs into shorter ones (1–2 sentences) that stay on one topic—it is easier to scan the blog this way. Start with basic information to give the reader background knowledge and build on that to more complex information.

J Canc Educ

As you are writing, keep the following things in mind: & & & & &

Use simple, everyday language (no medical jargon or acronyms unless you define them). Use bullet points for key messages—keep an active voice. Use contractions (i.e., instead of you are, use you’re, for I am, use I’m)—this is another way to make the writing less formal. Break up text with related images or videos if possible. Add interesting links to additional resources, related sites, or other blog topics that you have written.

conversation flowing in the right direction. It may be a good idea to wait a few days after a new blog is posted to see how the readers feel about a topic. As a moderator, it is important to give enough time for the conversations to develop without too much interference. The most important part of moderating is to make sure to guide readers to correct information and provide answers to direct questions. Reading through the comments can also provide excellent ideas for future blog topics. Make sure to recognize regular contributors as well.

Write on a Regular Basis and Update Existing Material Keep the Writing Style Conversational Craft your blog writing to feel like a conversation with the reader—add in personal stories, humor, or information so that people get to know you as a real person. This adds a human touch and creates a sense of credibility and trust. As you develop the first draft of a blog post, start by writing it out as a long conversation, as if you are actually talking with another person. After you write out the conversation, go back and check the grammar and clean it up, add structure to sentences and paragraphs, and condense by creating bullet points where it makes sense. A blog should be short and easy to scan, around 500–800 words.

End With a Call to Action As you end the blog discussion, create a call for action—ask a question or give people a reason to comment or interact with you and each other. Your question should also be personal and related to the topic, such as BHave you had your DNA tested? What was your experience?^ Questions at the end of the blog will get your readers to comment and get the discussion started.

Get Feedback from Others After you have written your blog, have someone review the content, suggest edits, and provide feedback. This is a critical step, especially as you are getting started. This will help you identify problem areas with flow or understanding from the reader’s perspective.

Keep in Touch with the Readers Once you have posted your blog topic, check back on a regular basis and read what others are writing and commenting about. When possible, provide helpful feedback and keep the

Readers of your blog will stay engaged if you write on a regular basis. This might include posting new topics on a daily or weekly basis. It is important to keep your blog as updated as possible. If a topic needs updating, take down the old discussion and post an update. Make content as updated and relevant to the readers as possible. Whenever you create a new blog discussion, it is a good idea to look back to see if you have written about it before. Refer back to the older discussion if needed and then build on the conversation.

Stay Organized A great way to stay organized is to have an editorial timeline or spreadsheet with the list of past topics you have written about and the publication date. This way, you can look back to find topics that you have covered and track any new ideas for future blog posts. In the spreadsheet, link back to the blog topic and note any of your references.

Post Social Media Guidelines or Policies It is important to make sure that people who are subscribed or following your blog understand any rules or guidelines that you have outlined. You can outline expectations for profanity, abusive language, privacy, and mutual respect as well as rules for promoting a commercial product.

Final Thoughts The outcome of a patient blog might surprise you. Blogs can be a safe place for patients to share their real experiences. It can also be a source of hope and support when and where they need it most. Blogs can provide a virtual space for patients to connect with each other and share their stories. Empowering patients to learn and share through a blog may bring a new level of insight to your education practice.

Reflections on Writing an Engaging Patient Blog.

Blogs can be a novel way to engage patients in a virtual manner. This reflections article provides highlights on how to get started writing a patient ...
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