Kevin Pho

Kevin Pho
Born
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationBoston University (BA, MD)
Occupation(s)Internal medicine physician, blogger, commentator
WebsiteKevinMD.com

Kevin Pho is an American physician of internal medicine, media commentator, public speaker, and author. He is the founder and editor of KevinMD.com, a website aimed at medical professionals.

Pho writes on issues of medical technology in practice, doctors and patients engaging one another online, and how physicians can cultivate online reputations. His writings have been published in USA Today, CNN.com, and The New York Times, among others. He is also the co-author of the book Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices.

Early life and education

Pho was born in Princeton, New Jersey. He grew up in Sarnia, Ontario, where he attended Gregory A. Hogan Catholic School, then moved to Richmond Hill, Ontario, where he went to high school at University of Toronto Schools.

He attended Boston University where he earned his B.A./M.D. in 1999, after which he completed the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Boston University Medical Center.[1]

Career

Medical career and KevinMD

In 2004, Pho started the blog, KevinMD, in response to positive feedback from patients who read his blog post about the Vioxx recall.[2][3] He had previously worked as a researcher for Google Answers, where he would answer questions by patients, and realized that patients did not seem to be getting the information they needed in the examination room.[2]

Pho frequently writes about the benefits of physicians using social media as a way to help patients locate reliable information about healthcare[3] and to communicate issues with medicine to the public and among colleagues.[4][5] Over 1,000 healthcare professionals contribute articles to KevinMD.com.[6]

In 2009, his blog received 1.4 million unique visitors. That year, Pho raised $1,000 to support the United Way of Greater Nashua by using his Twitter and Facebook profiles.[1]

Pho received criticism for posting an article about a surgeon whose supervisor intentionally harmed a patient during vascular surgery in order to provide a teaching opportunity.[7][8] Pho removed the story after it was determined to be fiction and apologized for not vetting its truth.[9]

As of 2018, he practices in Nashua, New Hampshire, with the St. Joseph Hospital Adult Medicine (formerly named the Nashua Medical Group).[1]

Writing and public speaking

Pho has appeared as a keynote speaker and panel member for the Massachusetts Medical Society, The New England Journal of Medicine, Texas Medical Association, BlogWorld, New Media Expo,[10] the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters,[11] The Pri Med South Annual Conference,[12] The American Orthopaedic Association,[13] Pain Week,[14] the WSMA 2016 Annual Meeting,[15] Planetree International Conference on Patient-Centered Care,[16] and the College of American Pathologists Pathologists' Meeting[17]

Pho is on USA Today's board of contributors.[18] He is also a contributor to The New York Times' "Room for Debate" and CNN.[19][20][21]

In 2013, Pho published Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices. The book provides tips and testimonials for doctors using social media.[22]

Reception

Pho blogs on KevinMD.com was called a "must-read blog" by Rebecca Ruiz of Forbes.[23] His Twitter account was recommended by CNN,[24] The Guardian,[25] and by Stat News.[26] His opinion pieces appear in multiple print and online media sources.[27][28]

In February 2010, Pho was listed in the New Hampshire Union Leader's ‘Top 40 Under 40.’[29] In January 2012, Pho was listed on Klout as the #1 healthcare social media influencer and #1 social media influencer in medicine.[30]

In 2017 and 2018, he was named as one of New Hampshire magazine's Top Doctors. The list is determined based on a survey of all practicing physicians in the state of New Hampshire, asking them which doctor they would choose to provide medical care to a friend or a loved one.[31] He was again named a top doctor by the publication in 2019.[32]

References

  1. ^ a b c Pollock, Chelsey. "Dr. Kevin Pho harnesses the power of social media to practice medicine", New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester, 1 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b Parks, Troy (12 June 2016). "Physician behind KevinMD reveals how to leverage social media". AMA Wire. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b Soloman, Susan (2014). Thielst, Christina (ed.). Applying Social Medica Technologies in Healthcare Environments. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-938904-68-4.
  4. ^ Kennedy, Deirdre (13 March 2008). "Doctor Blogs Raise Concerns About Patient Privacy". NPR. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  5. ^ Kaldy, Joanne (October 2013). "Social Media: Is Practitioner Posting Problematic?". Caring for the Ages. 14 (10): 1–6. doi:10.1016/j.carage.2013.09.001.
  6. ^ Kylstra, Carolyn (22 December 2014). "11 Ways To Spot Bogus Headlines About Your Health". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. ^ Hawryluk, Markian (8 July 2015). "Did a doctor really puncture a vena cava as a teaching moment?". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  8. ^ Brassington, Lain (10 July 2015). "Bad Surgeons and Good Faith". BMJ Blogs. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  9. ^ Oransky, Ivan (9 July 2015). "A Retracted Story About the OR Raises Questions". MedPage Today. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  10. ^ World Congress Website. "Speaker Biography." Accessed Mar. 15, 2013
  11. ^ "2018 Annual Conference Keynote and Plenary Speakers". aspr.org. Association of Staff Physician Recruiters.
  12. ^ "South Annual Conference". pri-med.com. Pri Med.
  13. ^ "Keynote Speakers". aoassn.org. The American Orthopaedic Association. Archived from the original on 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  14. ^ "Kevin Pho, MD, Named Keynote Speaker at Painweek 2011". painweek.org. the National Conference on Pain for Frontline Practitioners.
  15. ^ "WSMA 2016 Annual Meeting: Book signing with Dr. Kevin Pho; delegate handbook now available". wsma.org. WSMA. Archived from the original on 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  16. ^ "Prepare to be Inspired by Keynotes at the Planetree International Conference on Patient-Centered Care". planetree.org. Planetree. Archived from the original on 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  17. ^ "The Pathologists' Meeting". thepathologistsmeeting.org. College of American Pathologists. Archived from the original on 2018-03-11. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  18. ^ USA Today website. "Opinion Columnists." Accessed Mar. 15, 2013
  19. ^ Pho, Kevin. “Despite flaws, health care law is still needed.” CNN. Mar. 26, 2012
  20. ^ Pho, Kevin. "Over 75? No PSA." The New York Times. June 15, 2012
  21. ^ Pho, Kevin. "Rejection Would Hurt Uninsured and Elderly." The New York Times. June 17, 2012
  22. ^ Chen, Pauline W. (21 March 2013). "Doctors and Their Online Reputation". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  23. ^ Ruiz, Rebecca. "Must-Read Health Blogs", Forbes, 07 October 2009. Retrieved on 2011-9-20.
  24. ^ Sutter, John D. "Follow Friday: Health care reform on Twitter", "CNN", 16 October 2009. Retrieved on 2011-9-20.
  25. ^ Srinivas, Siri (19 February 2015). "Ten super-smart health Twitter feeds to follow now". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  26. ^ Branswell, Helen (30 December 2015). "18 must-follow Twitter accounts about health and medicine". STAT. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  27. ^ Weiner, John (4 March 2015). "A personal reflection on social media in medicine: I stand, no wiser than before". International Review of Psychiatry. 27 (2): 155–160. doi:10.3109/09540261.2015.1015503. ISSN 0954-0261. PMID 25847332.
  28. ^ Butcher, Lola (January 2010). "Oncologists Using Twitter to Advance Cancer Knowledge". Oncology Times. 32 (1): 8. doi:10.1097/01.COT.0000366137.51963.75.
  29. ^ Charest, Bob. "Meet the NH's Best and Brightest." New Hampshire Union Leader. Feb. 1, 2010
  30. ^ Glenn, Brandon. “Who are Klout's Top 10 healthcare social media ‘influencers’?” MedCity News. Jan. 6, 2012
  31. ^ "St. Joseph Hospital Recognizes and Congratulates Our 'TOP DOCS'". stjosephhospital.com. St. Joseph Hospital. 5 June 2023.
  32. ^ "2019 Top Doctors". New Hampshire Magazine.