|
News and Views Internet Technology |
 |
So, Where’s your Web Page? |
|
|
Let’s say you are willing, albeit reluctantly, to grant me that authoring a web page is not hard. The next question might be “why bother?” While I’m numbered among those trying to answer this question with data, opinion must prevail for now. I can think of at least seven reasons why a mental health clinician in private practice would want to have a web page. First, having a web page allows others to make a more comfortable first approach to the practice. To state the obvious, many prospective consumers of mental health services feel ambivalent about scheduling a first appointment. Hence, it may seem much less threatening to view a web page than to make a first phone call. If you imagine the water could be uncomfortable, do you want to go in up to your ankle or your knee? Suppose one part of the morning lake allows you to enter going in only up to your ankles, but another section insists that you go in up to your knees. From which part of the lake are you going to enter? Likewise, who will that ambivalent consumer contact first, all other things being equal? The clinician with the reassuring, informative, inviting and professional web page, or the clinician without the web page, who remains about as defined as a Rorschach card (e.g., the presumption being that the average Yellow Pages ad contains about as much form as card I on the Rorschach)? The clinician can create an inviting site that includes things like pictures of herself and her consulting room, warming, informative and comforting statements about the practice and even a brief introductory quicktime movie (essentially a record–plug–play-and-drop process). Second, the clinician can use the page to respond to pressing needs and developments in the community. For instance, many of us have wanted to reach out to members of our community with suggestions and resources in the wake of recent terrorist attacks. A web page affords the clinician a wonderful tool for doing this in a way that is both powerful and cost effective. In my own case, after only a two hour investment of my time, I was able to construct a web page that offered discussion groups, opportunities for speakers and links to scientifically grounded internet resources (see www.marywood.edu/psc/trauma.htm). Likewise, if a clinician hosts a site for any of the national screening days (e.g., depression, anxiety , eating disorders, etc.), the web page can be used as an effective adjunct. Or, if a clinician interacts with the media, the audience can be referred to supplemental resources off of the web site. Again, a web page may serve as a fluid and cost effective resource for responding to the pressing mental health needs of a particular community. Third, web pages, if handled properly, can serve as a potent marketing tool. For instance, most of us do not have a telephone number than can be easily remembered; one wonders how much value there is in even placing it on a sign outside of the office (e.g., who can remember it?). Also, one wonders how many prospective consumers of mental health services are effective at business card storage and retrieval, assuming they even have access to the clinician’s card in the first place. What’s easier for a prospective client to remember 587-2273 or www.kidtherapist.com? The web address can be placed on business cards, yellow pages advertisements, stationary, or wherever else the clinician deems appropriate. Likewise, the web site can include information about the clinician’s experiences and qualifications. How many consumers are able to ask about qualifications? My wife and I are fairly assertive people who collectively possess more degrees than a thermometer. However, we have yet to find a comfortable way to ask physicians, face to-face, about their background and training before we let them examine us or our children; instead, we rely on other (sometimes highly subjective) data sources. Relatedly, how many clinicians are able to review professional qualifications without sounding braggadocios or odd? “Uh hum, yes, during my doctoral studies at Prestigous U, I did research on the problem afflicting your daughter.” Or, “Oh my yes, your situation reminds me of the other 212 people I have treated with similar problems.” A web page affords a method for the clinician to offer objective and graceful communication about relevant experience and training for clients who are interested in, or reassured by, such information. Fourth, web pages keep you from having to repeat the same information over and over again. The clinician can construct an FAQ page (e.g., frequently asked questions). For instance, I am horrible at giving directions, in part because I have a spatial dyslexia and in part because I find it to be tedious. Now I can direct folks to my web site, which contains detailed travelling instructions and pictures of my office from several vantage points; some people used to get lost coming to my office but rarely does that happen now. The same thing can apply to issues regarding office policies, the approach taken with evaluations and treatment, office hours, areas of specialization, insurance policies, the fee schedule, emergency availability or whatever else the clinician is comfortable publishing on line. Fifth, the clinician’s web site can serve as a gateway for scientifically grounded sources of information on the internet. Like many, I encourage my clients to learn as much about the problems that we are working on together as they can. However, it seems, like the internet publishes at least as much myth and pseudoscience as it does science. Our clients need help in knowing where the good information can be found. The clinician’s web site can contain links to information clearinghouses, support group sites, listservs (internet speak for e-mail discussion groups) and publications that are more likely to inform and support the client. Sixth, the clinician may offer information on disorders and problems in living that are related to his scope of practice. The clinician can author newsletters for lay people and store them on the web site; these articles can then be viewed on line or downloaded. (No, you do not have to be a techno geek to do this. I do not even own a pocket protector.) Seventh, the web site can provide a list of resources that are related to the clinician’s scope of practice. For instance, if your allotment of sliding scale clients is filled, you may list the contact information for the public and private concerns in your region that offer a reduced or sliding scale fee. If you do not offer 24 hour on call, you can list the local hotline(s) or emergency rooms that receive psychiatric emergencies. You can list the contact information for practices that you refer to. Etc., etc. The clinician may also sell books, offer online counseling (though I number among those that are disinclined to offer this service at this time), host bulletin boards on mental health topics, etc. Those with part-time or full time academic appointments can publish course syllabi, previous student work samples, helpful links and a plethora of other resources. Again, none of this is intellectually hard to do. This article is the first in a series of articles that I will write in this space. My principal goal is to facilitate and encourage independent practioners, who do not currently have a web page, to take the leap. To that end, I will articulate several web page profiles, from simple and elegant, to sophisticated and complex. I will describe both what might be included on such pages and the tools needed to get the page online. Subordinate goals will be to offer style points and suggestions for those who already have an internet presence and to describe some internet resources that might be of interest to independent practitioners. I will close with a caveat, a suggestion and an offer. The caveat is that I am a full time clinical psychologist with a part-time interest in web page authoring. To this end, I will offer this column as a springboard for learning about web pages. However, I will not be able to offer the depth of analysis that can be found in industry magazines. What I will do is share the tools, procedures and resources that I believe are cost effective and helpful in developing a private practice web page; it will be up to the reader to determine if my suggestions are optimally cost effective and helpful. The suggestion is for those of you who wish to get cracking now. You can start by buying three things: (1) a program designed for web page construction, (2) a good teaching book on the program (not for cover-to-cover consumption but for quick consultations to quickly get you over those inevitable bumps in the road) and (3) a good teaching book on style points for web page authoring. For reasons I will elaborate upon in another column, I like Adobe GoLive (unless noted otherwise, all recommended products and services will be available for both Macintosh and PC users). However, Microsoft Frontpage would be another popular option for PC users. Regarding books on the html programs, I have found the “ (blank) for Dummies” and the the “Sams Teach Yourself- (blank)” series of books to be helpful. For a book on style suggestions I like Web Design & Desktop Publishing for Dummies by Roger Parker. Obtaining these resources will allow you to start playing around with creating a web page. In my next column I will describe an entry level web page for an independent practitioner and articulate some of the choices available for publishing a web page on the internet. The offer is for those of you who already have a web page. If you would like to receive my (highly) subjective opinion about your web site (e.g., style, helpfulness, appeal, etc.) just send me an email with your site’s address. Assuming that I am not inundated with people taking me up on this offer, I would be happy to share my two cents worth. That’s all for now. See you next time. And, remember, this is easy and fun! David J. Palmiter, Jr., Ph.D., ABPP is an Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of the Psychological Services Center and Director of Psy.D. Practicum and Internships at Marywood University. He also has a private practice in Clarks Summit, PA. His e-mail address is david@palmiter.com. His home page is at www.helpingparents.net. |
|||
Hypertext markup language, common gateway interface, file transfer protocol, Unix , URLs and Perl. A glance at the technical language used in discussions on web page authoring can be paralyzing to the average independent practitioner. It can seem like creating a web page is a daunting, complex and expensive proposition. However, and this is an important point, you cannot fill a metaphorical thimble with all that you have to know about that stuff in order to have an effective, elegant and professional web page. Also, you do not have to know how to write code or to program. You do not have to be wealthy nor have huge blocks of free time available. In fact, most I have trained in web page authoring have expressed surprised and delight over how easy, cost effective and fun it can be.