How a pediatrician makes a blog work

‘Seattle Mama Doc’ delivers candid, timely info with a human touch

Health care systems run thousands of blogs—NPR estimates more than 120,000—but very few of them are written by doctors.

Between seeing patients and doing paperwork, doctors don’t have much time for writing. Plus, many view blogging as a job for communicators.

Pediatrician Wendy Sue Swanson sees things differently. Despite juggling a clinic job, a consulting position, and a family, last November she started a blog called “Seattle Mama Doc” in cooperation with Seattle Children’s Hospital. She feels it’s an essential part of her job to give her patients and their parents honest, unfiltered information about preventing illness and injury.

“How we can we really start leading some of the stories rather than being the talking heads or the sound bites?” Swanson says. “When something comes up, the blogosphere goes nuts; then about 10 days later, the medical expert has something to say.”