It's the proverbial PR nightmare for a physician or a practice, best exemplified by desperate physicians who become embroiled in some activity that has received negative media attention. Regardless of innocence or guilt, negative or hostile media coverage can destroy a professional reputation and a medical practice overnight.

Although no cookie-cutter methods can make such problems go away, there are a number of strategic actions that you can take to help remediate the situation.

You will obtain the best, most effective results when you immediately address negative media problems and deal with them firmly. You have to deal with the situation the same way that large corporations do. Take into consideration every way in which the media and consumers can obtain information about you.

I'll give you an extreme example of how this sort of disaster can play out. Recently, two employees at a North Carolina-based Domino's Pizza franchise used YouTube to broadcast a rather disgusting video that damaged the company's brand. After the video first appeared, Domino's quickly stepped up its social media presence in order to regain some positive momentum. Although the company immediately implemented a crisis management strategy, it failed to realize the power and speed of the Internet. Within a few days, half-a-million viewers had seen the video.

Tell the people who are immediately involved in your life—and that includes your staff, spouse, and PR team—the truth about what really happened. You should do this in the strictest of confidence and be prepared to tell them how you plan to deal with the situation.

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[Source: PSP]