Hospitals and Social Media Ed Bennett, Director of Web Strategy University of Maryland Medical System

Agenda What is Social Media? How can hospitals use these tools? Current numbers Our experience at UMMC Examples from other organizations 1 2 3 4 5 The ROI issue Getting started 6 7

About Me Working in the Web since 1994 Many hats: Startup participant Business consultant Programmer / Designer Been at UMMC since 1999 Not a Social Media Expert

Working in the Web since 1994

Many hats:

Startup participant

Business consultant

Programmer / Designer

Been at UMMC since 1999

Not a Social Media Expert

What is Social Media? It’s a conversation, not a lecture It’s an extension of everyday interaction It’s group driven, not top-down It’s messy, disorganized & hard to control It’s a tool, not an end-point It’s where our customers spend their time

It’s a conversation, not a lecture

It’s an extension of everyday interaction

It’s group driven, not top-down

It’s messy, disorganized & hard to control

It’s a tool, not an end-point

It’s where our customers spend their time

It’s a bunch of Web Sites with very silly names

How can a Hospital use Social Media? A. How do they use this tool?

A. How do they use this tool?

How can a Hospital use Social Media? Customer Service: Contact point for our customers, catch problems early. Community Outreach: The people in our physical community are on these sites. Patient Education: Natural extension of efforts to reach & teach. Public Relations: The media is there looking for stories & sources. Crisis Communications: Take control of the message, and keep community updated in real-time.

Customer Service: Contact point for our customers, catch problems early.

Community Outreach: The people in our physical community are on these sites.

Patient Education: Natural extension of efforts to reach & teach.

Public Relations: The media is there looking for stories & sources.

Crisis Communications: Take control of the message, and keep community updated in real-time.

Current Hospital Social Media Accounts As of August 2009, 351 U.S. Hospitals use at least one of these tools Blogs

Rapid Growth – YouTube and Twitter Number of Hospital Accounts by Month 2007 2008 2006 2009

The UMMC Social Media program Background Started in the Fall of 2008 Run out of the Web Services Department Uses Twitter. Facebook and YouTube Conservative approach Minimal investment Goals Another channel to spread the word about UMMC . Enhances / enables “Word of Mouth” UMMC b rand & reputation monitoring Media corrections Puts UMMC “In the Room” Establishes UMMC as a trusted source in social media spaces

Started in the Fall of 2008

Run out of the Web Services Department

Uses Twitter. Facebook and YouTube

Conservative approach

Minimal investment

Another channel to spread the word about UMMC .

Enhances / enables “Word of Mouth”

UMMC b rand & reputation monitoring

Media corrections

Puts UMMC “In the Room”

Establishes UMMC as a trusted source in social media spaces

UMMC YouTube Channel YouTube.com One of the largest social media sites The #2 Search Engine An easy “safe” choice for hospitals Transition between push and collaborative models

One of the largest social media sites

The #2 Search Engine

An easy “safe” choice for hospitals

Transition between push and collaborative models

UMMC YouTube Channel YouTube.com/ummc Over 160 Videos Duplicates the videos embedded on our Web site Core content from Maryland Health Today – a professionally produced cable show. Adding 15 to 20 videos each month Doctor Bios Patient Testimonials UMMC Events

Over 160 Videos

Duplicates the videos embedded on our Web site

Core content from Maryland Health Today – a professionally produced cable show.

Adding 15 to 20 videos each month

Doctor Bios

Patient Testimonials

UMMC Events

UMMC YouTube Channel The "Secret Sauce" for getting viewers: Detailed Descriptions

The UMMC YouTube Channel # of videos watched Impact Each day: 1,500 people watch a video on umm.edu An additional 600+ people watch on YouTube These are new visitors, new exposure

Each day:

1,500 people watch a video on umm.edu

An additional 600+ people watch on YouTube

These are new visitors, new exposure

UMMC on Facebook Facebook.com Largest Social Network 250 Million active users (83 Mil. U.S.) 50% log in everyday 1 Billion pieces of content shared each month Fastest growth with people age 30+

Largest Social Network

250 Million active users (83 Mil. U.S.)

50% log in everyday

1 Billion pieces of content shared each month

Fastest growth with people age 30+

UMMC on Facebook Facebook.com/medcenter Over 1,000 fans Tools: Newsfeeds Polls Galleries Events Videos Ask the Expert

Over 1,000 fans

Tools:

Newsfeeds

Polls

Galleries

Events

Videos

Ask the Expert

UMMC on Twitter Twitter.com Rapid growth Quick adoption by Hospitals Lots of media attention (hype) Long-term commitment Best for conversations - not push

Rapid growth

Quick adoption by Hospitals

Lots of media attention (hype)

Long-term commitment

Best for conversations - not push

UMMC on Twitter Twitter.com/ummc 2,700 followers 3 to 4 updates / day Clear identity Multiple accounts (and some are push..) 80 / 20 rule – it’s not always about UMMC

2,700 followers

3 to 4 updates / day

Clear identity

Multiple accounts (and some are push..)

80 / 20 rule – it’s not always about UMMC

UMMC on Twitter www.twitter.com/ummc Service Outreach Reputation monitoring Quick response Sincere concern Converts a negative impression to a positive

Reputation monitoring

Quick response

Sincere concern

Converts a negative impression to a positive

Examples from Other Organizations

Community Outreach – Sutter Medical Center Sutter Eden Medical Engages the local community about hospital building plans with this blog and a Twitter feed. suttermedicalcentercastrovalley.org twitter.com/SutterEdenMed

Sutter Eden Medical

Engages the local community about hospital building plans with this blog and a Twitter feed.

Real-time Education - Aurora Health Care Bilateral knee replacement surgery In the first wave of Live OR Twitter events Advance marketing built viewership from 900 to 2,000 followers in one week Tracked 20 consultations tied to the event Local / National press coverage twitter.com/Aurora_Health “ Had this done about 2 years ago but I know I will learn more today being awake” “ I heard about this on GMA this morning and got excited”

Bilateral knee replacement surgery

In the first wave of Live OR Twitter events

Advance marketing built viewership from 900 to 2,000 followers in one week

Tracked 20 consultations tied to the event

Local / National press coverage

Referring Physician Outreach - MD Anderson Cancer Center twitter.com/PhysRelations Promote use of Referring Physician Portal Targeted messages on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube Built Physician loyalty Saw a 9.5% increase in physician referred registrations

Promote use of Referring Physician Portal

Targeted messages on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Built Physician loyalty

Saw a 9.5% increase in physician referred registrations

Coordinated Program - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Invitation to “Share Your Story” Well designed YouTube Channel Active Facebook Account w/ over 2,200 Fans Engaged, conversational Twitter presence Cross promotion between all sites "wow . . . looking at your pictures, I can sense that your hospital has the heart and will to take care of your patients." Blog: www.wearechla.org

Invitation to “Share Your Story”

Well designed YouTube Channel

Active Facebook Account w/ over 2,200 Fans

Engaged, conversational Twitter presence

Cross promotion between all sites

Service Recovery – Scripps Health Monitors Social Networks for the Scripps name Steps in to help & resolve problems Typical customer response – Surprise, amazement twitter.com/Scrippshealth

Monitors Social Networks for the Scripps name

Steps in to help & resolve problems

Typical customer response – Surprise, amazement

Used a Blog and Twitter during the Spring 2009 floods. Created the blog and had first update posted in one hour Decreased Media demands & freed phone lines during the emergency Took control of the message Crisis Communications - Innovis Health

Used a Blog and Twitter during the Spring 2009 floods.

Created the blog and had first update posted in one hour

Decreased Media demands & freed phone lines during the emergency

Took control of the message

Fall H1N1 Preparation Targeting Young Adults Social Media “Kits” – Badges, embedded widgets, content syndication. Coordinating with independent bloggers Multiple Twitter feeds with over 800,000 followers. Podcasts, RSS feeds, email lists, text messaging alerts Crisis Communications – Centers for Disease Control

Fall H1N1 Preparation

Targeting Young Adults

Social Media “Kits” – Badges, embedded widgets, content syndication.

Coordinating with independent bloggers

Multiple Twitter feeds with over 800,000 followers.

Podcasts, RSS feeds, email lists, text messaging alerts

These services will continue to grow and grab attention (time spent on site). An expectation that your organization will be available where they “live”. An expectation that feedback, commenting, mash-ups, and sharing of your content can be integrated into their community. The end of traditional “Push-only” Web sites. What to Expect:

These services will continue to grow and grab attention (time spent on site).

An expectation that your organization will be available where they “live”.

An expectation that feedback, commenting, mash-ups, and sharing of your content can be integrated into their community.

The end of traditional “Push-only” Web sites.

What’s the ROI? Q. What’s the ROI of Social Media?

What’s the ROI?

A. What’s the ROI for putting your pants on in the morning?* *David Scott - http://bit.ly/hSzIi Q. What’s the ROI of Social Media? What’s the exact ROI of these services? Pastoral care Front desk staff Groundskeepers Housekeeping staff Call center Certain services are expected, it’s a part of doing business

A. What’s the ROI for putting your pants on in the morning?*

What’s the exact ROI of these services?

Pastoral care

Front desk staff

Groundskeepers

Housekeeping staff

Call center

Instead of ROI, Think ROC: Return On Connections Positive Word of Mouth Service Recovery Message Influence (not control) Brand Monitoring Instant Feedback Q. What’s the ROI of Social Media?

Instead of ROI, Think ROC: Return On Connections

Positive Word of Mouth

Service Recovery

Message Influence (not control)

Brand Monitoring

Instant Feedback

How Can Your Organization Use Social Media? These examples could apply to any public facing organization Any communication function should be considered Ask your customers / Look at your competition Where does your community live?

These examples could apply to any public facing organization

Any communication function should be considered

Ask your customers / Look at your competition

Where does your community live?

Getting Started With Social Media You can start small Look to your internal experts Consult with your legal team & create policies Audit courses at SMUG - social-media-university-global.org Only begin what you can maintain Be able to respond quickly Prepare for the negative, but expect mostly positive Remember, only 350 U.S. hospitals out of 5,000 use social media tools – this is just the beginning

You can start small

Look to your internal experts

Consult with your legal team & create policies

Audit courses at SMUG - social-media-university-global.org

Only begin what you can maintain

Be able to respond quickly

Prepare for the negative, but expect mostly positive

Remember, only 350 U.S. hospitals out of 5,000 use social media tools – this is just the beginning

Thank You Edward Bennett Director, Web Strategy University of Maryland Medical System 410-328-0771 [email_address] http://ebennett.org