I decided to look at social media use in the healthcare industry
Social media use for healthcare is similar to most other industries in that it provides a connection between people It provides for collaboration and community It allows people to be engaged about their health and to exchange information
National Research Corp., a health care research company based in Lincoln, Nebraska recently surveyed more than 22,000 Americans and found that nearly 16% use social media sites as a source of health care information. Of those, 94% said Facebook was their preferred source, followed by YouTube with 32% and Twitter with 18%. Analysts say that because people are spending more time on social media sites, they have begun to include questions and research about health care as a part of that experience. They say many like having an instant conversation online, rather than reading what someone has posted on a website.
This is a good example of community building for people that may be affected or know someone who is affected by one of these diseases. It provides support and a place for people to gather about their experiences.
Social Media can help raise awareness about health issues, deliver lively and riveting discussions and participation by patients and health consumers. It encourages people to take charge of their health and to become empowered and proactive and to help live a healthier life.
75 percent of consumers view companies with microblog accounts as more deserving of their trust than those without. Obviously trust is an important piece to a company’s success and it’s no different in the medical community
While consumers think highly of using social media as a source of healthcare information, it is not the premiere source however when considering all options. Fifty percent of the people said that healthcare provider websites are the preferred source of online healthcare information All of these sites were mostly geared towards providing information on a one-way basis. There isn’t a lot of discussion going on, but it is more of a place to reference for information or symptom checking.
There are many physician-only online social media communities, but there are challenges when the community opens up to everyone.
Crowdsourcing involves getting a crowd of people to help you with a task. You ask an undefined group of people to perform a task for you, and anyone who’s interested may perform the task. So some doctors do believe it is their duty to contribute and get involved where they can.
Not much guidance as to policies for social media Some physicians worry that when they receive a request for friendship on Facebook, it makes them feel as though they need to respond and interact with the patient.
A physician can have a Facebook page that is actively updated and maintained so that when patients have general health or wellness questions, they can ask the doctor instead of throwing it out to everyone they know on Facebook
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