Social Media in Healthcare

 

A major trend in healthcare today is the use of social media.  Social Media is defined as computer-mediated tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.  Some of the most common social media sites are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. 

Some successful cases of using social media in healthcare include patient and physician blogs, physicians’ use of Twitter for education; patients sharing outcomes and supporting each other in health-specific communities; physicians discussing treatments with each other using communities and enterprise social media; and hospitals both educating the community and acquiring new patients online.

Some people discourage the use of social media stating it’s invasive and isn’t the same as the talking with your Physician in person.  Others feel it allows them to interact with Physicians/ healthcare professionals that they generally wouldn’t have access to.

In 2013 the Harris Poll EquiTrend Survey named the Mayo Clinic Website the top Health Information Website, ahead of WebMD.  Social Media has helped credible sources get important healthcare concerns out to many patients and is much cheaper from a business budgetary standpoint.

In conclusion, social media is a trend we will continue to see.  Healthcare professionals can utilize these platforms to educate patients, market their practices and interact with fellow peers.  The possibilities are endless and will most likely become an integral part of how health information is dispersed.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

http://hitconsultant.net/2014/02/17/5-reasons-mayo-clinic-dominates-social-media-in-healthcare/2/

Niki Vogelsang, MBA, RHIA