Healthcare and Social Media [infograph]

The editors at Master of Health Administration Degrees decided to research the topic of Healthcare and Social Media and have found some particularly interesting facts and figures. Healthcare providers and patients are coming together thanks to social media.

What Patients Are Doing

Health-related chatter

People will talk about anything on Facebook – even their surgery or their doctor. Here’s a look at what health-related issues people have reported talking about on social media. 

• Supporting a health-related cause – 28%
• Commenting about health experiences or updates – 27% 
• Posting about health experiences or updates – 24% 
• Joining a health-related cause – 20% 
• Tracking and sharing health symptoms or behavior – 18% 
• Posting reviews of medications, treatments, doctors or insurers – 16% 
• Sharing health-related videos or images – 16%

Getting and sharing information

Social media users are most likely to trust posts by doctors over any other groups. Here’s a look at whom users say they trust the most when it comes to posting health information.

• Doctor – 60% 
• Nurse – 56% 
• Hospital – 55% 
• Patient advocacy organization – 54% 
• Retail pharmacy – 48% 
• Other patients you know – 46% 
• Government organization – 45% 
• Health insurance company – 42% 
• Drug company – 36% 
• Alternative healthcare setting – 36% 
• Gym or fitness center – 34% 
• Other patients you don’t know – 25%

Patients are also most likely to share information about their health through social media with doctors and hospitals more than other groups or people. Here’s a look at whom they say they’d be most comfortable sharing information with:

• Doctor – 47% 
• Hospital – 43% 
• Pharmacy – 40% 
• Health insurance company – 38% 
• Retail health clinic – 33% 
• Alternative healthcare setting – 33% 
• Drug company – 32% 
• Worksite health clinic – 31% 
• Other patients – 30%

What Hospitals Are Doing

Of the more than 1,500 hospitals with a social media presence, Facebook is the most popular, followed closely by 4Square.

Stats

– 76,000: Mayo Clinic’s jump in podcast listeners in a single month after the clinic started using social media 
– 88%: Physicians who use the Internet to research pharmaceutical, biotech and medical devices

Health centers that do it right

– Top five best social media practices among hospitals and health-related organizations

The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

– Website offers free advice and expertise from more than 3,300 medical professionals. 
– Doctors are encouraged to take part in social media.

Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.

– Doctors dispatched to assist in 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery shared first-hand accounts via text message.

Massachusetts General Hospital

– Emergency department researchers worked to create iPhone app EMNet finder, directing users to the closest ER anywhere in the U.S.

Scott & White Healthcare, central Texas

– During deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Scott & White employees offered constant updates on ER access, hospital status, Red Cross news and more. The facility’s rank of Twitter followers swelled by 78%.

Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha

– Thanks to patient sharing her cancer experience on YouTube, the medical center opened a monthly clinic devoted to seeing patients with her type of cancer. Physicians use QR codes to direct patients to helpful videos.

How is your own local hospital stacking up?

Sources

– http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/blog/20-hospitals-with-inspiring-social-media-strategies/ 
– http://www.fluide.info/social-media-best-practices-for-hospitals-and-medical-professionals 
– http://network.socialmedia.mayoclinic.org/hcsml-grid/ 
– http://www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/publications/health-care-social-media.jhtml