Category: Blog

Do patients actually use social media?

First, let’s take a look at the numbers that don’t lie when it comes to online patient interaction. According to a study conducted in a survey of more than 1,000 American adults revealed:

· One-third of consumers now use social media sites for health-related activities;
· 40% of consumers have sought reviews of treatments, doctors and other patient experiences;
· 45% of consumers say information from social media sources would affect their decisions;
· 73% would welcome social media-based tools like making an appointment or asking a question

A separate survey from the National Research Corporation reported that more than 40% of respondents rely on social media for health information and almost all of those people (94%) turn to Facebook. Additionally, they found that Americans who use social media for health care are wealthy, and on average, 41 years old.

It is clear that social media is not a fleeting trend and patients find it to be a valuable resource for healthcare information and interaction. So now the real question is “what is the advantage for doctors?”

Three advantages of social media for doctors

1. Profitable marketing
While there are many advantages to social media, one of the main benefits is the ability to attract new patients. Social media acts as a megaphone, amplifying your message across multiple channels and potentially reaching those who have no idea who you are. This is especially effective when it comes to patient testimonials and connecting with other referring doctors online. It is a powerful branding tool to improve the reach of your reputation. Facebook now even offers analytics for your page so you can monitor the impact you’re having online and analyze what type of content resonates best with patients. This makes the ROI much more trackable.

2. Patient-centered relationships
The reason patients are eager to connect with their doctors online is not so they can see where you went to dinner on Saturday night. They want to use social media as a tool to better manage their health. This is leading healthcare organizations to rethink their social media strategy to not just focus on marketing, but an overall business strategy to improve outcomes and reduce the cost of care delivery.

The doctor-patient relationship is a two-way street and social media offers the opportunity to talk, listen, understand and learn from each other. Take the opportunity to educate and engage with your patients to help better manage their conditions and coordinate care.

3. Competitive Edge
Social media is a very powerful platform that allows doctors to position themselves as an expert in their specialty (for example, perhaps a doctor wants to position themselves as an expert in robotic surgery within the OB/GYN specialty). While their peers sit on the sidelines, physicians have the opportunity to take a leadership role and get ahead of the competition. Now is the time to build your online social media network and show your patients that you are not only a leader in your specialty, but also in terms of the progressive way you interact with patients.

Although social media may not be an option for all practices, the benefits of participating are at least worth considering. Negative reviews will happen whether you like them or not. The good news is that social media at least gives you the opportunity to be part of the conversation and show off your customer service skills. If you decide to follow social media, you need to make sure you have the time to interact consistently and if not, who are you going to trust to manage your page for you. If you want a team of professionals to be your allies so that your networks are more effective and easier to carry out, contact