FEATURE HEALTHCARE MARKETING 031
healthcare Making
Social media in
the case By: Praveen Pillai, Healthcare Management Professional, Abu Dhabi, UAE
who has been referred to as the ‘The Doctor of the Future’ and one of the ‘Top Ten Most Creative People in Healthcare’ formed ‘Hello Health’ – the paperless, concierge practice that deploys web-based secure social media network and electronic medical record enabling doctors to communicate, document, and transact with their patients in person and online via email, IM, and video chat, Twitter, Facebook etc. Welcome to the world of social healthcare. Social networking on the internet are empowering, engaging, and educating healthcare consumers and providers. While consumers use social networks like personal blogging, wikis, video-sharing, and other formats for emotional support, they also heavily rely on them to manage health conditions. Social networks represent a brave new world for healthcare. It offers a platform to individuals to communicate quickly, easily, broadly and inexpensively.
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HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL MEDIA - GROWING USE IN HEALTHCARE Can you really shop for by-pass surgery the way you shop for a tie? Will the successful pharma practice of direct-to-consumer marketing work in other forms of healthcare? How can healthcare delivery practitioners prepare for consumer-driven selection? Marketers, advertisers, and PR professionals across the spectrum of healthcare will be impacted by these questions as social media threat and opportunities come to healthcare.
ake two aspirin and tweet me in the morning. This is how Dr Jay Parkinson and many other techno savvy physicians’ use social media for interacting with their patients. Dr. Jay Parkinson, the Brooklyn-based primary care physician
Social media has revolutionized the healthcare industry and is
quickly becoming the preferred resource for individuals seeking healthcare information. Patients turn to social networking groups to find others who are battling the same diseases (for patients preparing for the same type of surgery, following the tweets helps demystify the process and ideally reduces anxiety about upcoming operations.), share advice, recommend doctors, even sending other members a virtual hug, while clinicians connect to share information and learn from each other. Hospitals all over the world are using social media as a marketing- and communications tool to educate, publicize, entertain, and otherwise try to establish themselves as the go-to place for customers in need. With a Facebook fan page, patients are regularly updated on the day-to-day developments, while a YouTube account are used to upload educational videos. Similarly Twitter accounts are used to link to the latest press releases, or the use of educational blogs about specific ailments. It’s even further used for scheduling appointments, appointment reminders, practice updates, or public health notifications. Some organizations use social media to promote wellness and sponsor online support forums where individuals who are dealing with chronic health issues or catastrophic conditions can find support from others who are having similar experiences. Many organizations use social media to encourage philanthropy. By publicizing their services, promoting patient advocacy, displaying credentials, and describing the tangible and intangible community benefits they provide, organizations can encourage benefactors to invest in their mission. Some healthcare organizations are beginning to recognize the potential impact of leveraging social media channels to complement
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