By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: FAB: Features, Advantages and Benefits of Social Media in Healthcare
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > FAB: Features, Advantages and Benefits of Social Media in Healthcare
Social Media

FAB: Features, Advantages and Benefits of Social Media in Healthcare

Lonnie Hirsch
Last updated: January 16, 2013 11:34 am
Lonnie Hirsch
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

Having and effectively using an online presence—website, social media, etc.—is a primary channel for connections between patients and providers.

Having and effectively using an online presence—website, social media, etc.—is a primary channel for connections between patients and providers. It is the principal means for the newly empowered healthcare consumer to find and act upon authoritative information.

Just for starters, actively using social media in healthcare includes these points of value:

  • Establish patient (and prospective patient) connections
  • Engage a targeted audience and grow relationships
  • Speak to individuals with common healthcare interests and issues
  • Assess, manage and extend professional reputation and/or promote your brand
  • Provide a friendly, low-key environment for timely interaction
  • Demonstrate advocacy, thought leadership and professional opinions
  • Facilitate service and not selling
  • Solicit ideas and exchange timely information
  • Showcase community activities and professional achievements
  • Provide awareness and education about specialty and experience
  • Attract, recruit, retain and train professional colleagues
  • Promote a healthy lifestyle, compliance and personal health management
  • Reach reporters, journalists and bloggers
  • Facilitates emergency/crisis/disaster communications
  • Fundraising information, as appropriate, for non-profit and foundation purposes
  • Reveal the personalized, “people side” of healthcare providers and staff
  • Leverage and extend your online presence for greater involvement and visibility
  • Use success stories to illustrate capabilities

Additionally, embracing social media could help doctors reduce workloads by moving some interactions that are currently done by phone or in the office to faster and more convenient social media platforms. (Tell us what you would add to this list in the comment section below.)

More Read

Patient Engagement and Health IT – Social Media Voices
Reaching Women Through Health IT: Introducing Gabby
Generation Jones: Marketing Healthcare to Young Baby Boomers
Physician Social Media Networking Expands
Healthcare and Social Media Survey #hcsm Pls RT

It’s no longer a matter of IF…it’s all about the HOW…

Physicians and hospitals are personally well acquainted with social media and the Internet as a professional resource. But within the provider, hospital and healthcare sectors, there is a significant opportunity to extend the uses and effectiveness of social media.

Some of the key considerations in harnessing social media tools include:

  • Focus on the dominant and most familiar SM platforms. The big names are the popular sites…and that’s where you’ll find most of the people.
  • Identify the tools most favored by your target audience. With rare exception, your social media plan will primarily consider and use only a few—but mightily important—sites. (See the item above.)
  • Don’t begin more than you can consistently maintain. There is no initial cost for most social media sites (although most have an optional, paid advertising model). But there is an ongoing commitment to the time and attention to regularly update and refresh social media. A neglected social media presence can do more harm than good in the long run.
  • Social media facilitates dialogue, not monologue. Incorporate active listening to hear the voice of the consumer and to understand what’s important to (and needed by) the audience.

 

 

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Personal v Professional Physician Social Media

January 16, 2012

Digital Access and Patient Engagement

March 11, 2013
Social Media

Zebras and oxpeckers: Why resident physicians and social media need each other

August 19, 2016

Physician Reviews and the Essence of Consumer Healthcare Marketing

May 4, 2016
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?