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
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    recover from an acl injury
    Best Exercises to Rehab a Torn ACL Without Special Equipment
    November 29, 2022
    medical practice and technology advancement
    6 Essential Strategies for Improving Your Medical Practice
    January 25, 2023
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 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
    Heart Attacks & Hospitalization in CA
    June 16, 2011
    1309953786_9781780660004-web_w185_h300
    Possibly the Best #Health Advice You Could Get!
    March 2, 2012
    Is a Government Takeover of Health Care Underway?
    August 1, 2011
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Beyond the Buzz: Healthcare Social Media
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 > Beyond the Buzz: Healthcare Social Media
Social Media

Beyond the Buzz: Healthcare Social Media

Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

social media in healthcare

social media in healthcare

Healthcare social media is more than just a marketing buzzword; as the Internet increasingly becomes the medium of choice for researching health information, social media has become an important channel for connecting with patients and disseminating and expanding the reach of healthcare information. Social media encompasses social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+), blogs, online communities, and user-generated content sites (such as YouTube and SlideShare). It is a radical shift in the way we communicate; the healthcare conversation is no longer a one-way narrative but is evolving into a global, participatory discussion facilitated by social media.

Perhaps you still remain uncovinced about whether it is really necessary or appropriate for healthcare to engage with social media? Consider this. One third of health consumers use social media sites to research health information, track and share symptoms and vocalize how they feel about their doctors, drugs, treatment plans, insurance and medical devices. Many say their choice of a specific doctor, hospital or medical treatment is influenced by social media. The fact is that patients are talking about you online whether you are there or not, so in the words of Bryan Vartabedian, M.D.: “Physicians have two choices, really. They can participate in the discussion that is happening online and frame the story, or they can let someone else frame the story for them.”

More Read

Image
Beyond The Buzz: The Latest Social Media Trends For Healthcare Marketing
On digital engagement and icebergs
Beyond the Buzz: An Essential Guide to Becoming a Healthcare Influencer on LinkedIn
47% of Teens Text with Their Eyes Closed!
Doctors 2.0 & You: Upcoming Conference in Paris in May (Early Bird Registration Ends Jan 31)

Healthcare social media is characterized by its immediacy, transparency and reach. This is the future of medicine, and the future is now. We have digitally savvy patients and doctors, hospital videos on YouTube, and surgeons live-tweeting surgery. Social media will continue to disrupt healthcare in ways we are only starting to understand. But in order to realize its full potential, all stakeholders need to contribute and participate. Farris Timimi, M.D., medical director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, maintains that social media “isn’t an addition to your job, [it] is part of your job.” He explains that social media “is where our patients are these days and this is where we need to reach them. We can engage learners, patients and peers, and we are not limited by geography or time.”

But with so many social media platforms, how do you know where to start? Are all channels created equal? How can you spend your time on social media most effectively? And for those who have already taken the plunge into social media waters, how do you take your marketing to the next level?

In my new fortnightly column, I will share insights, practical tips and best practice on how you can use social media to achieve your healthcare goals. You will learn more about developing your own social networks, how to use social media to disseminate health messages, connect with your peers and follow the healthcare conversations that are important to you. With a new year now underway, this is the perfect time to hone your social media skills. 

Erik Qualman, an international keynote speaker on digital media and future trends, says, “We do not have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is – HOW WELL WE DO IT.” Starting February 14, join me here on Health Works Collective to learn not only how to use social media in healthcare, but how to do it really well. 

Logo by Marie Otskua

TAGGED:Beyond the Buzz
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

4 Tips for Using HealthCare Social Media to Attract New Patients

February 20, 2013
Social Media

Nurses Share Insights into Social Media

April 16, 2012

Social Media Benefits Delivery of Care in This Pediatric Practice

April 7, 2013
social media healthcare
BusinesseHealthSocial Media

Ways to Make Your Images Work for You

March 10, 2014
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?