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
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Hey Friend, Can I Interest You in a Lung Transplant?
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 > Hey Friend, Can I Interest You in a Lung Transplant?
Social Media

Hey Friend, Can I Interest You in a Lung Transplant?

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

It’s no surprise to me that hospitals are starting to advertise high profit services on Google and Facebook. According to a Kaiser Health News piece, University of Pennsylvania Health System is trolling for lung transplant patients. Spending $20,000 generated 4,600 clicks, 36 appointments, and at least one prospective patient. With lung transplant revenue in the range of $100,000 per patient, even one patient may be enough to justify the media spend.

It’s no surprise to me that hospitals are starting to advertise high profit services on Google and Facebook. According to a Kaiser Health News piece, University of Pennsylvania Health System is trolling for lung transplant patients. Spending $20,000 generated 4,600 clicks, 36 appointments, and at least one prospective patient. With lung transplant revenue in the range of $100,000 per patient, even one patient may be enough to justify the media spend.

Some users are a bit wigged out when they realize that the ads are served up based on what they’ve searched for online or written about in their status. And of course critics are up in arms about over-diagnosis and treatment, especially when an academic medical center is involved.

But of course the main purpose of Google and Facebook is to segment customers for advertisers. Why else would they offer up all these services for free? And we shouldn’t be surprised to see academic medical centers go after patients –they do it all on the time with other media. Maximizing the uptake of profitable services is how they make ends meet and subsidize some of their other, more mission-oriented activities.

More Read

healthcare social media
Health Care Social Media Review No. 40: Good and Plenty Edition
NeuCare: Concierge Medicine
Personalized Medicine: Reimbursement and Marketing Challenges
Making a Connection: How to Humanize Physician Marketing
Do Colors Influence Website Visits?

I’ve seen this coming for a long time, and in guises that are more insidious than anything mentioned in the article. Almost five years ago in What if Google finds out you have cancer before you do? I noted that ads for a drug used to reduce the risk of infection in chemo patients were popping up alongside a friend’s searches. With a strong enough profit motive and the right technology and personal information, I’d expect to see a lot more diagnosis done this way.

 


TAGGED:marketing
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
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

You Might also Like

marketing to millennials
Social MediaTechnology

Medical Marketing to Millennials: Convenience is the New Currency

June 2, 2016

#hcsmca: A Social Network Analysis of Our Community

February 8, 2014
beyond the buzz healthcare social media
Social Media

Beyond the Buzz: How to Plan Your Healthcare Tweets for Maximum Impact

May 17, 2014

Blogging vs. Other Social Channels

July 27, 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?