Social media in the healthcare industry
The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving online. From working hard to maintain patient relationships via customer service, live chat options, accessible medical information to overall virtual healthcare. As quickly as medical care is expanding, its online presence is following suit.
While healthcare has taken a new, helpful approach to medicine by way of the internet, it hasn’t gone without concern. Between privacy laws, fake news and other industry compliance, social media in the healthcare system can be a convoluted subject.
Just as there are experts in medicine, social media experts can offer great online benefits in the healthcare industry.
How is social media helpful in the healthcare industry?
Keep the public informed.
Healthcare providers can easily use social media for practical uses like office hours, sport clinic information, and vaccination information.
As we’ve heard many times this winter season, influenza is running rampant! Through social media, healthcare providers and larger organizations like the Centers for Disease Control, can quickly pass information and updates on what’s going on in your area.
Additionally, organizations can take to social media to offer communication in the time of crisis. While Colorado isn’t at an extreme risk for natural disasters compared to other states, we do see the occasional forest fire and flood. Healthcare organizations can utilize social media to quickly relay safety tips, what to do in the event of a medical emergency, and real-time updates.
For that fact alone, we feel that social media for healthcare is completely worth it.
Relationship and reputation building.
Healthcare can be a sensitive subject for many. Not only physically, but mentally.
If we’ve learned anything in the last year, it’s that trust is crucial to any business. Medical or otherwise.
Social media is a simple way to introduce your healthcare team and provide the humanizing side of your business. Many patients, and consumers in general, need to see the people behind the service to begin a trusting relationship.
Social media is also a great way to “put your ear to the ground”. Through social listening you can acknowledge changes that need to be made to your business, ways to uphold patient expectations, reply compassionately to negative feedback and stay informed about potential changes in health around your area.
Support groups.
The healthcare industry can utilize social media by creating support groups for people with similar health challenges. While there are privacy concerns any time healthcare is discussed, there are ways a social media expert can lock down security and privacy.
Private groups like this on social media, are proving to be extremely positive way for patients and professionals to interact together, be it through education or emotional support.
The benefits of social media in the healthcare industry stretch far and wide. We’re excited to see what the future holds for these organizations!
While a lot of work, research and information is used to uphold healthcare compliance and privacy laws, the comfort and guidance a social presence can have is worth every second of it.
If you’re in the healthcare industry and would like to explore how your organization can implement a social media plan, we’d love to chat with you!