SOCIAL

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#SM

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INTRODUCTION

Online healthcare communication Our data consistently show that doctors,

nurses, and other health professionals continue to be the first choice for most people with health concerns, but online resources, including advice from peers, are a significant source of health information in the U.S. (The Social Life of Health Information from Pew Internet & American Life, 2011)

Social media use and health information sharing

23% of SNS users follow their friends’ personal health experiences or updates on the sites.

15% of SNS users get any health information on the sites.

(The Social Life of Health Information, 2011)

Healthcare providers – patients interaction through SM

• 62.6% of U.S. hospitals have Twitter accounts.

• Doctors are increasingly using social media for communicating with patients (Quantia MD study, 2011).

• A group of “Connected Clinicians” use multiple social media for both personal and professional purposes (Quantia MD study, 2011).

Top social media channels used in healthcare communication (Quantia MD study, 2011)

How has social media changed healthcare communication?

Listening from healthcare professionals in U.S. and South Korea

Why is the comparative study beneficial?

The SM use in healthcare business at South Korea is

growing, but still in the beginning stage.

Learning from the U.S. case

Catholic MedicalCenter in South Korea

Awarded the grand prize for the use of healthcare social media for 2 years in a row (2010-2011)

Healthcare Social Media Consultant

LeAnna J. Carey @thehealthmaven

http://www.symplur.com/healthcare-social-media-consultants/leanna-j-carey-mba/

Healthcare Blogger

John Lynn

From Healthcare Scene

http://www.healthcarescene.com

@ehrandhit

Q1. What is the key role of social media in physician-patient interaction?

Empower and Engage • Facilitate the connection between

physicians and patients

• Create online presence for physicians and strengthen their ties through communities

• Help patients to understand the various healthcare options available to them and get the best care

LeAnna J. Carey

“The key role of social media is to make physicians to engage with patients…to provide healthcare information in between office visits… to empower patients toward positive health and lifestyle decisions.”

Q2. Among various social media channels, what is the most effective tool for enhancing healthcare communication?

Each tool has its own purpose.

• Facebook for content sharing and building communities

Useful for physician-patient interaction

• Twitter for networking and education

Useful for physician-physician interaction

John Lynn

“It depends on the goal you're trying to achieve.  Each tool has its own place.  Facebook has more people and the things people do on Facebook are seen more by their friends and associates.  Twitter is great for education and meeting new people that are interesting.”

Q3. What is the healthcare hashtag project?

What are the benefits of this project for healthcare providers and patients? 

The Healthcare Hashtag Project

http://www.symplur.com/healthcare-hashtags

• Organizing healthcare content into one place

• #HITsm : Meeting for discussion of healthcare industry trends and social media influence on those initiatives

• #HCSM: The first regular hashtag chat related to healthcare, created in January 2009

• From a healthcare business perspective - It tells you who you need to be networking with.

• From a patient perspective - It guides you on how to find credible info.

Q4. (For Catholic Medical Center)

How has the Korean healthcare industry used social media as a tool for communication?

Not entirely two-way communication

Still informative

Emerging field, but more systematic social media planning is required.

Q5. How do you predict the future direction of social media use in healthcare communication?

Need to create more sharable content tailored to patients’ needs and interests

Pay more attention to the patient-centered perspectives

Some concerns : legal issues related to patients’ privacy

John Lynn “I'd suggest that we're just at the beginning of what social media will do for healthcare.  Our current laws weren't created with social media in mind, and so there are currently some barriers and a lot of unknowns about what's legal ok with some of healthcare social media.  Regardless of the form and the delivery tool, social media is about connecting people.  Almost every aspect of healthcare can benefit from better connections to the right people.”

SUMMARY Healthcare communication go social.

Multiple social media channels for different uses

Physician-physician interaction is more prevalent, patients-centered communication needs to increase

In spite of undiscovered factors such as legal issues,

social media can benefit us for creating better

connections with the right people.

QUESTI

ONS?

#SM

HEALT

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