According to a recent report by the Health Research
Institute (HRI) at PwC US regarding the use of social media in healthcare,
one-third of consumers use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and online
forums to find health-related information, track symptoms, and broadcast how
they feel about doctors, drugs, treatments, medical devices and health plans.
The PwC report, "Social media 'likes' healthcare: From
marketing to social business," includes findings from a recent HRI social
media survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers and 124 members of the eHealth
Initiative (eHI), a national association of industry organizations focusing on
health information and technology. HRI also interviewed more than 30 industry
executives and tracked the social media activity of a number of hospitals,
insurers, drug manufacturers and online patient communities.
Within the survey, 41 percent of consumers said social media
tools influence their choice of a specific hospital, medical facility or
doctor; 45 percent said it would affect their decision to get a second opinion;
34 percent said it would influence their decision about taking a certain
medication; and 32 percent said it would affect their choice of a health
insurance plan.
While 72 percent of consumers said they would appreciate
assistance in scheduling doctor appointments through social media channels,
nearly half said they would expect a response within a few hours.
"The power of social media for health organizations is
in listening and engaging with consumers on their terms. Social media has
created a new customer service access point where consumers expect an immediate
response," said Kelly Barnes, U.S. health industries leader at PwC, in a
press release. "Health organizations have an opportunity to use social
media as a way to better listen, participate in discussions and engage with
consumers in ways that extend their interaction beyond a clinical encounter.
Savvy adopters are viewing social media as a business strategy, not just a
marketing tool."
According to the report, while some health businesses have
started listening and participating in the social media space, they have not
fully connected it to business strategy. PwC found that organizations that are
strategic about their use of social sites are beginning to differentiate
between social media and social business. Social media is the external-facing
component that gives and receives customer input. Social business is where core
internal operations, such as customer service, data analytics and product development
could use social data. Additionally, patient-reported data on social networks
could offer new insights on behavior and lifestyle to help inform care plans
and improve the quality of life for patients with chronic conditions.
PwC says that hospitals, insurers and pharmaceutical
manufacturers can benefit from the interactive nature of social media. Insights
from social media offer instant feedback on products or services along with new
ideas for innovation that could lead to higher-quality care, more loyal
customers, efficiency and even revenue growth.
"Social media is another source of business
intelligence that provides information at the aggregate level, not only about
what consumers ‘like,' but what they need, how they behave and when their experiences
demand an immediate response," said Daniel Garrett, U.S. health
information technology leader at PwC, in a written statement.
Courtesy: healthcarefinancenews.com
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