Automation and Social Media Strategies in Health Care

Automation and Social Media Strategies in Health Care

Automation is slowly finding its way into healthcare operations. A case in point is the development of home care software. But there is still a huge opportunity for automation to be a part of the average healthcare organization.

For a number of years, many practitioners have been unclear on how to integrate automation into their system without compromising patient privacy. The transition to modern servers fixed that. Database hosting allowed information to be stored in the main server without compromising its security and privacy. Additionally, stringent regulatory guidelines were developed to protect patient privacy further.

Another reason the industry has not fully embraced automation is that many healthcare professionals are concerned that automating services might make the entire industry seem cold and distant. Services that were traditionally provided by a person will now be done by a machine or system.

Healthcare Marketing

This has been around for a long time. Many healthcare providers, unfortunately, are still stuck doing the same traditional methods to advertise their services and connect with their patients. Because of the industry’s slow transition into the digital world, healthcare marketing is also lagging in terms of digital proficiency. Compared to other markets, such as the food and banking industries, health care is significantly behind the curve.

Healthcare Social Media Strategies

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 70% of adults use social media to connect with others, engage with content, share information, and entertain themselves. Another research by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics reveals that around 75% of Americans research healthcare advice on the Internet and that 40% rely on social sites for responses. Social media is bigger and better than ever. Healthcare organizations should utilize this platform to reach and connect with more customers.

Sharing to Educate

woman using her smartphone with virtual social media icons around it

Frequent social media posting provides numerous opportunities not only to engage with customers but also boost a healthcare organization’s popularity. Whether it is educating about preventive strategies or sharing an innovative medical procedure, participating on social media is beneficial for both practitioners and the general public.

In 2013, a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio live-tweeted a knee arthroplasty procedure. That video had 3,000 people follow it over live-stream and over 3,800 on Twitter. This case is a good example of how powerful social media is as a tool to educate and, at the same time, reach out to people.

Surveys and Hashtags to Engage

As regards live-tweeting, many healthcare organizations are starting to use hashtags in their social media posts. Hashtags are one way to make an organization’s content discoverable and, in other words, market its brand and its services. With the continuous flow of information and data sharing, hashtags also provide physicians with the needed data to develop social posts that can expand their influence.

Similarly, social media is the ideal venue to pool respondents and get a wide range of feedback about what patients are looking for in a healthcare provider. Understanding what people want and need from a provider will help an organization improve its services. A key factor to consider when doing a survey, however, is to ensure that it is short. Reports show that 52% of respondents spend only three minutes or less on a survey. In fact, 80% of Americans have abandoned a lengthy survey halfway through.

Statistics reveal that changes to medical marketing approach need to happen asap. With over 70% of people on social media, this digital platform is no longer an option for healthcare marketers. In fact, social media must play a big part in the overarching digital marketing strategy.

Admin