Sometimes physicians feel that maintaining a presence on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter will be counterproductive because their voice will be lost among millions of posts and blogs with poor quality of medical information. This does not hold true. You just need to know how to do it right and this knowledge is not available in our textbooks but is a property of
expert marketers.
Look at the big players
In a recent study on patient expectations regarding the use of social media and their impact on health services selection, 57% of healthcare consumers reported that the use of social media by hospitals to engage patients increases the likelihood of whether a patient would use hospital services.
It was also reported that one in four consumers expected to connect with a hospital
through social media. The survey further found that 81% of consumers felt that the image of a hospital as "cutting edge" was enhanced when the institution was using social media.
Thielst CB. Social media: ubiquitous community and patient engagement. Front Health Serv Manage 2011; 28(2): 3–14.
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