- 54% of Healthcare Organizations use Twitter
- 46% of Healthcare Organizations use Facebook
- Almost 1 in 2 Adults in the US Suffer from a Chronic Condition
- 60% of Doctors say Social Media Improves the Quality of Care Delivered to Patients
- 1 in 3 Patients use Social Media to Seek Out Health Information
- 42% of Consumers View Health Related Reviews on Social Media
- 32% of US Social Media Users Post Family and Friends Health Experiences
- 29% of Patients Viewing Health Information on Social Media Look at Other Patient’s Experiences with their Disease
Improved Outcomes
Social media equals engagement. As Forbes points out, patients engaged in their own healthcare experience improved their health outcomes. This occurs for a variety of reasons. Patients find clinical trials online that provide experimental or developing treatments, for instance, on Duke University’s Duke Clinical Research Institute Twitter account they engage with others who have the same condition. They can develop better relationships with their medical providers. They obtain vetted information, sometimes cutting edge developments, in real time. These factors combine to better patient understanding of their condition, potential treatments, and potential outcomes.
Peer Support
Part of the meaningful engagement occurs between others with the same condition. Social media creates a virtual support group between patients that has shown to increase patient likeliness to institute lifestyle changes and adhere to medication regimens. Patients with rare conditions can find online what eludes them locally – someone else going through the same thing. Social media enables daily connections and patients develop accountability buddies, like your gym exercise buddy, who help each other improve compliance with treatment.
Check out this infographic by Canadian Pharmacy King for more information and tips on how to improve your social media engagement. This infographic is not only great for the health industry but anyone wanting to get more out of social media.
