60 million consumers now using social media to share their health experiences online, according to recent health care social media research by the HealthCare New Media Marketing Conference. it’s no wonder that more and more hospitals are trying to determine ways to effectively leverage social media channels.
And with Twitter being one of the fastest growing social media tools of recent years, it’s a good place for hospitals to start.
For hospitals unsure of how to use Twitter to reach health consumers, SMUG (Social Media University, Global) blogger Lee Aase provides some examples of how hospitals have been using Twitter.
Aase’s list is not exhaustive of all hospital Twitter activity, of course. But it includes Tweets on surgical cases, medical presentations and training, medical research and more. Here is a sample of some of the Twitter activity referenced:
- The first hospitals to Tweet a live procedure in the emergency room was Henry Ford Health System (@HenryFordNews) and Bill Ferris (@Billfer).
- The Mayo Clinic (@mayoclinic) recently conducted a Twitter chat with @vmontori regarding an article on diabetes and blood-sugar control.
- Aurora Health Care (@Aurora_Health) Tweeted a knee operation – and received a good amount on media attention for it, as well.
- Angie Anania (@angieanania) of HealthOne Presbyterian/St. Luke’s in Denver Tweeted a recent surgical procedure and teamed with the area CBS affiliate to promote through media coverage.
It’s clear from these Tweets that some hospitals are beginning to truly understand the potential impact of reaching out to patients, patient family and other medical personnel via social media.
Thanks for highlighting our SMUG Twitter list. I think it’s great that Ed Bennett has compiled the list of hospitals using social media, but thought it also would be helpful to gather some concrete ideas and examples. If your readers know of others, I hope they will add in the comments on that post.
Thanks, Lee. We really enjoyed your post, and know our readers will as well. You’ve highlighted some great concrete examples of how hospitals are using social media, Twitter in particular. This list should provide some inspiration for other health care organizations.
[...] consumers. Twitter is a great social media service for healthcare professionals to utilize, reaching an audience of business leaders, patients, colleagues and [...]