More hospitals and health systems are using social media platforms, but their use of the tools remains basic, according to a new survey by consultancy firm CSC, FierceHealthIT reports.
Survey Findings
According to the survey, many hospitals use social media platforms -- such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn -- to reach out to patients.
The survey found that:
- Nearly 70% of respondents said that they use social media to build greater brand recognition;
- About 60% said that they use social media to "promote wellness and health behaviors;" and
- Slightly less than 50% said that they use social media for marketing services, workforce recruitment and reputation management.
Recommendations
Jared Rhoads, the author of the survey, wrote, "[H]aving built familiarity and comfort with basic social media use, it is now time for hospitals to use social media in a more advanced way to achieve their strategic goals."
He added that hospitals "should look for opportunities to go beyond just listening to consumers to connecting consumers and providers, gaining insights to inform product development and responding to patient needs more rapidly" (Bowman, FierceHealthIT, 10/2).