Social media accounts for nearly a quarter of online time and engagement is growing rapidly, with over 750 million Facebook users and 200 million Twitter accounts. As people conduct more activities online like banking and travel, they expect similar convenience from healthcare. Social media can be used in healthcare for community engagement, peer support, research, education, advocacy, and marketing. While some view social media as just business tools, others see them as integral to the future of healthcare delivery. Physicians have an obligation to participate in online discussions to provide evidence-based and well-reasoned perspectives that can dispel myths.

1. Social Media
For Healthcare
Professionals

3. Social media accounts for nearly a quarter of time spent
online, more than any other type of Internet
destination.

4. Dynamic
Real Time
Conversation
Contributing
and
Participating
Open and Transparent
Relationship
Building
Community Focused
Social Media
Characteristics

5. Since its launch in a Harvard dormitory in 2004, Facebook
now counts more than 750 million users worldwide.
People spend 700 billion minutes on Facebook each month.

6. Twitter launched in 2006 and
has over 200 million accounts

7. Every day, the world tweets the equivalent of
8,123 copies of Tolstoy’s War and Peace

9. We are living out our lives online.
Managing financial services
online, making travel arrangements
online.
We want and expect the same level of
control and convenience from our
healthcare.

10. • Community engagement
• Peer support
• Research
• Outreach
• Education
• Advocacy
• Marketing
In Healthcare, Social Media Is Being Used In Many Ways

12. Helen Bevan, chief of service transformation at the
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

14. “These are more than
business tools. I see them
as the future of care
delivery.”

15. “I believe physicians and their
organizations have an obligation to
participate in online dialog. Sound
reason, good clinical judgment, and
evidence-based thinking need to be part
of the information stream.”

16. Dispel Myths/Provide Context
Connect with
mainstream
media
Hear what
patients/clients
have to say
Relationship
Building
Making The Case For Participation
Improve
quality of
online
healthcare
information
Marketing
Connect
with Gen Y

17. Experience with
social media can
provide HCPs
with the skills
they need to
connect with
mainstream
media.
Connect With Mainstream Media

18. For HCPs
social media
is a way to
hear what
patients, as
well as other
healthcare
providers
have to say

20. 93% of
Generation Y
are
communicating
online

21. Allows you to promote yourself while building
lasting relationships in various online
communities.
Social Media Marketing

22. So Where Do I Start?

23. Develop A Social Media Strategy
Determine Goals
Allocate Resources
Identify Audience Measure Efforts
Pick Tools
Prioritize

24. Social media is
two-way
conversation
Start By Listening….

25. Good phrases to use in social media
Useful Phrases
I want to share this with you..
What do you think of?
Thanks for sharing
Can anyone help us on?

26. Identify Your Audience

27. 50 people can drive 85% of your
conversation online.
Identify your key influencers.

28. Set SMART Goals

29. Strategy
Adopt Low-Risk Tools First
Podcasts
Videos
Widgets
Easily
downloadable, and can
be accessed from
partner sites and
posted on your
website.
Make it easy for
people to share
your messages and
become health
advocates.
Facilitate Viral
Information Sharing

30. Measure
Evaluate your efforts so you can
adjust your social media
strategy, reshape messages, or
improve processes.

31. Social Media Is Not A Passing Fad
The specific platforms may
come and go but the act of
connecting in the digital world
will only grow, become more
pervasive in our lives.
You cannot afford to take a “wait-and-see approach.”
The sooner your organization develops an active
presence, the less distance you will have to make up
later.