Social media and healthcare: how to prioritize what patients need

Social media and healthcare go hand in hand these days.

More and more of the public are taking to social media for healthcare news and resources. Meanwhile, the idea of following doctors on Facebook is totally normal.

And with the latest boom of the healthcare industry and the need for up-to-date news, it’s no surprise that healthcare accounts represent some of the most followed and engaged-with today.

Just look at the CDC’s 1.9+ million followers on Facebook alone.

COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. Cloth face coverings…

Posted by CDC on Friday, July 17, 2020

However, social media and healthcare are about so much more than follower-count. Practices and organizations have specific duties that go beyond vanity metrics, such as:

• Keeping the public informed on treatments and trends
• Reassuring patients (both current and prospective)
• Staying in line with HIPAA when it comes to social interactions

Doing all of the above while trying to engage and grow your audience is a tall order. That said, our guide to social media and healthcare can help.

But what is the role of social media and healthcare?

Healthcare providers are in a unique position when it comes to social media.

Because you’re responsible for marketing a human necessity, not a traditional product or impulse buy.

Couple that with rising healthcare premiums and general anxiety about our well-being as a society. It’s important for healthcare marketers to understand their accounts’ roles and responsibilities in the big picture.

From your content strategy to communicating with followers, below is a breakdown of your priorities when dealing with social media and healthcare.

Navigating healthcare crises

This is obviously the big one, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

If you’re looking for evidence of the importance of social media in healthcare, look no further than the current moment. The likes of Twitter and Facebook have become ground zero for real-time news and discussions regarding COVID-19. Since the virus’ spread, Twitter, in particular, has become a dedicated hub for coronavirus updates.

Although this is a prime example of how social media as a force for good, misinformation regarding COVID-19 is also running rampant. Providers are responsible not only to help guide the public through an actual crisis but also fact-check users as well.

As of July 14: In the last 7 days, #COVID19 cases increased nationally with 3 states each reporting more than 50,000 new cases. Help slow the spread by taking steps like wearing cloth face coverings. See more COVID-19 data here: https://t.co/4Ku7nKLZCq pic.twitter.com/x4fmtcabcc

— CDC (@CDCgov) July 16, 2020

Educating the public

No surprises here. Fact: a staggering two-thirds of people use the Internet to self-diagnose conditions.

Much like with COVID-19, providers are responsible for boosting timely, factual information for patients in need of guidance. This includes:

• Recommendations for those experiencing symptoms
• Self-help and external resources to navigate a diagnosis
• Links to new studies and treatment options

You're not alone. Find support for yourself or those who may be at risk for suicide: https://t.co/q40rOjBEvP

— American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (@afspnational) June 8, 2020

Helping patients feel more comfortable

Spoiler alert: most people aren’t exactly wild about going to the doctor.

Beyond white coat syndrome, consider that approximately 20% of Americans haven’t been to the doctor within the past year.

Something as seemingly simple as a check-up can be daunting on a prospective patient. For those facing a potentially tough diagnosis, that anxiety is even greater.

And so you can imagine the need for practices to be empathetic when it comes to easing patients’ concerns. Social media represents a great avenue to both show off the measures you take to make patients feel at home in their time of need.

When Danielle was diagnosed with HPV-related cervical cancer during a routine Pap test, she was stunned and immediately…

Posted by Canadian Cancer Society on Monday, May 25, 2020

Making yourself a staple in the community

The concept of competition in the health sector is a touchy one. Even so, any given speciality is full of providers and it’s only natural for prospective patients to “shop around.”

It only makes sense for healthcare marketers to present their practices as leaders in their respective specialties. From showing off employees in action to local advocacy efforts, social media allows practices to be more transparent and personable to prospective patients.

Social media and healthcare marketing: 6 best practices to guide your content strategy

With the role of social media and healthcare in mind, where do you even start in terms of content?

Good question! Based on our industry benchmarks, healthcare accounts are unique in that they’re primarily focused on publishing content as opposed to juggling messages or obsessing over engagement rates.

In short, healthcare accounts aren’t flooded with DMs and comments versus retail brands.

Given that your responsibility lies in primarily educating followers, you’re afforded the opportunity to focus on meaningful, compelling content first and foremost. Let’s look at some examples below.

1. Publish educational content to keep patients in the loop

The growing phenomenon of self-diagnosis and “Dr. Google” once again signals the need for practices to educate the public.

Whether it’s blog posts, videos or general health tips, anything you can do to provide your followers with bite-sized information is a plus.

A new study offers strong support for the life-extending effects of a daily walk. https://t.co/io1IKA4iu0 #HarvardHealth pic.twitter.com/cgRvSk641r

— Harvard Health (@HarvardHealth) July 10, 2020

Health tips and “Did you know?”-style content are also popular for encouraging interactions and debate among your followers. Whether it’s busting myths or quizzing your followers, posts like this one are prime for healthy (pun intended) discussion.

Are you wearing your mask correctly? https://cle.clinic/2Mss8L1

Posted by Cleveland Clinic on Monday, July 6, 2020

And although not related to content directly, educating potential patients about your practice is a vital piece of social customer care. If someone has a question about treatment options or what your practice can do to help, strive to respond ASAP.

2. Use inspirational content to motivate your followers

Social media and healthcare don’t have to be boring, heartless or totally “matter of fact.”

Especially in the face of progressive diseases or risky surgeries, patients and their family members could often use a dose of inspiration.

After a long journey, 8-year-old Carter Fortin rang a big brass bell, marking the end of chemotherapy treatment for a…

Posted by UChicago Medicine on Friday, July 17, 2020

Beyond patient success stories, you can promote your own marketing videos to highlight how you make a difference and help patients.

Thank you to everyone who has helped the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic so far. Whether you’re a bus driver getting us to work, a teacher looking after our children, or a supermarket worker making sure we can get essentials — thank you. #NHSBirthday #ThankYouTogether 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/kUmfYnrX64

— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) July 5, 2020

3. Post infographics for increased engagement

Mastering infographic marketing is a must-do for those working in social media and healthcare.

Great infographic from @alzassociation on the 10 warning signs of #Alzheimers disease. #earlydetection matters; don’t shy away from having a conversation with your doctor! pic.twitter.com/VZBqGAXlir

— Athira Pharma (@athirapharma) July 14, 2020

After all, infographics are among the most popular and shared-worthy types of content on social media. This makes them prime for healthcare accounts looking to quickly educate patients at a glance.

4. Harness the power of health-related hashtags

Hashtags are a staple of social media at large. Healthcare companies have plenty of opportunities to use them, too.

Whether it’s your own organizational hashtags (Northwestern Medicine’s #NMBetter, for example) or healthcare-specific tags (#cancersucks), promoting a tag does double duty of extending your content’s reach while also making it easier for followers to share that content.

We’re grateful for our employees and all that they’re doing to support our patients and our organization during the…

Posted by MD Anderson Cancer Center on Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Even holiday hashtags are fair game for your content calendar (see the American Heart Association’s #StarWarsDay post for reference).

It's #StarWarsDay! Anyone else been humming "The Imperial March" all day long? Darth Vader's theme song is 103 beats per…

Posted by American Heart Association on Monday, May 4, 2020

Whatever you do, just make sure that your use of hashtags is tasteful.

5. Take patients behind-the-scenes

Highlighting your human side helps your social presence feel more personal.

For example, posts like this one from Johns Hopkins serve as both wholesome content and a positive spin on working in healthcare during tough times.

Some of today’s crew! #COVID19 #coronavirus #johnshopkinsmedicine #criticalcarenurses pic.twitter.com/dHG66xiBki

— Billy Ward (@BillyWard3) April 16, 2020

Instagram Stories are awesome for behind-the-scenes content, such as John Hopkins’ virtual match day for their medical students. These small glimpses of your practice’s day-to-day life are crucial for making a connection with followers.

Congratulations to all the JHSOM students that are matching today. #Match2020 is very different this year due to #COVID19. We encourage our students to tag @HopkinsMedicine as you participate in #VirtualMatchDay. pic.twitter.com/VOluBxNFXe

— Johns Hopkins Medicine (@HopkinsMedicine) March 20, 2020

6. Publish patient shout-outs to spread positivity

Sometimes the best way to highlight your practice is by letting others do the talking.

Through user-generated content (think: customers and reviews) you can provide an unfiltered view of how you’re helping patients and supporters.

Thank you, Chiklis family, for standing with us in the fight to end Alzheimer's! 🎤💜 #ENDALZ https://t.co/qKa8y6c6g0

— Alzheimer's Association (@alzassociation) June 20, 2020

This speaks to the importance of social listening to track mentions, messages and hashtags usages to ensure that you share your patients’ messages in a timely manner.

Important: social media, healthcare and HIPAA

To wrap things up, we need to talk about HIPAA.

Beyond the best practices of social media in healthcare in terms of your content, the importance of patient confidentiality can’t be overstated.

In short, you need to take special care when publishing patient content which would potentially reveal sensitive information or otherwise violate HIPAA. For example, did you know that using your patients as part of your marketing materials requires explicit written consent?

There’s a lot that goes into HIPAA compliance on social media, but here are some of the basics:

• You’re allowed to engage with clients via social, but doing so means being sensitive about health information over messaging
• Publishing patient stories or photos requires written consent
• Posting sensitive or identifying information publicly can land you in trouble

With all of this in mind, we really urge you to check out our HIPAA and social media cheat sheet for more information.

And with that, we wrap up our guide!

How are you bringing social media and healthcare together?

Healthcare marketers face a distinct set of challenges; there’s no doubt about it.

But you also have a ton of opportunities to make a meaningful, positive impact on your followers. From educating the public to creating a sense of community, consider how healthcare social media marketing can make a difference when it’s done with care.

Oh and, if you haven’t already, make sure to download the most recent Sprout Social Index to ensure that your overall marketing strategy sticks to the best practices of social media latest trends.

This post Social media and healthcare: how to prioritize what patients need originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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