Many years back, when I was about to acquire my first pager, I was told that pagers were the way Doctors are informed about emergencies in US hospitals. In those pre-mobile days of crossed connections, it was indeed something to be impressed of. Today, as I go through some of the hospital sites in the US, I am equally impressed by the way they are using the social media space to engage with patients – taking communication – patient hospital interaction to the next level.
Imagine you are awaiting the birth of your child. You log into your hospital site. Learn the nitty-gritty’s of child birth. Interact with other expecting mothers. Read the testimonials of happy mothers who gave gone through the process in the immediate past. Take a virtual tour of the facility. Communicate with your doctors and support staff and make yourself aware of the precautions that need to be taken, the preparations needed at your end. Why, they will even suggest mood enhancing music that are meant to soothe you and the books that will keep you busy. All this in real time; from the convenience of your home.
As one top expert pointed out, Hospitals in the US are increasingly making their social media the very core of their communication effort with a dedicated department spearheading the foray. “Apart from the obvious advantages of refurbishing your image in the social media space, it is also becoming increasingly important to be actively present as even one disgruntled customer, if not immediately attended to, can hit your reputation for a six.” What is worse is that the numbers show that unsatisfied people are more likely to hit the net with their grievances than happy and satisfied customers are.
How are US hospitals ranking their social media priorities? The answer tells some tales:
- Building community relationships
- Sharing community news
- Building and refurbishing reputation
- Connecting with the patients and their families
- Sharing general health information
- Answering questions
- Connecting with other health institutions
- Issue advocacy
- Engaging employees and other stake holders
- Attracting the best talents
What needs to be noted here is that a fully social hospital is much more than the creation of a facebook page. It is a thriving and self sustaining online eco-system with patient centric information architecture, access to key areas of the hospitals database and most importantly, a social support system where the patient can interact with the doctors and the hospital support staff.
As one expert opined, “conversations are bound to take place in the social media and it is no longer about responding to a situation if it happens, but more about how to use the opportunity to stay ahead.” The top notch hospitals have already evolved into “Social Hospitals” and this trend will only intensify in the days and the years to come. “You remember all those mandatory pictures of Florence Nightingale carrying the lamp in countless medical facilities? Look closely, chances are, she’s replaced the candle with a hand held device pointing her new, socially integrated status!” Prescribe that!