Ways to Use Social Platforms for Patient Service
We are the most social on our social media platforms. Yes, living in the age of Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Whatsapp, and more, all of us should admit that we really enjoy being deeply engrossed on their social media platforms. Whether it is for looking for important information or for a casual chitchat session, it is our social platforms that we rely on.
Recent statistical data says that internet users spend around 147 minutes a day on an average on social media platforms. This has gone up from the 145 minutes of time that the internet users spent on social media in 2021.
Not only we, individuals, but the companies also devote a significant amount of their time to social media. Most companies today, regardless of the industries they belong to, spend a huge amount of time on social media. Creating fitting advertisement copies, developing advertisement and marketing graphics and animation, optimizing and marketing on their social platforms, scrolling along the social media profiles, knowing about their rivals ads, and more, are some of the most popular activities of brands on social media.
Among all the brands belonging to different niches, the brands that are associated with healthcare services are not an exception.
Social Media in Healthcare Services: How is the Thing being Popular?
According to the latest reports, over more than 40% of patients use social media to access important information about healthcare and healthcare services. This has been most noted in the case of people within the age group of 18-24 years.
As most patients today are growing really familiar with the available social media platforms, more and more patients are browsing through their social platforms and are also willing to interact, and read about their doctors, nurses, or providers on the same platforms. This is why the healthcare industry too has embraced social media and is deeply examining the advantages that social platforms have on the patients. Besides, the present age is also seeing numerous healthcare organizations incorporating social media in their daily list of activities, marketing or otherwise.
Why should social media be used in the healthcare industry?
Social media is not a thing of the past but a booming business or rather an industry now. The social media industry that began with a couple of providers is now huge and has a range of players that are helping people stay aware and connect with themselves without any hassles.
In this age of social media, it is not only relevant to use social media but effective all around, even for the health care services providers. If you are still wondering why social media platforms need to be incorporated into the healthcare industry, then here are some reasons below that you can check out:
Social platforms extend the boundaries of the patient access
The patients earlier were only limited to their providers. The healthcare industry was far from being this open then, which led to confusion, lack of knowledge, and depression among the patients. However, this has changed considerably with the boom of the internet and the emergence of the new-age medical office software and systems from trusted providers like GrowPractice. Now, the patients can book their own appointments, check themselves in, fill up their intake forms online and get access to their own medical records via their favorite EHR/PM software.
Social media platforms improve the patient-provider relationships
Interactions have always led to the strengthening of bonds and the same goes for social media interactions. Though the latter form of interactions can be referred to as virtual interactions, they are relevant and credible nonetheless.
They keep the patients informed about new launches
Anything that is launched, comes to the attention of the customers via advertisements, and social media is the modern advertisement hub that most companies, including the health care service providers, are focussing on. Therefore, the social media platforms serve a useful function of constantly informing teh patients about new launches.
Social platforms upgrade patients healthcare knowledge
The knowledge about the healthcare practices, systems, diseases, and their treatments was unknown to many until the social media platforms came up with their own sway of being informative. These social platforms are surely relied on when it comes to upgrading the patients health care knowledge.
They provide social support to the patients
The existence of social media is sometimes far beyond what we think we use it for. Yes, social media is like a scepter to the lonely and the depressed, and an aid that provides enormous support to an ailing patient.
They help in the sharing of information
The sharing of information is another important use of social media platforms, using which necessary information about the healthcare industry can be shared in a wink. Sometimes these pieces of information can also be life-saving.
Social media platforms foster the habit of self-care
Caring for oneself or self-care is something that most repel from. However, when it comes to using self-care for ones own health and well-being, self-care can be rewarding indeed. Though self-care should come from within, it is the social media platforms that help us now greatly in inculcating the habit of self-care.
What are the Major Challenges of Using Social Platforms in Health Care Services?
Social media has been really influential in our lives. They have not only provided us with a fun way to pass our leisure but have also provided us with important information about multiple health care services and their providers. However, when it comes to social media, it often comes under the radar of mistrust, complaints, and hostility too.
This is because there are numerous challenges involving social media and more so when it is used in the healthcare industry. Ensuring proper HIPAA compliance, verifying the accuracy of information shared, professionalism, and the lack of dedicated time for engaging in social media are some of the obstacles in the way of incorporating social media in healthcare.
Effective Ways to Use Social Platforms for Patient Service
It is true that there are many challenges in the way of using social platforms in the healthcare industry for the health service providers. However, it is a reality that healthcare practices simply cannot avoid. Sounding relevant is something that healthcare service providers cannot shy away from. Apart from that, the social platforms also help them extend useful patient services, which they might otherwise miss out on!
Here are some easy and effective ways the healthcare practices can use social platforms for patient services, which will also help in attracting new patients and retaining the old ones effortlessly:
Sharing informative blogs on diseases
The healthcare industry can share informative blogs on social media for more reach. These blogs can also contain information about numerous diseases and their treatment, which would be great for the patients indeed.
Sharing insightful articles on the technological advancements in healthcare
Technological advancements are doing rounds in almost all of the present industries and the healthcare industry is not an exception. It is the social media platforms that have the potential to further increase patient access to the technological advancements that are taking place in the world of healthcare.
Keeping them alert and updated about new product launches and services
Patient access to the new product and service launches of their healthcare provider was really limited earlier. This has now broadened, thereby keeping the patients alert and updated about new launches of products and services.
Boosting self-care with effective tips
Caring adequately for oneself in time surely saves multiple visits to the hospitals, clinics, or practices. The methods of self-care were not available at all except for a reputed doctor or a healthcare center. However, today we have unlimited self-care options with the boom of social media, and most of them are accredited by reputed healthcare brands too.
Promoting healthcare campaigns
The healthcare campaigns are designed for the patients and all of the healthcare campaigns are undoubtedly helpful for them. Free eye checkups, skin and hair checkups, diabetes checkups, and full body checkups at discounted rates are some of the major healthcare campaigns that the practices are coming up with. Thus, they can continue coming up with all of these and more and also promote these campaigns with the help of social platforms.
Providing contact links
Getting the contacts of physicians, nurses, clinics or ambulances was really difficult earlier. This has become a childs play with the birth of social media where whether you need the contact of a primary care physician or any specialist you want to contact, you can do so within a minute, just by tracking his/her social platform.
Offering mental health counseling sessions from primary care physicians and others and promoting discounted packs of products or services are some other effective ideas, which social platforms can fulfill for practices without any hassles. Along with all these, the social media platforms are also helping the budding students of medical science to apply for the numerous vacancies that the healthcare service providers come up with on their social platforms. However, it is also important here to note that along with using social media, healthcare service providers should also focus on social media management. This is because a badly managed social media account is worse than a business nightmare.
Boost Patient Services with GrowPractice!
Along with using social platforms and strengthening social media management, it is always great to embrace the best and the most trusted healthcare solutions provider, GrowPractice. Right from the primary care units to private medical offices/practices or urgent care centers to the US Federal Agencies, everyone trusts GrowPractices medical office software and systems because they are secure and effective both for the provider and the patients.
Along with making patient appointments, patient intakes, check-ins, billings, and collections digital, GrowPractice also brings easy and effective ways to conduct patient satisfaction surveys and obtain online reviews, which has led to a whopping 85% reduction in the negative online reviews for practices. So, why not check out GrowPractices amazing range of world-class solutions to improve healthcare at your practice?
