INCREASING ADOPTION OFSOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS : OPPORTUNITIES AND CONCERNS

Sharafat Hussain; Prof. Mohd. Abdul Azeem

Sharafat Hussain Ph.D Research Scholar,Department of Mgmt. and Comm., Maulana Azad National Urdu University, India
Prof. Mohd. Abdul Azeem Dean, School of Commerce and Business Management, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, India

Keywords: Healthcare and social media, Social media in the US healthcare, Social media policy for healthcare organizations, Hospitals using social media, Healthcare privacy on social media

Abstract

Adoption of social media amongst health care organizations is thriving. Healthcare providers have begun to connect with patients via social media. While some healthcare organizations have taken the initiative, numerous others are attempting to comprehend this new medium of opportunity. These organizations are finding that social networking can be an effective way to monitor brand, connecting with patients, community, and patient education and acquiring new talent.
This study is conducted to identify the purpose of using social media, concerns, policy and its implementation and the overall experience of healthcare organizations with social media. To collect first hand data, online questionnaire was sent via LinkedIn to 400 US healthcare organizations and representatives out of which 117 responded and were taken further for analsysis. The results of this study confirm the thriving adoption, increased opportunities and cautious use of social media by healthcare organizations. The potential benefits present outweigh the risk and concerns associated with it. Study concluded that social media presence will continue to grow into the future and the field of healthcare is no exception.