Indian hospitals and healthcare providers have started to integrate social media into their overall marketing plans. The process is still slow but expected to gather momentum as the social media user population in India multiplies. Facebook is presently the most commonly used social media platform followed by Foursquare, and Twitter.
But research shows that the growing category of health conscious people are looking for health-related information in the social media and also eagerly sharing one another’s experiences.
In fact, there are patients that visit social media sites to find specific advice and actually avoid visiting a hospital until a condition becomes really serious. Statistics reveal that patients in India are most likely to discuss their health on social media with:
- Doctors – 48%
- Hospitals – 44%
- Pharmacies – 40%
This presents hospitals in India with an enormous opportunity to build trust and improve overall health care. Hospitals should monitor social media to ascertain where their patients are reaching out and be available to answer any questions and dispel doubts.
Please look into the social media healthcare infographic where statistics are available about the growing number of health features seekers online. You can also know the networks hospitals that are interacting the most on social media. Towards the bottom of the infographic are some successful social media initiatives that have hitherto been implemented.
India has been embarking upon a journey of healthcare system transformation for the past few years. It is India’s long term goal to create access to minimum healthcare services for all. The private health care sector is also growing phenomenally.
Apart from the medical advancement a significant technological change is the internet. The internet and particularly the social media have taken the industry by storm.
A surprisingly large number of hospitals are now using the social media and brought improvements to their online presence.
Social media world has drastically influenced the healthcare industry. ‘Facebook’ has revolutionized social interactions for the hospital sector. Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube and other major social media platforms are playing their parts as well.
There is abundant data on health in the form of infographics, animations and videos presented in a way that makes it easy for customers to understand.
The hospitals participating in social media have the finest doctors in India and hence every medical fact or advice is wholly reliable.