More than half of U.S. adults turn to the Internet when they have health or medical questions, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center. (Did we really need a research center to tell us that?) More alarmingly, a survey in April found that 50 percent of doctors turn to Wikipedia for medical info!

How does Wikipedia fare as a medical reference? Its collaborative, user-generated philosophy generally means that errors are caught and corrected quickly. Several studies, including one examining health information, another probing articles on surgery, and one focusing on drugs, found the online encyclopedia to be almost entirely free of factual errors.

Better still, the articles improve significantly with time, according to a study Clauson published last December in the The Annals of Pharmacotherapy (vol 42, p 1814). “Wikipedia’s editing policy does work,” he says.

Read the article at newscientist.com

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Embedded below are slides from a presentation from Bob Coffield titled “PHRs, Health 2.0 and the Impact of Social Media on Health Care”. It was given at the American Health Lawyers Association 2009 annual meeting in Washington, DC.

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Take a look at the latest chart of US Hospitals that are on YouTube and Twitter. Currently 213 Twitter accounts and 142 YouTube Channels!

As more hospitals launch their social media campaigns, it is more likely that your own medical lead generation could get lost in the Web2.0 land rush. Here’s a few tips to help keep your own healthcare online marketing campaign head and shoulders above the rest.

1. Don’t use social networking robots. There are a lot of sites out there that can provide a lot of empty stats like lots of followers and fans, but the real metric that counts is the amount of interaction your campaign receives.
2. To receive more interaction with your readers and followers remember that social networking is all about sharing. Launch a giveaway, host a contest, or provide some kind of content that is unique to your industry.
3. To keep your campaign fresh and dynamic, assign a creative person inside your organization to run your social network accounts. They should show a strong knowledge on how the social campaigns function.

There are many different types of social networks that your business could use, so make an informed decision about what kind of network best suits your company’s personality. For example, take a look at this pie chart of the types of platform that US hospitals are using.

If you have questions about how the healthcare industry is using social media for medical lead generation and branding leave us a comment, talk to us on Twitter, or find us on Facebook.

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The second post we wrote on this blog was titled “Low Budget Healthcare Marketing, The Basics” where we discussed how your healthcare facility can make use of internet marketing with very little cost. We’ve also mentioned the growing Hospital Social Network List.

So it comes as no surprise that the New York Times recently had an article about the growing trend in hospital marketing using social media, specifically YouTube. Embedded below is a video of Austin Weaver, a 14-year-old non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient talking about his goals for the future and what motivates him during his battle with cancer.

The article on NYTimes.com states that these videos “reflect the spirit of YouTube and Facebook, where nonactors are the stars, and spontaneity trumps scripted messages.”

By connecting to people on a personal level, viewers are more likely to associate a close connection. And by delivering content to people using the channels they already use on a daily basis, it is more likely that they will interact with your content.

The ads on YouTube represent a new kind of healthcare marketing. “[The] logo never appears, a first for any of [their] advertising, and it is mentioned only by name in subtitles, to identify the setting, for instance, as Austin walks its halls. The only direct reference is at the conclusion of each spot, where viewers are urged to learn more at akronchildrens.tv, a Web site that does highlight the hospital’s attributes.”

Watch Austin’s video on YouTube

No Actors, Just Patients in New Spots for Hospitals on NYTimes.com

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Over a month ago we talked about the list of hospitals that are using social networking to connect with their patients and help with medical lead generation.

Since then the list has grown to include:

• 225 hospitals
• 87 Facebook pages
• 128 YouTube channels
• 140 Twitter accounts
• 23 blogs

So since March 11th, that’s

• 33 more hospitals
• 5 more Facebook pages
• 8 more YouTube channels
• 41 more Twitter accounts
• 4 more blogs

It’s no surprise that Twitter has grown so much more than the other social networks considering that in one year Twitter has grown 1,382% since February 2008. Take a look at this chart recently updated at Found in Cache.

According to Ed’s Hospital Social Network List, Twitter has overtaken the number of YouTube channels for hospitals.

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The reason social networking is such a great idea for your business to get involved with is because it’s a powerful tool that people can use in their everyday lives. As it becomes more and more popular it will be just as common for people to do research using social media as it is to do a Google search. I’m not even going to mention going to the library for research… who does that?!

Let’s say Becky is looking for the best way to get rid of mosquitoes in her backyard and she sends out a tweet to her followers on Twitter. You are the owner of a mosquito repellant company that sprays and kills mosquitoes and you have an alert feed set up that tells you when someone in your area mentions the word mosquitoes on Twitter. You send her a reply and let her know about your product and she goes to your website and signs up for your service.

Bam! That’s it. You just used social networking to get a new client for your company. And the best part is that it’s all free. No ads, billboards, or cost per click. It’s just your company making personal connections with real people.

To give you another example of how social media can be a useful tool, Ben Parr has written up an article on HOW TO: Use Social Media for Better Health. Here’s a summary of his thoughts:

Step 1. Use social media to stick to goals
When talking about healthy living, the toughest part is always consistency. It’s difficult to get in the gym every week or to avoid plates of fries. Use social media to stick to a goal and, if possible, to announce it to friends.

Write a blog post, send out tweets, or make a Facebook group about a health goal, whether it be lowering blood pressure or building new muscle. This is not only a good way to be reminded of the goal, but also a way for people to provide feedback, support, and encouragement. Using Google Calendar, RememberTheMilk, or another reminder service will also help reinforce the goal.

Step 2. Research healthy habits and techniques
This is probably the most overlooked aspect of healthy living. Many people assume that lots of running, lifting, and salad eating will bring the body into shape, but bad techniques and misconceptions can derail any health campaign. Once a goal is set, research what it will take to really achieve it. Researching proper techniques is also essential to avoiding injury.

For example, YouTube brings a visual component to understanding proper exercise techniques and has thousands of clips from health experts. Videos exist for everything from the proper deadlift technique to nutrition tips for weight loss. YouTube is just one of many social information networks that houses this type of information.

Step 3. Utilize social groups for support
Support groups are used by many for a reason – they work. The sharing of experiences and struggles can help when motivation is lacking. Nobody has to get healthy on his or her own, especially when so many others have the same goals.

Connect with friends using a Google Group or find new friends on a health social network such as Gyminee, Gimme20, or Twit2Fit to compare and discuss results.

Step 4. Track progress
Keep up-to-date numbers to understand the progress that has been made and what remains to be done. Social networking applications such as Virtual Weight Loss, health networks like FitDay, and iPhone apps like My Weight Loss Coach are great ways to track progress.

For an even simpler tracking method, use Twitter updates with a hashtag (i.e. #weightloss and #twit2fit). It is another way to garner support while keeping a daily or weekly report of progress.

Step 5. Help others achieve better health
After doing all of that research and putting in so much hard work for a healthier life, it’s almost criminal not to share that insight with others. Social media is the perfect platform for sharing tips about what exercises or routines made an impact.

Some ideas:

• Share useful articles: Share any good advice or articles on social networks such as FriendFeed or services such as Google Reader.
• Record motivational videos: Physically show a before and after so others can see it’s possible.
• Blog every step of the way: This can be an inspiration to those who may be starting out and need a confidence boost.

[end of summary from Ben's post]

I see lots of points at which a healthcare clinic would be able to reach out to that person and make a personal connection. That’s the power of social networking. People are actually looking for help and you are right there to provide them with it.

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In our post two days ago on the Hospital Social Network List I pointed out that the hospital list did not include MySpace. First, Ed Bennett (one of the creators of the list) commented that MySpace was originally excluded because he simply couldn’t include all the social networks. Next, we received an interesting comment from Tom Stitt who shared some very interesting comments about how MySpace provokes strong negative reactions from hospital staff members.

“When asked about the details of blocking MySpace for use by patients/visitors,” Tom wrote “the reasons given range from concerns about explicit content, the number of pages with music that might have disturbing lyrics or be loud, and finally a sense that illicit things happen on MySpace.”

When news organizations push stories about sexual predators using social networking and crimes linked directly to sites like MySpace.com, it’s easy to understand how faith-based hospitals would have complex issues about social networks.

Although using MySpace as a patient education and communication pathway does make sense for hospitals “the edgy reputation enjoyed by the MySpace community is the main barrier to hospital adoption and, from my perspective,” says Tom, “a strong part of the MySpace brand and positioning.”

Tom goes on to say that “in reality, you can find inappropriate content on Facebook or YouTube that matches the reputation of MySpace. Facebook and Google both work hard to make sure they are perceived as ‘responsible citizens’ while MySpace enjoys the advantages and disadvantages of a ‘bad boy’ reputation.”

So what do you think? As social networking becomes a form of marketing for all industries, are the differing perceptions of social networking something that will stop the popularity of social websites? Have you ever been confronted with someone who considers social sites to be dangerous or just for kids? And if so, how do you respond to someone with that perception of social networking?

Read Tom’s full comment here.

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While doing a little research on social media and the healthcare industry I came across a huge list of US hospitals that use social networking for medical lead generation.

The volume of participants is really overwhelming! As of March 11th the list contains

• 192 Hospitals
• 120 YouTube Channels
• 82 Facebook pages
• 99 Twitter Accounts
• 19 Blogs

It’s interesting that MySpace is not included in the list. Apparently the list creators didn’t feel that MySpace was a valid form of social networking. The FAQ page it addresses the choice of networks as follows:

“Facebook and YouTube were chosen because of their popularity. Given dozens of possible options, it’s more likely that a Hospital would use one of these two established sites. But new services are gaining ground, and Twitter was added for that reason.”

The list is constantly being updated as people continue to send in new hospitals. Just browsing the list I see a lot of great examples of best practices in hospital social networking. You can see the full list here: Hospital Social Network List

****UPDATE****
Ed Bennet left a comment explaining why they didn’t include MySpace in the list:

MySpace is certainly a valid form of social media, but wasn’t included because of time. We couldn’t search every social media site, so some didn’t make the cut.

In the months since the list went up, I’ve heard from dozens of hospitals but none have mentioned a MySpace page. I’m sure they exist, but it doesn’t seem to be a focus for most hospitals.

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