InPharm | Andrew McConaghie
A third of US social media
users say it could change the way they think about their medicines, according
to a new poll.
The findings are part of a new survey which confirms the power of social
networking to spread information about health, and influence consumers through
authoritative sources and through peers and other online influencers.
The survey by consultants PwC’s US-based Health Research Institute (HRI)
entitled, “Social media likes healthcare: From
marketing to social business” has found
that social media is changing how people engage in healthcare decisions, and
with healthcare providers.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the report also found that the volume of people of
engaging with hospitals, health insurers and pharmaceutical companies through
social media is miniscule compared to activity on community sites.
“The power of social media for health organisations is in listening
and engaging with consumers on their terms. Social media has created a new
customer service access point where consumers expect an immediate response,”
said Kelly Barnes, US Health Industries leader, PwC.
“Health organisations have an opportunity to use social media as a way to
better listen, participate in discussions and engage with consumers in ways
that extend their interaction beyond a clinical encounter. Savvy adopters are
viewing social media as a business strategy, not just a marketing tool.”
The social media survey polled more than 1,000 US consumers and 124 members
of the eHealth Initiative (eHI), a national association of industry
organisations focusing on health information and technology. HRI also
interviewed more than 30 industry executives and tracked the social media
activity of a number of hospitals, insurers, pharma firms, and online patient
communities to create a Week-in-the-life of Social Health
snapshot.
The consumer
survey found:
- One-third of consumers now use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online forums for health-related matters, including seeking medical information, tracking and sharing symptoms, and broadcasting how they feel about doctors, drugs, treatments, medical devices and health plans.
- Four in 10 consumers say they have used social media to find health-related consumer reviews (e.g., of treatments or physicians); one in three have sought information related to other patients’ experiences with their disease; one in four have ‘posted’ about their health experience; and one in five have joined a health forum or community.
- When asked how information found through social media would affect their health decisions, 45% of consumers said it would affect their decision to get a second opinion; 41% said it would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital or medical facility; 34% said it would affect their decision about taking a certain medication; and 32% said it would affect their choice of a health insurance plan.
- While 72% of consumers said they would appreciate assistance in scheduling doctor appointments through social media channels, nearly half said they would expect a response within a few hours.
- As is the case more broadly, young adults are leading the social media healthcare charge. More than 80% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 said they were likely to share health information through social media channels and nearly 90% said they would trust information they found there. By comparison, less than half (45%) of individuals between the ages of 45 and 64 said they were likely to share health information via social media.
From social media to social business strategy
The report says that some organisations are now beginning to differentiate
between ‘social media’ and ‘social business’. It says social media is the
external-facing component that gives and receives customer input. Social
business is where core internal operations, such as customer service, data
analytics and product development could use social data.
The report adds that patient-reported data on social networks could offer
new insights on behaviour and lifestyle to help inform care plans, and improve
the quality of life for patients with chronic conditions - though clearly data
generated through social media will need to be filtered and analysed before
clear patterns can emerge.
PwC says that hospitals, insurers and pharma firms can benefit from the
interactive nature of social media, which offers offer instant feedback on
products or services along with new ideas for innovation.
“Social media is another source of business intelligence that provides
information at the aggregate level, not only about what consumers ‘like,’ but
what they need, how they behave and when their experiences demand an immediate
response,” said Daniel Garrett, US Health Information Technology leader, PwC.
“Health organisations can engage IT to integrate social data intelligence
with existing systems and processes, yet most are still struggling with how to
manage the data from their own clinical systems.”