Influence of Social Media on Health Care Industry

Health Care industry is completely influenced with the social media. It uses the platform of social media to share its information

Influence of Social Media

Since past some years, social media has become the need of the society. The world seem totally influenced with the social media. It has been researched that about 60% people use internet for their health related issues. Meanwhile, only 15% people use social media to discuss share or may be to get known about their health related issues. Somehow social media has influenced the health care industry. The world health organizations are properly using the social media sites for their businesses. They are sharing information regarding health issues to their followers.

Positive Impact of Social Media

Just like the other industries, social media also has an impact on the health care industry. Consumers can share information with health care professionals and with other consumers with the help of social media. Health care consumers can easily communicate with the help of social networking sites, blogs, communities, forum and etc.

It has been observed that everyone has access to the social media now a day. Even a busiest person can access and use social media like health care professional. So it’s a good option to use social media for perfect business. Providers, consumers all have best opportunity to get updated about the recent developments in health care industry. Professionals can interact with other in the health care industry and can share the ideas and information.

We can say that the relationship is updated between patients and care takers by using social media.

Issues with the Social Media

No doubt, social media has provided that platform to health care industry and community to interconnect and interact. But somehow it also has brought several risks also.

Healthcare providers are concerned with the information is being provided on social media if it is credible. Sharing information on social media is easiest and fastest way to communicate with the targeted audience. But moderation of health care related content is very important so that rumors and other useless information could be drive out as early as possible.

Ethical issues of health care organizations with social media

The growth of social media is increasing day by day. Social networking sites are increasingly used to spread the related information among health care patients and professionals. But somehow it also creates ethical issues on the postings of health care information. It depends if the information is public or private. It’s not a big issues, definitely dependent on the provider of information, must be resolved as the personal information is involved in it.

Authority of Health care Information

It is a duty of health care professionals to be careful about the confidentiality and safety of the information of patients. Health care providers are also responsible for the privacy laws of company so that the risk of sharing information with the huge audience could be minimized.

Use of Social Media by health care industries

The health care organizations, doctors, physicians and clinicians can get benefits from the social media. Social media can be used for community engagement activities like customer services, fund raising, and customer support, provision of information and news, education of patients and advertising of new services etc. for health care organizations.

Physicians can get benefits from social media

Apart from the benefits of social media, getting health care organization, physicians also can get benefits from social media. They can read articles on online communities, they can listen to experts and discuss their problems they are facing during practices, and they can also research new medical techniques and developments and can easily get connected with their colleagues anytime to discuss the issues of their patients.

Patient’s Benefits

Patients also get benefits from the social media through education related to their needs, obtaining their demanded information, can perform research also, they can set their goals to achieve and can receive support from their friends on social media. By using social media, patients can achieve their targeted result for health care industries. They also can get awareness regarding their health issues.

It was difficult for the patients to get connected with their physicians at any time. But now thanks to social media, it seems possible and easy to get connect with the physicians whenever needed. It is no more a problem these days. On the other hand, patient also gets knowledge regarding their health issues by reading articles and blogs on their related topics by health care specialist throughout the world.