If you haven’t… you will soon. There is no denying the impact of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social medial online resources. We have seen the rise of patient-focused social websites such as Patients Like Me and the impact they have on patients and their families. The HITECH Act will continue to encourage the use of the internet as a primary channels to improve health care.
In the not too distant future, it is easy to see how these types of sites will become much more integrated into engaging patients and their families with their own health care – especially as the patient becomes a “partner in care” as part of the growing ACO movement.
A recent article in American Medical News describes how Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center has hired a Social Media Manager to interact with patients and families – and physicians as well. Do not make the mistake of looking at social media websites as fads… they aren’t. Those who embrace social media and build a social media strategy into their marketing plans and into their internal programs will be counted as the leaders, not the followers.
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