Social media in healthcare is evolving and finding its way into operational and clinical tools and this has been where much of my focus has been lately.  However, I do want to check-in with where healthcare social media got it's start and a recent survey of hospital marketers will help us with this.

Some interesting survey results were released not long ago and I want to share the link to the report and highlight a couple of things.  By 2013, hospital marketers predict:

• that traditional and digital marketing channels will flip-flop in terms of importance (in their strategy).  This is in part due to to the expectation that they step outside of their traditional roles and improve customer experience on other platforms.
• digital marketing will move from a "tag-along" afterthought role (to traditional marketing) to the lead role.

This interest in patient experience is in part a result of CMS' Value Based Purchasing, which places a portion of reimbursement at risk and ties 70% to quality and 30% to patient expereince (HCAHPS scores.)  Hospital marketers have always had both internal and external customers and strategies, but their new role affecting the patient experience will take them into a new dimension.

Another indicator of the role and importance of patient experience is meaningful use and the criteria:

My advice to hospital marketers?  Focus on using social media to help patients:

• with a new diagnosis or condition – medical emergency, chronic illness, pregnancy, etc.
• navigate behavioral changes – weight loss, smoking cessation, recovery from addictions, exercise, taking medications…
• peer-to-peer connections – support
• communications with providers
• caregiver education and support
• data collection and remote monitoring
• transitions in care (environments)

Christina Thielst is a hospital and healthcare administrator who has been blogging since 2005. Topics covered on her blog, Christina's Considerations, include hospitals, health information technology and exchange, social media, and  telehealth.