Study: Consumers Report Useful Social Media Impacts Their Choice of Physician

41% of Consumers Report Useful Social Media Information Impacts Their Choice of Physician.

In a study conducted by PwC’s Health Research Institute entitled Social media likes healthcare: From marketing to social business, found that health-related community sites had 24 times more social media activity than corporate sites, noting that the finding held significant implications for businesses looking to capitalize on social media opportunities.

Physicians, especially health & beauty, can grow their business and brand by using social media effectively.

“Health organizations 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,” PwC U.S. health industries leader Kelly Barnes said. “Savvy adopters are viewing social media as a business strategy, not just a marketing tool.”

The PwC study conclusion may help your practice consider implementing an effective business strategy using social media. Here’ some of the conclusions from the study:

1. A third of consumers use social media sites for seeking medical information, tracking and sharing symptoms, and sharing their thoughts about doctors, treatments and health plans.
2. Between 20% and 40% had used social media to find health-related consumer reviews and information about other patients’ experiences, or had posted information about their experiences or joined a health forum or community.
3. 45% of consumers said information found through social media would affect their decision to get a second opinion.
4. 41% said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor or treatment center.
5. Overall, more than 80% of consumers between 18 and 24 years said they were likely to share health information through social media channels, while 90% said they would trust information found there, compared with 45% of those between 45 and 64 years who said they would share health information.

The report includes data from a recent Health Research Institute social media survey of more than 1,000 consumers in the United States; 124 members of the eHealth Initiative, a health information and technology organization comprising various industry organizations; interviews with more than 30 industry executives; and a survey of the social media activity of several hospitals, insurers, drug companies and patient communities.

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