Published October 2015
Health plans never had to think too much about branding and reaching out to consumers before the Affordable Care Act. Now, as consumers play a more active role in health plan selection, plans must use social media as a marketing tool to engage with patients and turn them into loyal consumers.
A 2012 study on social media in healthcare from the PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute found that although 45% of patients say that social media affects their decision to seek a physician or hospital, many healthcare organizations haven’t been able to turn social media presence into practice.
The same survey found that more than 80% of 18 to 24 year olds are willing to share health information and dialogue with professionals via social media. And, one-third of all respondents say if social media conversations led to better health outcomes, they wouldn’t mind these dialogues being monitored.
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