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Social Media for the Medical Industry: How Much Info is Too Much?

Guest post by: Tammy Finch

Article Overview: There are compelling reasons for hospitals, healthcare practices, elder care facilities, and other medical industry organizations to get involved with social media and reap the benefits that other businesses are.

Social Media for the Medical Industry: How Much Info is Too Much?

Privacy on the Internet is always been a bit of a dicey topic, and the lines between what is acceptable and what isn't are still a bit blurry. In recent weeks, major companies like Apple, Sony, and Google have gotten into trouble with consumers and governmental agencies alike for the way they collect and distribute information about their users… and there's no sign that these struggles are going to let up any time soon.

Add in the stiff regulations and penalties that medical groups are already facing in regard to patient information, and it's easy to see why so many of them are reluctant to touch social media at all – whether it's through sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, or through their own company blogs and newsletters.

Still, there are compelling reasons for hospitals, healthcare practices, elder care facilities, and other medical industry organizations to get involved with social media and reap the benefits that other businesses are. Here's what you need to know to get started and stay out of trouble:

Social media can be a big boost to your organization. For one thing, hundreds of millions of people are flocking to social media sites, which should be reason enough for you to test the waters. More than that, your company's blog and other content can be a great way to share information, invite feedback, and attract interest from potential customers or patients at the same time.

Few things are truly private on the Internet. The key to making your social media strategy safe is setting strong guidelines for all employees at the beginning of the process – not after you have complaints or problems. Make sure everyone on your team knows what is and isn't appropriate to share, and then review everything before it goes public… because that's what your social updates really are.

Start discussions, but avoid specifics. There are lots of ways to tell people about your facilities and services without mentioning specific patients or sharing photos of the men and women in your care. Get in the habit of sharing broad information and introducing important topics. The more you say about the issues people care about, and the less you share about individual situations, the easier time you're going to have navigating social media.

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Article Tags: medical social media, social media for clinics, social media medical



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