Social Media Utilization by Healthcare Leaders

Background: In this study we surveyed over 200 healthcare leaders who hold high level management positions across institutions regarding their use and awareness of social media.

Method: An online and on-site survey was used to gather information about social media use.

Results: The survey found that that healthcare leaders have very little awareness of social media use in their organizations. The survey also found that they mostly use social media for personal purposes and that use is limited to two platforms, Facebook and LinkedIn. In addition, it became clear that patient engagement and research or professional collaborations through social media are not within their scope of activities.

Conclusions: More education and awareness is needed in this area. Since social media is gaining presence in all areas of healthcare it is important to raise awareness to its proper use and potential.