BUILDING BETTER HEALTHCARE WITH DIGITAL SOCIAL INSIGHTS
Do you ever look up your symptoms online instead of calling a doctor when you're sick? Yes, whether we like to admit it or not, we've all been there. Google is not particularly good at symptom diagnosis. However, there are an increasing number of online resources available to help you diagnose and treat your health issues without leaving your house.
Regarding social media adoption, the healthcare and life sciences industries have lagged behind others. That began to change after the pandemic. Many people who had never experienced anything like their current anxiety and worry turned to social media during the lockdown to seek and receive medical advice. Patients in high-risk groups, such as expectant mothers, used online channels to reach out to healthcare providers, organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and authorities to arm themselves with information and prepare for the fight against Covid-19.
This paved the way for new ways for businesses in the sector to connect and reach out to new audiences. One German pharmaceutical company used social listening to learn about the most pressing issues confronting pregnant women at the time, after which it educated and informed
them about the pandemic's causes, symptoms, and treatments. Examining online discussions about a product, industry, or person is referred to as "social listening."
HEALTHCARE AND DIGITAL MEDIA:
The importance of social media in our everyday lives cannot be overstated. Businesses of all sizes and industries use it to get closer to their customers. It has taken some time for the healthcare and life sciences industries to embrace social media, owing to concerns about violating regulations and facing legal ramifications. Years of behavioral change occurred in a matter of months due to the pandemic.
Social media and internet medical and healthcare websites played an important role in disseminating information, generating opinions, and debunking myths about the virus, treatments, and vaccines. The disruptive COVID-19 virus accounted for approximately 4% of global research studies in 2020. Many online communities, such as blogs and message boards, were suddenly inundated with medical journals on every conceivable subject.
As a result of the pandemic, new applications for these tools have emerged, such as increased opportunities for online education, new methods for conducting business over the internet, and the creation of secure online communities for discussing sensitive topics. Virtual doctor consultations, second opinions, patient forums, information on alternative treatments, social support, and fundraising opportunities are now available to patients.
Furthermore, the industry has seen an increase in medically-focused professional forums where doctors and researchers can discuss and disseminate their latest findings. Because of the new digital infrastructure, medical professionals can now follow and learn from professional events without traveling to the venues. Doctors prefer community-oriented platforms such as Sermo and Doctor's Hangout for discussing and debating healthcare policy and practice.
BENEFITS OF DIGITAL SOCIAL INSIGHTS ON THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR:
Simply put, Digital Social Insights (DSI) is a methodology that combines cultural ecologies and social listening. It's a proactive approach to gleaning insights from open-source data found on social media sites and integrating them with the company's core values. DSI is a framework that assists healthcare organizations and professionals in answering the 5Ws: where their message will have the greatest impact, who needs to hear it, where customers can be found, and how to engage with them.
WHO: Who are the ecosystem's key opinion leaders? You must identify the key supporters of your company's values, products, and services.
WHAT: Is a specific topic being discussed? Is the mood upbeat or downbeat? Can things be improved and new ideas implemented? Is the background noise making it difficult to hear what's being said?
WHERE: Which social media sites do your target audience use the most? Don't generalize that all millennials only use TikTok. Consumers seek out other communities to have meaningful conversations about their experiences, struggles, and unmet needs, and it is their responsibility to locate these communities.
WHEN: People check their phones frequently throughout the day, but there is only a small window when they will read your messages. It is important not to overlook World AIDS Day and World Cancer Day.
WHY/ HOW: Another set of questions that must be answered is why certain subjects are so popular. What makes some people more susceptible to deception than others? What role do cultural and socioeconomic differences play in vaccine skepticism?
The plethora of user-generated content provided by patients and HCPs on various social media networks can provide pharmaceutical companies with valuable insights.
Consumer journeys can be improved by incorporating data from online discussions about products, services, and treatment options.
i. Social listening is an excellent way to learn what issues patients are having and what features they dislike so that you can improve them.
ii. By staying up to date on current events, you can avoid omissions and mitigate the impact of the crisis.
iii. Identification of hot-button issues requires discussion with the intended audience.
iv. Ascertain whether a product is a good fit for the market.
v. Examine the environment to see where your competitors stand.
vi. Use the influence of well-known online users as brand advocates to help spread your message.
vii. Improve communication between HCPs and their patients by ensuring that HCPs are continually trained.
CONCLUSION:
Businesses can improve the quality of their offerings through social listening by engaging with current and potential customers and keeping an eye on the tactics used by competitors. This benefits the community as a whole.
It is time to harness the power of social media in developing and delivering superior medical care.
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