Notes on Social Media Medicine ― How the Legal Shield Creates Opportunities for Offshore Hospitals and Improves the Medical Tourism Experience

A question on Medical Travel blogs and discussion groups shows up more frequently
these days. “Is there a good book on Social Media and healthcare marketing or, better, Health Tourism Marketing?” This or that gets recommended; a waste of time because of the fast evolution of the Social Media landscape. I usually suggest the questioner sign up for Clickz and Mashable email blasts and read a primer on human behavior instead. It rarely makes me popular but it does get me thinking.

The Constraint is the Opportunity

Recently, I realized I was missing something big and obvious. Offshore healthcare providers can produce very helpful, valuable communications and Social Media Objects that U.S. based hospitals cannot create either because of HIPAA prohibitions, defensive medicine or fear of being sued for malpractice. Social Media Objects helptheir domestic patients and also medical travelers who have returned home. Disproportionately, these Social Media Objects help U. S. patient populations, by broadcasting normal, best practices medical follow-up that would otherwise be embargoed by malpractice concerns.

Offshore Hospitals have malpractice and patient privacy legal shields that are not available to U. S. based healthcare providers. This constraint sets-up opportunities for real innovation. I believe that the first hospital to produce a high quality, problem solving, integrated program of Social Media Objects wins instant brand leadership. More, Social Media Medicine could become a key differentiator for some hospitals.

Think about it. Offshore hospitals have the opportunity to idealize treatment, which has implications for both medical tourists and also for patient populations who seek the information but cannot get it in an open, Social Media way anywhere else. More, Offshore Hospitals could use Social Media Objects to mitigate the continuity-of-care stumbling block.

When I say idealize treatment I actually mean ideal treatment. Say you had bariatric surgery 6 weeks ago and are having a problem with purging. You’re at a new healing stage so you don’t know what to expect. The handouts you got aren’t doing the trick and your questions are beyond your support group. You’re not scheduled to see the doctor for two more weeks. What to do?

What if you could find an opt-in, doctor moderated information and support group that was always available and psychically knew to send you the information you would need over the next few weeks? Ok…that’s not going to happen but informational video, pre-scheduled emails and stage-specific Social Media opportunities may do even more good. A hospital with the legal shield could create:

1)Videos that explain the changes that happen 6 weeks after surgery together with major stage-specific reminders.

2)A Facebook Group just for people at your stage that includes an organized FAQ and some hospital moderation.

3)An email sign-up that sends (pre-scheduled) emails on the science behind the changes that happen at your stage and reminds you about the actions, skills and support you should be getting now.

Hospitals already know where patients should be at every time horizon, especially in today’s environment of Evidence Based Medicine. If you produce Social Media Objects and structured reminders that communicate Evidence Based Indicators, then patients of every hospital (not just your own) will love you for it.

The win-win is easy to see but if you need the research….according to The Pew Internet & American Life Project, 61% of American adults look online for health information. (A recent Harris Poll says the figure is 70%). The social amplification is 52% of online health inquiries are on behalf of someone other than the person typing the search. Two-thirds talk with someone else about what they find online.

IDEAS FOR HOSPITALS

1) Put video to better use than lame patient testimonials.

-Yahoo anticipates that 8 to 10 million Connected Television devices will be in consumers’ hands by March 2011.

-Market research firm iSuppli estimates that by 2014 some 148 million televisions with Internet connectivity will be sold annually.

-Blip.tv serves nearly 100 million views each month (or, put another way, about 10% of the combined audience of the major TV networks).

-Internet-connected television will shift even more dramatically over the next year, with both Google Leanback (just launched) and Apple introducing set-top box offerings this fall.

Specifically, Create 90 Day Integrated Social Media Medicine Recovery Plans for All Your Major Surgeries. Bonus points for translating the programs into most of your major customer languages.

These Social Media Objects should also give you benefits on the cost side in your home markets, lowering the need for doctor contact and lowering readmissions while improving outcomes, raising brand awareness and
creating marketing in perpetuity.

2) Create Branded Facebook Groups where patients you invite or approve can self-serve to get information, experience community and crowdsource answers. Self-serve, stage-specific advice, videos and FAQs will go a long way to increased patient satisfaction. Bonus points if patients post questions and get medically valid responses.

3) Take a page from the Mayo Clinic, which provides in-depth information on the latest research, diseases and conditions. They produce content such as expert video seminars and educational articles on very niche medical subjects, directly for patients and their families. (Did you see the video on dirt-bike injuries?)

Hey Hospitals….if you implement any of these ideas…I want to write about it!

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