Klueppel plans to expand Nemours’ online presence with Google+ Hangouts On Air. The live video chat function enables video conferencing between one host and up to nine guests. She explained that the chat would be broadcast live on Nemours’ Google+ page and advertised as any other online event. Patients can watch the streaming video that may feature panelists or experts in various cities, comment on it, or tell their friends about it since it will be saved as a YouTube video and archived.
However, social media is multidimensional. Besides enhancing patient education, healthcare organizations can also retrieve information from online patients to boost their marketing efforts.
“Social media can be used as a monitoring device,” says Klueppel. “We’re able to see what our patients need, what information they’re looking for, and what conditions, symptoms, and treatment options they’re looking for so we can start to tailor our services to better meet their needs.”
Carol Patton is a freelance journalist based in Las Vegas.
