Social Media and Healthcare Business

Abstract

            Similarly to other forms of technology, social media is evolving constantly to fitting into every day’s operations. Following the advancement of technology, it is without a doubt that social media use has transformed the communication amid the consumers and organizations on the online platforms. Social media has impacted almost every sector and healthcare is not an exemption. Today social media is not a voluntary marketing instrument for corporations particularly healthcare. Social media is not only beneficial to the patients who acquire health related information but it also benefits the healthcare sector in creating a desirable image and offering improved services based on the needs and preferences of the consumers. Thus, through the use of both secondary and primary data, this research paper will present a detailed evaluation of the impacts of social media on the healthcare industry.

 

Chapter One: Introduction

1.0 Introduction

Social media in the contemporary society has is widely utilized in the global context by businesses as well as individuals in maintaining a connection, communicate as well as markets their services and products (Ahmann, 2016). As digital innovation is becoming more and more integrated into the healthcare sector, health institutions are beginning to establish and embrace social media’s possibility to improving the experience of patients. The utilization of social media in the gathering of health related details has significantly augmented. The advent of technological innovation has generated more of renovation to the healthcare field by offering more options for gathering information, integrating and exploration of the available care alternatives. Moreover, for healthcare providers, social media can offer a wonderful opportunity to engage with a large client/patient community (Ahmann, 2016). Although there are many challenges associated with engaging in social media, there are also many benefits.

An increasing number of healthcare practitioners are working consistently to the effective social media utilization in enhancing the healthcare sector’s capability to engage patients, stakeholders as well as consumers (Ahmann, 2016). Health wellness is of great significance in the modern society due to the changes in lifestyle, the need to being physically and economically productivity and the necessity for prolonged life despite the prevalence of deadly illnesses. Via the use of effective communication and promotion strategies, corporations are thus able to shift from the conventionally advertising strategies and utilize the internet to connect with healthcare sector’s consumers. Consumers currently rely deeply on the information posted on the online social platforms and they utilize the internet as a means of gathering healthcare facts as well as connecting with the larger populace of patients to garnering encouragement, care and comprehend more in reference to similar health conditions (Boateng & Black, 2012). Others utilize the platforms to research and seeking health advice from the healthcare providers as well as other connected corporations. 

Patients from research have the tendency to gather information through the utilization of social media that is normally used in the selection of suitable physicians, healthcare institutions as well as specialists (Boateng & Black, 2012). The information acquired from social media is utilized in making informed decisions in regard to the most suitable places and practices that healthcare can be acquired. Individuals nowadays are using social media in posting their evaluations commentary that recommends or warns the public from opting for a certain healthcare institution, treatment option or physicians (Boateng & Black, 2012). Therefore it is highly essential for the healthcare providers to sustain accurate and reliable information in connecting with the society and also implement appropriate marketing strategies where required. It is apparent, that social media and contemporary healthcare are inseparable based on the potential it has on the quality and information distribution in creating awareness and the familiarity (Boateng & Black, 2012).

1.1    Research Question:

• What is the impact of social media on healthcare industry?

The research question is further divided into three major sub-question which are:

1. The impact on social media on healthcare quality?
2. The impact of social media on the communication and relation between patients and consumers?
3. How should social media utilization be integrated in generating healthcare communication success and informed decisions by consumers?

            The aim of the study is to review and measure social media’s influence on health systems in general and on patient behavior globally, and to show the advantages and also the risks and challenges of using these tools as a communication strategy on healthcare. Additionally, the research will be carried particularly in Saudi Arabia to investigate how social media impacted the healthcare.

1.2    Study Objectives

1. Establish social media role and enhance the utilization of these media sites within the healthcare sector
2. Establish the possible benefits and disadvantages of using social media as the communication means in healthcare
3. Determine how social media can be utilized in improving healthcare services

1.3    Significance of the Study

            The study will benefit the healthcare sector, healthcare institutions, stakeholders, medical practitioners, marketers and the public. In that social media is current a vital instrument in every individual’s life and most businesses and corporations are utilizing the tool in creating sustainable relationships with consumers, investors as well as patients. The subject is of significance to the healthcare sector given that it focuses mainly on building better relations with the consumers in delivery satisfactory services. The largest global populace is on these social integrating platforms which implies that the targeted patients demographic is on them too, awaiting to interact with the respective healthcare organizations and practitioners (Cangelosi,  Ranelli, & Kim, 2013). Consumers are the most important part of any given business based on their capability to drive performance and revenue generation. It is therefore the interest of any investor to know how an organization can generate more through communication. The society in general will get to understand some of the measures that should be taken in making decisions regarding healthcare and how the posted data can be evaluated. In fact the essence of social media on healthcare is one that cannot be underrated.

1.4    Problem Statement

Despite the demonstrated potential possessed by social media in transforming the healthcare sector, it is interesting to note that, there are only a few organizations that are utilizing the dynamism of communication that is offered by these platforms. Other than just gaining information patients can utilize the information in improving their wellness (Carter & Wilson, 2015). This is because social media provides a communication that is two-ways and patients therefore gets the chance of interacting with physicians and other ailing populace. However, most physicians considers the interaction as a time loafer forgetting that engaging the public in health debates is one of the most effective way to creating lifestyle change that is of necessity based on the dominating illnesses such as high-blood pressure, diabetes and obesity (Cangelosi,  Ranelli, & Kim, 2013).

However, despite the fact that social media is of essence to the healthcare sector it should be noted that the communication strategy should be adopted with caution. Most individuals are likely to share some misleading facts thus endangering the public health. In addition, too much detail might be offered to the public which might in turn hinder the capability to advocate for healthy existence (Carter & Wilson, 2015). In addition, there is a need to integrate a number of strategies in creating communication efficiency and avoiding the occurrence of misunderstanding amid parties. Familiarity of the use of these information is also essential given that based on statistics it is suggested that only the younger generation is reached by the information which demonstrate the need to engaging the larger populace in general.

1.5 Definition of Terms

1. Social Media – refers to the webpages and software’s application that permits users to develop and share information or engage in social integration.
2. Social Media Marketing – can best be described as an internet form that utilizes social interacting sites as their marketing platforms.
3. Healthcare – the upkeep and enhancement of physical and psychological health particularly via the provision of clinical services.
4. Practitioner – is an individual who is actively involved in profession, or artistic discipline particularly in medicine.
5. Consumer(s) – is an individual who is involved in the purchase of services or good for individual benefits or utilization.
6. Patient(s) - an individual requiring or acquiring medical treatment.

 

 

Chapter Two: Literature Review

2.1    The Internet Revolution

            The Internet has dramatically changed people’s life. The use of the internet started in the mid-1990s, and since that time the internet has had a dramatic impact on the culture. It has become a global means of our daily communication (Rozenblum & Bates, 2013). In 2015, the ITU, The International Telecommunication Union, estimated that almost half of the world's population (roughly 3.2 billion people), would be online by the end of the year. Indeed, this made a huge revolution in many different fields in our lives, one of them is healthcare.

            Based on Pinto (2015), since the discovery of the internet, the way of the internet use changed during the years. The first internet cohort popularly known as Web 1.0 is defined as the web system that only supported reading rather than participative interaction (Carter & Wilson, 2015). The advent only permitted individuals only to track as well as examine the required information. This therefore implied that the control power was only held by the online data providers. In 2004, the year of the emergence of social media, the online environment is rapidly evolved into a new usage. ON the other hand social media which normally permit the control of online information where one can search, read, share as well as leave commentary is regarded as WEB 2.0 (Chern, Wellington, Oliver, & Perkins, 2015). The system is more developed given that it permits the sharing of more textual as well as graphical content. The media accomplished several functions such as expertise integration, social integration, media and information sharing, content production, entertainment and creating awareness and familiarity regarding certain issues. Web 2 is more advantageous because it promotes participation, sharing as well as collaboration (Chern, Wellington, Oliver, & Perkins, 2015).

2.2    Social Media

            According to Polverini (2015), social networking is derived from the function of social media. Social media can best be described as the technology tool that permits individuals to communicate while sharing ideas, opinions, knowledge as well as experiences. In addition it allows them to track as well as work in collaboration with the needs of the real world (Peck, 2014). The participation by the universal community in social media has augmented abruptly over the previous years. For example, according to Facebook recent statistics in June 2017, users exceeded 2 billion persons universally, this number epitomizes 1/7^th of the global populace (Chaykowski, 2017). In all the social media platforms, there are over 2.5 billion active users worldwide and the number is increasing at a rate of 9% a year (Ward, 2016).

2.3    Social Media and Healthcare

            Social media is today’s integral portion of the global health. Many pieces of evidence show how healthcare, social media, and the Internet are beginning to come together. Since the year 2014 when social media advanced, the proportion of patients who utilizes the social media for reasons related to their health is increasing (Ventola, 2014). Research reveals that 80 percent of Americans have utilized the internet as per today in researching for health related details. Amongst the populace 78 percent of them have utilized social media in particular (Chern, Wellington, Oliver, & Perkins, 2015). The internet began to intensely with physicians in the year 2008 with physicians in the provision of health information (Chern, Wellington, Oliver, & Perkins, 2015). Patients or consumers use social media for many purposes, ranging from online appointment scheduling, patient support groups to social online training for smoking termination and weight reduction. Nowadays the Internet offers the users with essential health reservation and different health facilities.

            According to Rozenblum, & Bates (2013), this innovative platforms offers patients with an opening to effortlessly interrelate with practitioners and also other patients. For example, patients can express opinions about doctors, medications and share patient involvements of particular disease through blogging (Cordo, Bolboacă & Drugan, 2016). These frequently offer the ailing populace with a countless source of evidence in regard to specific institutions, practitioners and services. Twitter permits patients to interrelate and deliberate circumstances and involvements in factual time, these deliberations lead to better patient appointment (Cordo, Bolboacă & Drugan, 2016).

            Sarringhaus (2011), asserted that The search about certain conditions by the patients and the general engagement in the debates results in increased awareness and increased treatment options and are more probable to making the required lifestyle and attitudes transformations and they become more submissive with their treatment (Cordo, Bolboacă & Drugan, 2016). It was additionally established that established that the commitment of patients in regard to health consultations results in health improvements based on the awareness created (Belbey, 2016). It is not just an advantage to the patient but also the healthcare providers can advance knowledge which will result in health improvement. This phenomenon is consistently operating in changing the conventional attitudes and behaviors by focusing on healthcare quality. In that globally the internet has now grown to a tool for connect and not only to push information (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2008).

2.4    The Effect of Social Media on Consumer (Patient) Behavior

            In general, social influences have a great impact on patient’s health, they are a prime influences in the acceptance of new well-being behaviors. Many studies showed that amenableness with nourishment and diet programs, exercises maintenance and doing a preventive screening, all can be contingent on having interaction with your social peers, networks, and family who play active engagement in these actions. (Muhlen M, Ohno-Machado L, 2012).

            With the engagement of people to their social media world, and as broadband and mobile access spreads, their behavior in term of health-related consumption dramatically changing (Dejong, 2013). The internet has been categorized as an essential tool in the provision of details which might either certain prescription, or researching in regard to having a number of symptoms that might be utilized in diagnosis or that necessitates medical attention. This has not only grown to be a habit but individuals depend on such programs in keeping pathway of health wellness and some strategies that can be utilized in preventing the rise of illnesses (Dejong, 2013). In addition the internet is highly preferred based on its general capability to offer unlimited details based on the category of interest. Unlike the physical institutions it is easier to access this details at personal convenience at any provided time. The internet and social media is also, a way to bring patients together, to aid other individuals, and be assisted by them simultaneously (Fox, 2011).

            Patients today are not only getting to the online platforms in search of health information rather they are utilizing the platforms in interacting with other individuals in regard to healthcare. For instance, individuals are seeking to share and interact with patients affected by similar illnesses and acquire advice on how to better cope or manage the illnesses. In addition, they offer the ideas and commentary in regard to the existing care services (Squazzo, 2010, p.2). There has been a budding theoretical and experiential consideration over the previous period to the influence of social networks on the entire health system as well as populace healthiness. No one can deny that millennial are influenced by opinions posted on social media. Those are a group of people who have grown up with the Internet and are regularly engaged on this new media (Thomas & Woodside, 2016). They tend to refer to the online sites such as blogs and Facebook prior to making any choices relating to learning, career, travel, and acquisitions. For the majority of them, online social networking sites are their first option when they want to search for information, including health-related matters (Denecke, 2015).

            According to Wickramasinghe (2017), 24 percent of online platforms users have referred to online evaluations of precise drugs or medical managements and 4 percent of these users have in turn made commentary of their involvements with a certain drug or medical management (Denecke, 2015). Additionally, as mentioned before, the utilization of social media in the health sector is rapidly changing associations amid physicians and public who are the users and the patients thus permitting stronger involvements and empowerments. However, despite the increasing benefits of this kind of communication most adults tends to depend on other strategies in accessing information. They mainly shift to the physical access of health practitioner’s support and those close rather than from the internet while equated to the youths (Denecke, 2015).

            Based on Zadeh et al. (2016), It is clear that patients use social media as an accompaniment to health practitioner’s practices as well as the satisfaction of health curiosity that would not otherwise be solved by physicians (Dinh, 2011). In that the relations with healthcare providers are accounted to be more medical and therefore physicians are only required in the provision of expertise care and treatment but not to provide relative details. In addition patients prefer to acquire details from the online platforms on the grounds that physicians fails in satisfying their physical as well as emotional needs. Physicians experiences challenges in expressing the empathetic truth and therefore they opt on filtering the results which leaves the patients with a lot of unanswered questions (Smailhodzic, 2016).

2.5    What Does It Mean To Acquire Information Online? Who Is The Target?

            With the increasing internet, social integration sites and mobile phones utilization the users can be categorized in two kinds. Where one group is able to access as well as share the acquired information while the other group is mainly involved in searching and keeping track to the posted data for personal benefits (Ellaway, Coral, Topps & Topps, 2015). In reference to healthcare this normally incorporates individuals sharing details regarding their physical exercises operations, healthy lining that incorporates diets and healthy living.  In addition, individuals normally comments and evaluates in regard to medical treatments thus creating awareness as well as sustaining familiarity in regard to a number of health circumstances. This normally benefits the patients that engages actively in the distribution and acquisition of the knowledge acquired (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2008).

            There are two influences that plays part to the increased access of online health details which are internet high access and health consciousness (Flynn, 2012). In regard to the gender aspect both men and women are equally triggered in accessing online details but based on findings women are highly likely to search for health related facts on the online sites as compared to men. Moreover, the internet users who have experienced themselves or someone related to them, a recent medical emergency, will most definitely try to gather those with similar conditions to share the experiences when compared to those that are not social media users (Fox, 2011).

2.6 The Use of Social Media Marketing Strategy in Healthcare Industry

            For all kind of business, social media has become a very important strategy. At the beginning, every brand tried only to be present across the major social media platforms, but now they are doing more than that (Friedrichsen, 2012). Active planning strategic campaigns around social networks are one of the main marketing channels. And while many industries have foster social media, it seems that healthcare field has been slower to join the party. The internet offers unending choices for the organization that seeks to share specific health details with the public. However in acquiring success in this ventures there is a need to integrate innovation with knowledge in ensuring that the needs and goals of both an organization and involved persons are met (Geckle, 2016). This is because healthcare practices are mainly aimed at creating social integration value which can be acquired via continuously updates to ensure that the details are refreshed and updated to attract responses.

            One of the best practices that other industries made is the improvement of customer services through social media. For example, Comcast Corporation has a lot of customers to serve, 7.6 million Comcast Digital Voice customers nationwide (George, Whitehouse & Duquenoy, 2013). The company found that customers were going online to complain about cable service issues, they began reaching out to their customers online by answering their concerns. They found many areas to improve in their services just by listening and also responding to their customers via social media (Grundén & Lagrosen, 2013). The basic mode of communicating and listening to consumers based on the recent research is through the use of social media where direct responses can be acquired. These platforms are generally about forming connections with people (Hackworth, & Kunz, 2010).

            For those that seek efficiency, social media does not only incorporate the distribution of data but it mainly involves the formation of sustainable relationships (Squazzo, 2010). Furthermore, although healthcare organizations are slow in using social media, it is apparent that the technological advent can momentously enrich the reputation and perceptibility of hospitals and health centers (Hajirnis, 2015). Based on a recent study, 57 percent of consumers stated that the presence of physicians as well as a health institution in social media basis would powerfully impact their optimal concerning their search for facilities and 81 percent of these consumers interpreted that robust social media manifestation as the indication that an organization offers advanced technological services which are linked to quality (Ventola, 2014).Finally, Social media is not only used for regular communication with patients or staff, but it can be a vital, reliable form of communication in emergency situations.

2.7 Social Media Influence on Consumer (Patient) Purchasing Behavior

            The impact of using social media in healthcare business often is not straightforward. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies that adopt social media to their strategy probably will not generate new sales immediately (Hajli, Bugshan, Lin & Featherman, 2013). However, it can, over the long term, benefit the company in many ways, such as; by educating people and provide them with health information they are seeking, assimilating patient upkeep and supporting steadiness, improve patients’ acquiescence with their treatments, and build friendliness in a community (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2008). And although there are many benefits in using social media, there are also many challenges and risks in using these tools, which will be discussed in the next part.

2.8    The Benefits of Using Social Media on Healthcare

            With the fast growth of social media in our life, although there are many challenges associated with engaging in social media, there are also many benefits to start with, Patient learning and spreading awareness are one of the major benefits (HARLESS, 2016). Social media Sites such as blogs, Facebook and other social networks are all fast-moving and inspiring communication with health information. Physicians are utilizing social media to endorse patient health care training. These tools have shown good results of patient education and increase health awareness (Ventola, 2014). In the America it is said that 30 percent of the adults populace have or know or an individual who has benefited from health material initiated online. Moreover, fully 44 percent of care providers report that they have acquired benefits from online investigation especially in learning about the available options of treatment as well as the healthcare needs and preferences of the consumers (Harmon & Messina, 2013).

            According to, Hewitt, (2011), social media utilization results in the increase of online health information. Social media allows people to share their experience and this led to a huge content of health information, some people call it “the supremacy of communal wisdom”, where the presence of more contributors in communal online  network means that the more value they create (Surowiecki J, 2005). It allows patients over the seas from a diversity of communal and environmental circumstances to share material in regard to new treatment technologies and preventive health screenings and provide novel well-being resources, stretching from material about food and nourishment to openings to study about patient encouragement (Centola, 2013). This positive network effects, when patients who manage the equivalent chronic disorder portion their experience and opinions with each other, this can produce clinical understandings more than an understanding of some single patient or even clinicians (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2008, p.6).

            Moreover, it leads to the creation of a network for professionals. Similarly, when physicians meet online and share information through their Facebook pages, twitter or any social media application, the results are beyond the conventional physicians meetings for sharing clinical understandings and perceptions (Househ, Borycki, & Kushniruk, 2014). In addition, physicians from the third-world nations can utilize social media to connect them with authorities in other developed countries which are more pathologically progressive. For instance, surgical measures can be viewed online and enquiries can be requested and answered in factual time. Therefore, social media delivers a fresh form of expertise communication that was never before possible (Ventola, 2014).

            Further, healthcare engagement in social media results in higher patients’ engagement. This huge content and the ability to engage the patients in their health condition brought a positive impact in healthcare. The World Wide Web, and it’s becoming more intellectual in penetrating. It’s more communicating (Khan, Hoffman & Misztur, 2014). In healthcare, patient enablement denotes to the integral capability to be accountable for an individual’s existence. This implies that patients are endowed by the information, services, and self- awareness required to recognize and achieve their health goals. Most studies have established that patient empowerment undeniably disturbs the patients’ self-reliance, ability and readiness to vigorously contribute in clinical connections (Smailhodzic, 2016).

            Social media offers patients interaction networks. Social influences can be described as primary influence in the acceptance or commitment to a new health behaviors, like amenability with food and nourishment initiatives, doing a defensive transmission scan, and upkeep of workout procedures all these and more can be contingent on having interaction with those that shares similar styles (Smith, Christakis, 2008) (17). Moreover, people with the same condition tend to talk to each other in social networks even before the Internet became widely available. The history of peer-to-peer collaboration in the health segment began a decade or so ago, with the conception of sustenance groups for liquor and tobacco nonparticipation, weight regulator, enduring treatment, depression and trauma therapy (Centola, 2013).

            Many studies showed that these networks had a positive impact on those patients. One large-scales study done in California in 1979, showed that supportive social networks improve people’s health outcomes, and they found that people who have low social interaction held a mortality probability between two and four percent higher as equated with those that have robust social networks (Martin, 2017). After the internet, this has been protracted into the computer-generated sphere with the expansion of online apparatuses for training and abstention. The online communal network facilitates this interaction between patients even over the seas. Internet chats became a great way to create communities of patients with similar medical problems and create simulated support groups (McCaughey et al., 2014). Through the wide internet expansion, users can link into networks based on shared interests. It includes over-all sites, or exact interest-based systems, such diabetes groups. These groups are a great method to attaching patients with other similar patients, so they are capable of funding themselves and this works well for improving compliance (Centola, 2013).

            The engagement also results in improving physician and patient communication and relation. Not only between patients but also it includes patient-physician communication. Meskó (2013), stated that more and better communication via social networks will have other benefits as well and will improve the overall quality of healthcare (McNeill, 2013). When practitioners are vigorous on these sites, it affords them with an extra chance to influencing patients and it is a simple technique to reach more individuals in the shortest time duration (Hawn, 2009). Moreover, these tools can be used to improve the quality of services provided to the patients by analyzing social media platforms actual and timely responses, this may be quicker and inexpensive than traditional examinations and Schemes scores, permitting managers, health providers, and investigators to speedily measure the influence of any innovative excellence improvement enterprises (Ranney, Genes, 2015).

            Clinical trials recruitment is another benefit. Patient enrollment and admission is frequently the largest obstacle to victory in a medical trial (Miller & Tucker, 2013). Many major academic institutions are active on social media platforms to promote clinical trial enrollment, this is because clinical trials and staffing for patient recruitment and enrollment use a large percentage of their budget (Nelson & Staggers, 2014). Social media can benefit the trial personnel by dispersion of the expression about a precise trial, links them to patients. In accumulation, once they are registered in the trial, it can be utilized for updates for issues as well as examination and can also be a great foundation of funding for issues and improve passivity (Belbey, 2016). Recruitment by this way may be quicker, more efficient and cost effective (Denecke, 2015).

2.9    Risks and challenges

            According to Nelson, Joos & Wolf, (2013), although, as mentioned before, there are many benefits in using social media, there are also many challenges and risks. Patient privacy is one of the major risks of healthcare engagement in social media. Health data can best be categorized as personal and therefore it should never be utilized to expose an individual or for exploitive purposes. With the evolution of social media, there are also growing concerns about how social media affects patient privacy and how to protect their health information (NORTON & STRAUSS, 2013). As more members connect with the social networks, this will allow more communication among many parties simultaneously. Some companies like Google stated that they will be implemented health data records a subject that raises many patients and consumer concerns about their privacy and they refused the idea, which led to failing of their plans (Hawn, 2009), this is because some would not want others to know about their true health status and concerns, or that their health be ‘broadcasted’ to their social network.

            Moreover, another concern raised because of the use of social media by HCPs, which may lead to potential negative effect resulting from the breach of patient confidentiality. given that corporations possess most of the consumers details ranging from the search patterns it is feared that the information might be utilized in future for undesirable purposes that the users has no knowledge about. This can best be described as the exploitation of individual’s based on their health needs a thing that is inappropriate (Von Muhlen, Ohno-Machado, 2012).

            The other risk pertains, the health information content online lacks quality and reliability. The content of social networks depends largely on the users to generate the information. And as more users join the social network, the more channels will grow and they will possibly diffuse and spread information that is inaccurate. Moreover, based on critics it is clear that social media data can be misleading and might result in deadly impacts (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2008). Therefore, it is important to create reliable online communication channels that can help patients and at the same time to prevent such misguided information (Carter, 2014).

            In addition, patient’s opinion is also affected. Social media consumption by the public for health-related motives results in shorter interactions amid them and healthcare specialists and it augmented converting of specialists by patients (Smailhodzic, 2016). Using social media by professionals can twist the edge amid one’s private and expert life. The rule holds that all the physicians are expected to sustain the required boundaries while connecting with patients by ensuring that confidential medical data is not exposed. In addition, personal lives should be separated from the professional ones given that this would affect the general quality of healthcare. (Pinto, 2015).

            Moreover, the continually evolving nature of the Internet, including social media tools, mobile applications, have raised questions and concerns about how to apply existing regulations for companies to promote in these newer media (Fox, 2011). Furthermore, until now there is no contemporary healthcare privacy legislation in North America or Europe stating that individuals should stop posting their health information online. The privacy today only protects an individual’s healthcare information from institutions (Denecke, 2015).

 

Chapter Three: Research Methodology

3.0 Introduction

            This chapter will be presenting an investigation plan that was utilized in the gathering specific information objected at providing answers to the study questions.

3.1 Research Methodology and Design

            A study design can best be described as a structurally developed plan for the objective of investigation on the ground of the presented study queries. On the other hand, a study methodology entails a calculated plan that seeks to generate answers to the study’s objectives and questions. The study applied a mixed procedure that combined both a quantitative and qualitative methods succeeding a descriptive study design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Ahmann, E. (2016). Family Matters. Innovative Programs Highlighting Patient and Family Engagement. Pediatric Nursing, 42(6), 303-306.

Boateng, B. A., & Black, E. W. (2012). Social media in medicine: The impact of online social networks on contemporary medicine. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

Cangelosi, J. D., Ranelli, E., & Kim, D. (2013). Preventive Health Care Information Delivery Systems: Is Social Media Relevant? Atlantic Marketing Journal, 2(2), 2-13.

Carter, J. M., & Wilson, F. L. (2015). Cyberbullying: A 21st Century Health Care Phenomenon. Pediatric Nursing, 41(3), 115-125.

Chern Li, L., Wellington, S., Oliver, G., & Perkins, R. (2015). Social Media in Libraries and Archives: Applied with Caution. Canadian Journal of Information & Library Sciences, 39(3/4), 377-396.

CORDO, A., BOLBOACĂ, S. D., & DRUGAN, T. C. (2016). Social Media as Source of Medical Information for Healthcare Students. Applied Medical Informatics, 38(1), 39-48.

Dejong, S. M. (2013). Blogs and tweets, texting and friending: Social media and online professionalism in health care. Amsterdam: Academic Press Inc.

Denecke, K. (2015). Health web science: Social media data for healthcare. Cham, Springer.

Dinh, A. K. (2011). Privacy and Security of Social Media in Health Care. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 13(1), 45-72.

Ellaway, R. H., Coral, J., Topps, D., & Topps, M. (2015). Exploring digital professionalism. Medical Teacher, 37(9), 844-849.

Flynn, N. (2012). The Social Media Handbook: Rules, Policies, and Best Practices to Successfully Manage Your Organization's Social Media Presence, Posts, and Potential. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Friedrichsen, M. (2012). Handbook of Social Media Management: Value Chain and Business Models in Changing Media Markets. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

Geckle, J. (2016). Use of Multimedia or Mobile Devices by Adolescents for Health Promotion and             Disease Prevention: A Literature Review. Pediatric Nursing, 42(4), 163-167.

George, C., Whitehouse, D., & Duquenoy, P. (2013). EHealth: Legal, ethical and governance challenges. Berlin: Springer.

Grundén, K., & Lagrosen, S. (2013). Social Media Marketing: An Evaluation Study in the Wellness Industry. Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Management & Evaluation, 51-57.

Hackworth, B. A., & Kunz, M. B. (2010). HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL MEDIA: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS VIA SOCIAL NETWORKS. Academy Of Health Care Management Journal, 6(1), 55-68.

Hajirnis, A. (2015). Social media networking: Parent guidance required. (Cover story). Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 31(12), 1-7.

Hajli, M., Bugshan, H., Lin, X., & Featherman, M. (2013). From e-learning to social learning – a health care study. European Journal of Training & Development, 37(9), 851-863.

HARLESS, A. (2016). 7 Tips for Effectively Outsourcing Social Media. Marketing Health Services, 36(1), 14-15.

Harmon, C., & Messina, M. (2013). Using social media in libraries: Best practices. Scarecrow Press.

Hewitt, A. M. (2011). Aligning Social Media, Social Networking and Social Marketing: Engagement as the Key to Healthcare Marketing. Proceedings of the Northeast Business & Economics Association, 211-214.

Househ, M., In Borycki, E., & In Kushniruk, A. W. (2014). Social media and mobile technologies for healthcare. Hershey.

IGI Global, & In Information Resources Management Association. (2017). Health literacy: Breakthroughs in research and practice.

Khan, G. F., Hoffman, M. C., & Misztur, T. (2014). Best Practices in Social Media at Public, Nonprofit, Education, and Health Care Organizations. Social Science Computer Review, 32(5), 571-574.

Martin, E. J. (2017). The State of Social Media. Econtent, 40(1), 22-24.

McCaughey, D., Baumgardner, C., Gaudes, A., LaRochelle, D., Wu, K. J., & Raichura, T. (2014). Best Practices in Social Media: Utilizing a Value Matrix to Assess Social Media’s Impact on Health Care. Social Science Computer Review, 32(5), 575-589.

McNeill, D. (2013). A framework for applying analytics in healthcare: What can be learned from the best practices in retail, banking, politics, and sports? Upper Saddle.

Meskó, B. (2013). Social media in clinical practice. London: Springer.

Miller, A. R., & Tucker, C. (2013). Active Social Media Management: The Case of Health Care. Information Systems Research, 24(1), 52-70. doi:10.1287/isre.1120.0466

Nelson, R., & In Staggers, N. (2014). Health informatics: An interprofessional approach. Elselver.

Nelson, R., Joos, I. M., & Wolf, D. M. (2013). Social media for nurses: Educating practitioners and patients in a networked world. Springer.

NORTON, A., & STRAUSS, L. J. (2013). Social Media and Health Care - The Pros and the Cons. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 15(1), 49-51.

Pinto, M. B. (2015). Social media's contribution to customer satisfaction with services. Service Industries Journal, 35(11/12), 573-590. doi:10.1080/02642069.2015.1062881

Polverini, P. J. (2015). Personalized oral health care: From concept design to clinical practice. Springer.

Rozenblum, R., & Bates, D. W. (2013). Patient-Centered Healthcare, Social media and the Internet: the perfect storm? BMJ Qual Saf, 22930, 183-186. Doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2012-001744.

Sarringhaus, M. M. (2011). The Great Divide: Social Media's Role in Bridging Healthcare's Generational Shift. Journal of Healthcare Management, 56(4), 235-244.

Thomas, L., & Woodside, J. M. (2016). Social media maturity model. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 9(1), 67-73. doi:10.1080/20479700.2015.1101940.

Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design. New York: Guilford Press.

 Wickramasinghe, N., & IGI Global. (2017). Handbook of research on healthcare administration and management. Hershey.

Zadeh, A. H., Hajli, N., Yichuan, W., & Herrando, C. (2016). What Are the Main Reasons for Users' Resources Integration on Social Media? Healthcare as a Critical Context. AMA Summer Educators' Conference Proceedings, 27B-44.