A Hospital Leadership Guide to Digital & Social Media Engagement

Hospital and health care executives have a unique role to play in social media execution. Recognizing the importance of social media is the first step in taking your hospital into the digital world. Understanding the value and the potential of this medium can help leverage your community benefit programs and patient engagement in a way never possible before the advent of the Internet.

This guide will help to explain the possibilities of using digital media to manage patient experience in your hospital. From connecting with community members and potential patients before they arrive at your doorstep to managing their care transitions after they leave – social media can help.

This guide aims to provide information and best practices for using social media from the provider perspective in a proactive and thoughtful manner. It is important to understand the various implications of using social media as they relate to, among other issues, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and employee and human resource considerations. As technology changes, so too will the options and availability of new resources for social engagement. This guide will provide you with the tools necessary to implement, manage and make informed decisions about the professional use of social media, no matter the current trend. While this guide is not meant to be an exhaustive resource, we hope it will serve as a blueprint for effective ways to engage online.