Tarah's Digital Voice

Originally posted on Brand New World's blog

"We need brands to create more meaningful connections between their consumers in healthcare." - Dr. Jay Parkinson, founder of The Future Well & Hello Health

We attended "Navigating Social Media and New Technology in Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industries” yesterday (see the Twitter conversation here), a Social Media Week event focused on the challenges and growing number of solutions in this complex and important space. The panel was moderated by Augustine Fou (@acfou), Group Chief Digital Officer at Omnicom's Healthcare Consultancy Group, and featured Dr. Parkinson (@jayparkinson), DJ Edgerton (@wiltonbound), CEO of Zemoga, Oliver Kharraz (@ZocDoc), COO of ZocDoc, and Ned Russell (@SaatchiWellness), Managing Director of Saatchi Wellness. The focus of the panel was mainly on the biggest issues facing both the healthcare industry and patients in social media, causing a dire need for technological and strategic innovation. Other than a passing reference to McNeil Pediatrics' ADHD Moms, which we're big fans of, there wasn't much reference to existing initiatives or tactics being used on social media platforms, probably because companies aren't doing a whole lot yet. While we have created some presence in this space for pharmaceutical companies, such as a first-ever blogger outreach program and a patient and HCP webisode series which was featured on YouTube, we have certainly found much more resistance in this industry than in other areas.

To kick things off, Edgerton stated that the number one reason that pharmaceutical companies are unwilling to get into social media is the reporting of adverse events (more on that here), driving most that even have a Facebook page to turn off wall comments, for example. The ensuing discussion covered a number of advertising and technology responses to this resistance that are already being developed by the panelists and others, most notably:

• ZocDoc, which is like the OpenTable of medicine, streamlining the process for patients to find doctors, make appointments, leave reviews and otherwise manage their relationships with their healthcare professionals
• The Health Tweeder, a tool with an attractive user interface that allows people to quickly drill into the conversations that are happening on Twitter by category
• Hello Health, allowing patients and doctors to communicate directly and efficiently, using modern tools instead of commonly used archaic methods
• LiveWorld, which allows brands to monitor and moderate conversations in social media

The healthcare industry has entered a time where approximately 68% of doctors use smartphones and nine out of ten doctors say that the Internet is absolutely essential to their practices, according to Edgerton. Yet most medical records are still not accessible digitally and to implement a digital records system it requires about a $45,000 up-front investment for a Windows 95-type experience. With rising costs, increased regulations and a patient demand for more immediacy and more transparency, the current analog systems are unsustainable. So how do we help this industry adopt the valuable tools that are now available? As Russell said, "Social media shouldn't be about selling a brand, but providing value to help people make informed healthcare decisions."  Two-way dialogue might not always make sense, but healthcare companies must embrace the fact that conversations are happening, with or without them, and the technology exists for them to truly act as resources and partners for both professionals and patients. The best way for these companies to build their brands is by validating expert voices, providing the tools to take control over health and recognizing the value of individual experiences. When healthcare companies take a more active role in social media, they will become increasingly relevant and engender more trust - which is healthy for everyone.