Are Hospitals Missing the Web Bandwagon?

In the Sunday, October 18th issue of Suburban Journals there was an article about hospitals' reluctance to engage the social web - specifically Twitter. Here's a link to the story: http://tinyurl.com/yh4dxlx. If you're not already burned out on articles and posts about why healthcare organizations have been slow to adopt social media, then this piece by Eric Becker might be of interest. It is titled: "Why some hospitals keep missing the web bandwagon: Concerns about new technology hobble industry." Here's an excerpt from the story:

"But of all the factions that have embraced Twitter and other social media tools, one is largely absent from the mix, even though it relies heavily on making sure resources are available for customers: the hospital.

The reason, hospital and regulatory officials said, is because of the health care industry's complex nature, difficulties pegging emergency room wait times and even concerns about private information. For them, the social media tools that have been so widely lauded for improving lines of communication present largely uncharted waters, something few are ready to test." (Source: Suburban Journals, October 18, 2009)

Consider this article just another data point in the ongoing discussion about healthcare and social media. Sooner or later the industry will be far enough along that articles like this will no longer capture anyone's attention. I look forward to that day!

Post by Dan Dunlop, The Healthcare Marketing Community & Blog