Healthcare & Social Media: The Good, the Bad & the Gram

What’s Working 

1. Accessible Health Education That Sticks 

Gone are the days of dusty pamphlets languishing in waiting rooms. Today’s healthcare providers are delivering bite-sized health education that people actually consume and share. From animated explanations of how vaccines work to quick digital guides on recognizing stroke symptoms, complex health information is being translated into formats that resonate with real people.  

2. Community Building Beyond Hospital Walls 

For patients with chronic conditions or rare diseases, social media has become a lifeline. These platforms facilitate communities where patients share experiences, coping strategies, and emotional support. Meanwhile, providers who engage with these groups gain invaluable insights into patient needs while demonstrating their commitment to care that extends beyond the examination room. 

3. Humanizing Healthcare Professionals 

Remember when doctors seemed like mysterious beings who emerged from behind curtains with clipboards? Social media has pulled back that curtain, revealing the humans behind the stethoscopes. Providers sharing glimpses of their professional challenges, celebrating team victories, or demonstrating procedures demystifies healthcare and builds trust in ways no billboard ever could. 

What’s Not Working 

1. Privacy Concerns That Keep Legal Teams Up at Night 

Healthcare and privacy go together like peanut butter and jelly — you simply can’t have one without the other. Social media platforms, however, weren’t built with HIPAA in mind. One well-intentioned post that accidentally reveals patient information can spiral into compliance nightmares and eroded trust. 

2. The Pressure to Perform Rather Than Inform 

As social algorithms reward entertainment over education, healthcare providers face the temptation to prioritize clicks over clinical accuracy. The line between engaging content and medical misinformation can blur when the pressure to create “viral” content overtakes the mission to provide sound health information. 

3. The Dangers of Self Diagnosis 

Though consumers typically perform at least one healthcare-related search annually, increasingly they’re turning to social media to self-diagnose. They might scroll through your hospital’s Instagram for information about mysterious symptoms instead of booking an actual appointment. This “TikTok diagnosis” phenomenon can lead patients down rabbit holes of anxiety or false reassurance, potentially delaying necessary treatment or encouraging unnecessary worry. Healthcare providers must walk the tightrope of providing helpful information while still emphasizing when it’s time to close the app and open the office door. 

Your Social Media Specialists (and So Much More!) 

This is where WAX comes in. We understand that healthcare organizations need more than just a social media account. They need a strategic partner who speaks both algorithm and medical terminology fluently. Our team specializes in crafting compliant, engaging healthcare content that educates without crossing ethical lines, builds trust without oversimplifying complex topics, and converts followers into patients without resorting to questionable tactics. 

Let’s create social media that your legal team, clinical staff, and marketing department can all feel good about. Reach out and set up a time to chat. Oh yea, and don’t forget to like, follow and share!