Last week I presented at the Mayo Ragan Social Media Summit and shared data on hospital use of social media. One data source was the Ubicare Healthcare EQ Chart. This post provides more detail about the chart methodology and its results. (Full disclosure – I am a paid adviser to Ubicare)

Ubicare is a content and communications vendor for healthcare organizations. For the past six months, they’ve  monitored activity on the Facebook pages of 1,000 hospitals, calculating the interactions, and publishing the results. The goal is to go beyond simple fan counts and look for robust, active communities:

This Engagement Quotient (or “EQ”) Chart details activity on more than 1,000 hospital and healthcare-related Facebook pages. It offers a measurement of fan interaction with those pages by culling data from Facebook, which is then used to calculate an EQ percentile.

Because more fans does not equal more conversation, this calculation is used:

EQ = Likes + (7 x Comments) + (7 x Fan Posts) + (2 x estimated Clicks) / Fans (min. = 500)

…which balances out results between large and small communities.  (the FAQ has a deeper explanation of the formula)

Each week the chart gets updated,  the top 50 hospitals identified and links provided to their Facebook pages.  Take a look at the leaders. They are usually not large, well-known institutions but smaller facilities with  close connections to their physical community and internal staff:

• Fort Belvoir Community Hospital - Virginia
• Northport VA Medical Center – New York
• Kishwaukee Community Hospital – Illinois
• Lexington Medical Center – South Carolina
• Mercy Sacramento – California

Some Stats:

Ubicare is currently tracking 1,078 healthcare Facebook pages.

• 67% of these pages have < 1,000 fans, 41% have < 500 fans.
• Fan bases are increasing – about 1 percent per month for those with over 500 fans: The median of fans per page is now about 625, up from about 470 in March/April.
• The average likes per comment is 7.4 to 1
• Posts on these pages consistently get about 3 likes per 1,000 fans.
• Pages in the top 10th percentile of EQ average nearly 8 posts per week.
• Pages below the top 10th percentile average < 4 posts per week.

During the first 22 weeks of tracking healthcare’s engagement on Facebook:

• 120,464 posts were made on the pages being tracked.
• These posts garnered 651,053 “Likes and 104,321 “Comments.”

What’s Working for the Top Communities

• They post at least 4 times per week, and up to as often as 3 times per day.
• They post “eye candy”: videos and photos of people.
• They post “interactive” things such as quizzes and contests.

Heads up - The Hospital Industry Survey of Digital, Integrated and Emerging Marketing is now ready for your input.  This survey has been in development by Acsys Interactive for several months,  and was completely crowdsourced by U.S. hospital marketers, web managers and communications experts.

It’s a survey that asks questions we care about – because we built it.

Link to Survey

More info from their blog

This past December, Chris Quigley found himself laid up in King’s College Hospital, London. Flat on his back and with plenty of time to think, he realized that many things about his care could be better.

He wasn’t complaining, but did see opportunities for improvement. Unlike most hospital patients, he didn’t just say something to hospital  staff, or fill out a suggestion card. Chris decided to get the community involved. With a laptop and WiFi access at his hospital bed, he created a Web site called  Help Us Improve Kings The site uses a platform called DelibDialogueApp, from a company he founded.

From the Home page:

Help us improve King’s College Hospital!

If you’ve got an idea – add it!  Or look around and rate / comment on other people ideas!

This site’s been set up to enable patients, employees, and visitors (family/friends of patients) to help share ideas of how to improve King’s College Hospital.

King’s is undoubtedly a great hospital doing great work – however all organisations can improve, and the best people to help King’s to improve is US – the people who interact with King’s on a daily basis.

He also shot this video and posted it on YouTube:

Now to be honest, after an initial flurry of activity, the conversation has stopped. About a dozen suggestions were submitted and most had only a few comments. There’s been no discussion since January in spite of coverage from Wired and the BBC. That’s the nature of Web 2.0 tools. Quick to create and easy to launch,  many will fade away but some will take off.

But here’s the question to consider – How would your hospital react if one of your patients did this?

UPDATE – Garrick pointed me to an impressive site from BJC HealthCare called Make Medicine Better.

Check out the Share Your Ideas section for active and frank discussions on efficient care, expensive ER visits, CT Scan risks , health reform,  and many more.

This is how it should be done.

Meet the Experts – Profiles of Hospital Social Media Managers

Over the past year, I’ve met dozens of hard-working people pioneering Social Media use for their hospitals. Despite similar challenges, they’ve built successful programs and have a great deal of knowledge to share. This Q and A series will introduce you to a different professional each week.

Our first interview is with Brenda Finkle, who is the Director of Corporate Communications at Norman Regional Health System in Norman, Oklahoma.  Brenda has been with Norman for 3 years, and oversees the internal and external corporate communications for the three hospital system.

Tell us about your hospital and the department where you work.

Brenda: Norman Regional Health System serves healthcare needs throughout south central Oklahoma. Our acute-care hospital on the Porter Avenue Campus is licensed for 337 beds and offers a full range of services. Moore Medical Center provides general medical and surgical needs, physical therapy, obstetrical services, 24-hour emergency services and close-to-home diagnostic imaging to the Moore community. The HealthPlex Campus at Interstate 35 and Tecumseh Road is under development and already includes the HealthPlex Professional Building. The third, 152 bed hospital opens in September, 2009 and will feature Cardiovascular, Orthopedic and Spine, and Women and Children’s Services.

We also provide outpatient diagnostic centers, medical transport services, physician services, centers of excellence, durable medical equipment supplies, a primary care network, community wellness service and employer health services. Norman Regional has grown to employ more than 2,300 people and partner with 293 active-staff physicians.

I manage the Health System advertising and marketing activities with the help of a highly professional, specialized team of experts. The department has an award-winning graphic designer and copy writer, web designer and media specialist.  Our team of four specialists/experts has oversight of the communication and advertising needs for the Health System. Our copy writer has responsibility of writing and sending our social media updates daily.

What got you interested in social media?

Around January 2009 we were hearing more “buzz” about Twitter and Facebook in print and some TV media regarding business applications.  I asked my team to research how hospitals were utilizing social media and if this was something we could adopt. We also, at the same time, realized that traditional methods of advertising were evolving and wanted to be part of this evolving conversation. We still had a message to share with the public – but found ourselves regrouping and rethinking how to best communicate with our audience.

Here is some of our thinking:

• Needed to be part of the conversations about our Health System
• Develop relationships with our community that allow for feedback – instantaneously
• It’s free. There are no costs associated with Facebook or Twitter outside of staff time.
• We can reach an audience that typically doesn’t read or watch traditional communication tools such as the newspaper, magazines or TV.
• We would be building relationships and hopefully trust with a new group of community members we had not touched through previous advertising or communication campaigns
• Customer Service and feedback from the public without expense of a focus group or more formal information gathering tool
• Building brand loyalty and public awareness

Is there a particular Social Network you prefer for your hospital program?

We focus on three: Twitter, Facebook and our Website blog

What are your social media goals?

• To build relationships with those that “follow” us or “fan” us through our social media platforms.
• Increase knowledge about ongoing community service, health screening events and other events they and their families can attend
• For the public to have a voice about their expectations.  A platform to share their story and experience at the Health System.  Develop two-way conversations.
• Educate the public about their health and what they can do to improve their health and that of their family.
• We want to be seen as a health resource for the communities we serve.
• Be part of the conversation and monitor conversations about the Health System.
• In Oklahoma crisis communication is always a consideration – you’ve highlighted a hospital utilizing social media extremely effectively during flooding this past spring on your blog.  We plan on using our social media accounts and website to communicate – “real time” with the public during an emergent situation.  We had a great response to our H1N1 updates this spring.

What’s your opinion on measuring ROI for social media?

ROI for social media is going to be very difficult to measure. Right now we measure success through the amount of interaction we receive monthly.  I think this is an area many are struggling with at this time.

How much staff time do you and your team devote to social media a week? How much do you think is right?

We estimate about 30 minutes a day – between writing and launching the tweets/Facebook updates, answering questions and monitoring Tweetdeck for messages. Not much time at all.

Did you need to “sell’ social media to upper management?

No, they were very progressive and forward thinking. Our HIPAA committee has been extremely supportive.  They trust our department and know we’d never put anything out to the public that would put the Health System at risk. When presenting to the CIO and the HIPAA committee I shared that we had to be part of the conversation – so we were aware of issues before they became insurmountable – and could get correct information disseminated before rumor took hold. Once that flashpoint is passed it’s difficult to change an entrenched rumor. We’ve all seen the PR nightmares related to not being part of the social media conversation.  We want to be out in front of any issues before they make the 6 PM news.

Can you share a success story?

Yes!  We’ve posted information regarding events or Health System updates that have triggered media interest and quite a few stories.  We like interacting with the media and find ourselves building great relationships with our media partners.  Twitter and Facebook are truly helping with this effort. Community members tweet and let us know that they wouldn’t have known about the free screening events we sponsor unless they read about it on Twitter (or Facebook).

We have patients and their families write on our web blog about the care they or their loved one received while at the Health System. The patients or family members that share a frustration or concern with us via Twitter, Facebook or our blog are called by our patient liaison for customer service follow up and care.  We would rather have them cared for in a positive and proactive manner immediately than weeks later as seen with other customer service tools. That’s the gift of social media – immediacy.  When positive messages are given and shared we seek permission from the writer to post the feedback on our flat screen TV’s, through email updates, internal publications and team meetings of the department being complimented.

We’ve also been promoting individual service lines with coupons – increased awareness has been extremely successful.

What advice do you have for Hospitals considering a social media program?

Don’t wait too long to engage. There is benefit to being part of the conversation early.

Other thoughts:

1. Take time to thoroughly review current staffing to assure you can support 1 to 5 updates a day.
2. Have a plan in place to deal with feedback – be it positive or negative.
3. Don’t rely too heavily on straight marketing messages.  You’ll want to build relationships with your followers or fans.

What changes do you think we’ll see in the future in terms of how hospitals use social media?

So many ideas circulating out there:

• Employee updates
• What surgery is like as demonstrated by our friends at Mayo, Henry Ford and others.  It demystifies what to expect and hopefully take away some of the fear.
• Public health updates and alerts – such as H1N1 flu
• Emergency management
• Hospital communication directly to Physician
• Physician communication with their patients
• RSVP for events via Facebook
• Nursing can utilize for patient education or follow up after patient discharged from hospital
• Medication management questions for pharmacy

Any final thoughts?

As our world is rapidly shrinking – information is exchanged on an immediate basis via social media, text messages, blogs, chat rooms, websites and other means.  Social media is driving those changes. I literally find out more by reading updates on Twitter than I can by reading the newspaper the day (or two, or three depending on where you live) the event occurs.

Traditional marketing is being re-evaluated by every marketing/advertising professional I’ve spoken to over the last few months.  Where are people meeting/talking/exchanging ideas?  Where will that conversation occur over the next 5 years?  As a society we’re shifting to a more web based environment.  How we address this shift in healthcare will be critical.

For us – we’ll continue to explore new ways to keep our community informed, educated and alerted to healthcare and Health System updates.  We seem friendlier, more approachable and up-to-date with our social media platform.

I attended the J. Boye conference last week, and participated in the eHealth track. My presentation covered three areas:

1. How I explain Social Media to my colleagues at the Hospital

2. Our experiences with YouTube, Twitter and Facebook

3. The best practices at other hospitals.

A big batch of updates this week.

Stats and Graphs

We now have 250 hospitals on the list!

• 160 on Twitter
• 131 on YouTube
• 94 on Facebook
• 24 using Blogs

I wonder if any the newcomers were motivated by the Swine Flu crisis, and were looking for better communications tools.

Here’s the latest additions:

Anne Arundel Medical Center Annapolis, MD  on Twitter

Blythedale Children’s Hospital Valhalla, NY  on Twitter

Bradley Hospital East Providence, RI   on Twitter

Children’s Hospital Denver, CO   on Twitter

Christus Health, Irving TX,  – on Twitter, YouTube and a Blog

Emory Univ – Wesley Woods Center Atlanta, GA on Facebook

Emory Univ – Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital Atlanta, GA on Facebook

Emory Univ – Hospital Midtown Atlanta, GA on Facebook

Hasbro Children’s Hospital Providence, RI  on Twitter

Methodist Medical Center Peoria, IL   on Twitter

National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington D.C. on Facebook

Newport Hospital Newport, RI    on Twitter

North Kansas City Hospital North Kansas City, MO   on Twitter

Northern Arizona Healthcare Flagstaff, AZ    on Twitter

Parkland Memorial Hospital,  Dallas, TX   on Twitter

Rhode Island Hospital Providence, RI  on Twitter

Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale, AZ on Twitter

Southcoast Health System New Bedford, MA   on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube

St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center Boise, ID   on Twitter

Texas Health Resources, Arlington, TX on Twitter

The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI on Twitter

War Memorial Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, MI on Twitter

Here’s an updated chart showing the number of Hospital Twitter Accounts vs. YouTube. The old chart was getting picked up on several blogs.

As of April 4, 2009, there were 132 Twitter accounts vs. 126 on YouTube.

As of April 19, 2009 there were 140 Twitter accounts vs. 128 on YouTube

As of May 25, 2009 there are 201 Twitter accounts vs. 135 on YouTube

Not too many updates this week, most came from Tom Stitt. Thanks Tom!

For the past month, I’ve been relying on submissions from folks like Tom,  Reed Smith, and others in my network. I’m grateful for their assistance.

In a few weeks I’ll do a more in-depth survey of Facebook and Youtube, and see if any new accounts have been added.

Here are the current numbers:

216 Hospitals total
126 YouTube Channels
83 Facebook pages
132 Twitter Accounts
23 Blogs

New this week:

Allina Hospitals, Minneapolis, MN on Facebook

Blair E. Batson Childrens Hospital, Jackson, MS on Twitter

Childrens Hospital in LA, Los Angeles, CA on Twitter

Dayton Children’s Hospital, Dayton H, on Twitter

St. Joseph Hospital, Chicago, IL on Twitter

There are many ways that social media tools can benefit a hospital. We’ve discussed several of them on this blog, but there’s a powerful use that sometimes gets overlooked – Crisis Communications

Innovis Health in Fargo, North Dakota is in the middle of a such crisis right now. For the past week Fargo has been threatened by flooding from the Red River. Water levels reached historic 40’+ levels, and large areas of the city are still affected.  For several days, Innovis was the only hospital fully open in Fargo and remains the site for Blackhawk helicopter evacuation landings, the Red Cross, a VA satellite office and more.

A US Coastguard helicopter arrives at Innovis Health, Fargo, bearing an evacuee.

Carol Russell manages the social media program for Innovis. She is the CEO of Russell Herder, a firm based in Minneapolis, and – along with her partner Brian Herder and two senior staff – has handled outreach communications for Innovis since the crisis started. The team has worked 24/7, gathering information from Innovis staff, writing the blog updates at innovishealth.wordpress.com and handling the Twitter feed, @innovishealth. In addition, they release critical announcements to an extensive traditional and social media networks.

I spoke to Carol about the impact of these tools in an emergency situation. Here’s what she had to say:

“The crisis has clearly proved the value of Social Media in several areas.

First, it decreased demand from the media. Hospital phone lines need to remain open for emergency and family calls, and the blog cut down on many calls from local and national media. We point them to the blog with the promise that all announcements will be posted immediately.

Next, these tools make it easy for us to manage communications remotely. We’re based in Minneapolis and our client is in Fargo, but we’re able to fully assist them and not be in the way.

In addition, by creating this blog we are able to take control of the message. We don’t need to rely on the ability to reach preoccupied local media to publish updates, and there are no concerns about the message getting garbled.

Finally, these tools can be quickly implemented. We created the blog and had it live with the first update in one hour. When messages about service access and patient safety need to get out, it’s absolutely critical to establish a communication channel immediately.”

None of this would matter if no one read the updates, but that’s not the case. Since the blog went up on March 27, over 5,000 people have gone to it for news and updates. The Twitter feed has over 255 followers, and many are passing these updates along to others. In addition, there have been over 1,100 views by reporters of news releases pitched via social media distribution.  While the current crisis is far from over, thanks to a major blizzard that exacerbated the situation yesterday, the situation seems to have stabilized somewhat. But even after the flood waters subside, it’s clear that these newly established communication channels will continue to have value for Innovis Health.

Every hospital has a crisis communications plan. Does yours include social media as a tool?

On March 3′rd I asked the question: “I currently track  187 hospitals using Social Media tools – when will we go past 200?”

The prolific blogger and Twitter user, Ves Dimov predicted that number would reached by the end of March. It was a safe bet, the submissions have come in at a steady pace over the past two weeks. Here’s the current count:

• 206 Hospitals total
• 124 YouTube Channels
• 82 Facebook pages
• 117 Twitter Accounts
• 22 Blogs

FYI the 200′th Hospital was  Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL with their Twitter account.

As you can see from the update list below, most of the growth continues to be with Twitter. At this pace, it should become the most popular social media tool by early April.

What’s Next?

I’d like to hear from you. What do you want me to cover on the blog and on the list? Would anyone be interested in a guest post? or interview? Let me know.

This weeks updates to the Hospital List:

Banner Heart  Hospital, Mesa, AZ, on Twitter

Banner Gateway, Gilbert AZ, on Twitter

Banner Baywood, Mesa, AZ, on Twitter

Banner Thunderbird, Glendale, AZ on Twitter

Community Medical Center on YouTube and several Blogs

Huntington Hospital, Pasadena, CA on Twitter

Lehigh Valley Hospital Allentown, PA is on YouTube

Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX on Twitter and a Blog

Norman Regional Health System, Norman, OK  on  Twitter

Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL on Twitter

Sacred Heart Health System, Pensacola, FL on Twitter

Sacred Heart Hospital, Miramar Beach, FL on Twitter

UNC Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC on YouTube