Older E-Patients Crave Information, Not Friendship from Health Organizations Communicating Via Social Media

Nov 17th, 2009 by Fard Johnmar

Update: Please click here for the report that outlines the full results from this study.

Late last month, I published an analysis focusing on whether Baby Boomers are using social technologies.  I looked at this issue because some have argued that Boomers are shying away from social media.

It’s no secret that older people are relying on social tools for health and wellness purposes.  As a result, marketers are urging (and sometimes begging) health organizations to begin using social media technologies more aggressively.

This is sound advice.  However, is it a good idea for health organizations to join the social media party without knowing whether they have been invited?  Unfortunately, by not looking closely at this question, some are dampening rather than enhancing the online festivities.

Before communicating via social media technologies, health organizations need to answer two questions:

  • How do e-patients feel about us marketing via social media tools?
  • What do e-patients want from us – friendship, or something else?
data_older_epatients

Click to Enlarge this Chart

We know have some answers to these very important questions.  Earlier this month, the Path of the Blue Eye project commissioned a nationally representative online survey of 668 e-patients (this group was culled from a larger sample of 1,000 U.S. adults).  The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.1%.

It turns out that my post about Boomer health social media users was very popular.  Given this, I thought you’d be interested in learning what older e-patients want from health organizations communicating via social media.

The data reveal that this group is more interested in information than interaction or friendship.  Tellingly:

  • 62% of e-patients 55 and older want news or information about medical conditions or diseases from health organizations using new or social media.
  • Only 32% of e-patients 55+ and 38% of e-patients between 45 and 54 want to communicate directly with health organization staff via social media.
  • Surprisingly, only 37% of e-patients between 45 – 54 years old want health organizations to use social media to help them share info with people suffering from a medical condition.

The bottom line: If you want to capture older e-patients’ hearts via social media, focus on substance (information) over style (friendship).

If You Want the Rest of the Study, You’ll Have to Get unNiched

The rest of this study will only be available to those who purchase the e-patients focused edition of our premium publication, unNiche.  Individuals purchasing this in-depth report titled, “Communicating with the Empowered E-Patient,” will have access to:

  • Analysis focusing on whether e-patients think health organizations’ rush to social media is a positive development – we’ll look at hospitals, pharma companies, government agencies and other organizations
  • Data on what e-patients of different genders, income types and ethnic backgrounds want from health organizations communicating via social media

This report was published on December 14, 2009.  To order your copy, please click here.

Learn more about other unNiche reports we plan to produce by clicking here.

Join us at unNiched 2010, a unique collaborative online and offline boot camp for health marketing communications professionals. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read More from Walking the Path:

  1. Think Boomers Aren’t Using Social Media? Think Again (Especially in Health)
  2. Why You Need Our New Report: Communicating with the Empowered E-Patient
  3. Google SideWiki & 5 Ways Health Organizations Can Anchor Themselves in the Social Media Storm

Posted in Data First, Health Communications, Health Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Participatory Health, Social Media

33 Responses to “Older E-Patients Crave Information, Not Friendship from Health Organizations Communicating Via Social Media”

  1. ICMCC News Page » Older E-Patients Crave Information, Not Friendship from Health Organizations Communicating Via Social Media says:
    November 18, 2009 at 4:14 am

    [...] Article Fard Johnmar, Walking the Path, 17 November 2009 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Older E-Patients Crave Information, Not Friendship from Health Organizations Communicating Via Social Media", url: "http://articles.icmcc.org/2009/11/18/older-e-patients-crave-information-not-friendship-from-health-organizations-communicating-via-social-media/" }); [...]

  2. Adam Gross says:
    November 18, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Great information – thank you for conducting this survey.

    How is “health organization” defined?

  3. Fard Johnmar says:
    November 18, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    Adam:

    Thanks for your kind words about the study. We asked another question in the study, which defined health organizations as health non-profits, government agencies, local hospitals, national hospitals, health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.

    Fard

  4. Bob Blonchek says:
    November 20, 2009 at 11:59 am

    Thank you for this information. This is an incredibly important point to get across and repeat over and over again.
    The paternalistic attitudes within health care are a major obstacle to true consumer-centric reform. We need to get past the notion that health care of any kind is too delicate a matter for non-experts. We got past this in finanical services in the last decade (individual investors now dominate the industry), let’s hope health care follows suite in the coming years.

  5. Give them what they want: Health social media for Baby Boomers says:
    December 1, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    [...] organizations communicating via social media. Some results are outlined in a recent blog post, Older E-Patients Crave Information, Not Friendship from Health Organizations Communicating Via Socia…. The rest of the study goes on sale next week. In short, the study finds: ”If you want to [...]

  6. Do Patients Want Pharma Companies in Social Media? | PRforPharma says:
    December 4, 2009 at 11:52 am

    [...] The good folks over the Path of the Blue Eye Project alerted me to some interesting statistics that highlight the importance of information to e-patients.  Keep an eye out for the full report next [...]

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