In October 2009 Ed Bennett recorded over 400 hospitals in the US utilising social Networks. Following the sterling work of @EdBennett I was stimulated to determine the percentage of Australian hospitals using Social Networks both to further engage staff members and to provide community based education for the general populous.
We examined 935 Australian Hospitals to confirm that Australia is lagging 12-18 months behind the US in terms of utilising Social Media to facilitate two-way communication; engage the community and relay vital lifestyle and health related information. In this initial survey we found that hospitals were becoming more compliant with Organisational websites and directory listings (providing moderately up to date information about their location and services provided) – but the use of social media and social networks has yet to be embraced.
I expect to see some significant changes over the next 6-12 months (as per the data from the US) but Australia currently boasts a festive 3 hospital blogs, 2 Organisational based Facebook accounts and 1 Twitter account.
Granted, there are a few staff based and private Facebook accounts as well as medical blogs partly affiliated with certain hospitals (documented below), but I would love to see an increase in the community based interactivity and approachability of the Hospital as a whole. The sharing of information and embracing of Social Networking is still in its infancy in Australia, but we will watch it grow
Please leave comments below with links to hospital Social Networks. The permanent link to this table will be hosted at the Australian Hospital Social Network list
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Childrens-Hospita...
Also, Hornsby Hospital is publicising its underfunding on Facebook
Hornsby hospital: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13871220314
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,2373...
I wonder how many other hospitals follow suit
@laikas @edbennett @DrVes Lots of blank spaces in Australia Hospital Social Network List 2009 http://su.pr/2Q7sj7 hope to see growth soon…
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@sandnsurf Lots of blank spaces in Australia Hospital Social Network List http://su.pr/2Q7sj7 – Growth will come gradually, U.S. still leads
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RT @sandnsurf @laikas @edbennett @DrVes Lots of blank spaces in Australia Hospital Social Network List 2009 http://su.pr/2Q7sj7
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RT @DrVes Lots of blank spaces in Australia Hospital Social Network List http://su.pr/2Q7sj7 – @tomjd
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RT @DrVes Australian Hospital Social Network List 2009 http://bit.ly/6LCmMj by @sandnsurf
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Australian Hospital Social Network list – please amend and add http://bit.ly/7zOvhn
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Australian Hospital Social Network list – please amend and add http://bit.ly/7zOvhn
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RT @sandnsurf: Australian Hospital Social Network List 2009 http://bit.ly/4rfqct
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RT @healthengine: Australian Hospital Social Network list – please amend and add http://bit.ly/7zOvhn
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Thank you so much Dr Ves
Like the Ed Bennett list, this list is certainly getting longer each week. In fact I have enlisted the help of fellow blogger @antidoped to keep on top of the changes.
Certainly the uptake rate is increasing, and hopefully the standard of the tweets and channels will improve with time…
Mike
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Thank you for maintaining the list, Mike. This is a great idea. If nothing else, the hospitals can see what their peers are doing…
Any other ways to popularize the list?
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Once I am certain that I have the majority of websites and channels, the list will be published in either the EMA or MJA in Australia as a starting point.
The discussions surrounding web 2.0 and communications between hospitals and the general public are generally of a low quality in Australia and it would be great to start the ‘conversation’ through a more traditional medium in the first instance.
Mike
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Re: "Once I am certain that I have the majority of websites and channels, the list will be published in either the EMA or MJA in Australia"
That’ll be a good start. How about any of the local websites – "MDConsult Australia", newspapers, etc.?
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Still waiting for some Australian hospitals (and the state government departments that run them) to stop using Internet Explorer 6 *head desk*.
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It’s a great resource Mike, well done.
Cheers,
Craig
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Social networking in Australian healthcare http://ow.ly/VTHv
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