The Effect of Hospitals’ Social Media Marketing on Patients’ Health Perception: Research in Istanbul Province

Abstract

Nowadays, the market in this sector encompasses almost every kind of healthcare service, such as health systems, hospitals, providers with multiple locations, individual practices, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, health insurance plans, consumer brands, and more. Hospitals provide health services and care to sick or injured individuals through the expertise of doctors and nurses. Social media refers to interactive technologies that enable individuals to create, share, and express information, ideas, interests, and various forms of expression through virtual communities and networks; these communities and networks are established based on the prevalent internet connectivity that has become widespread in the digital era. The lifeblood of social media is user-generated content, which includes text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through online interactions. Social media can help foster an individual’s sense of connection to real or online communities and can be an effective communication tool. Having discovered the impact of this channel on consumers, business owners have included this area in their marketing strategies. It becomes critical to define and measure patients’ perceptions of healthcare quality and to better understand what drives these perceptions. Today, there is a request to compile a summary of patients’ viewpoints on health plans, hospitals, doctors, and overall health services. This study aims to investigate the impact of social media activities employed by hospitals in promoting their health services on patients’ perception, specifically referring to the physical stimulation experienced by patients through their sensory organs. The questionnaire form created in this direction was then used as Google Form to obtain data. We acquired data regarding the opinions of social media users who receive hospital services in Istanbul. The 397 collected data were analyzed using SPSS, one of the statistical programs. The acceptance of our hypotheses designed according to the model was determined as a result of the Anova and t test. In order to achieve positive outcomes for consumers using social media, hospital services should be conducted correctly and adhered to accordingly, as a consequence of this outcome. In future studies, it is recommended that the study be applied throughout Türkiye.