Supervisors info:
Μαριόλης- Σαψάκος Θεόδωρος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής ΕΚΠΑ
Μενενάκος Ευάγγελος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τρουπής Θεόδωρος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Digital marketing offers undeniable benefits to health services. Social media holds a dominant position as a digital marketing tool compared to other digital platforms. In Greece, the use of digital marketing tools to promote health services is a more frequent phenomenon in the private sector. However, the internet users’ online behavior, the use of social media for health-related issues and the evaluation of the services provided by health care organizations have not been sufficiently studied. Health care services will use this information in order to utilize marketing practices more effectively.
Aim: The purpose of the research is to investigate the behavior of patients on the internet and their attitude towards social media for health issues, so that health services can utilize the knowledge for a more effective integration of digital marketing in their practice. Also, the evaluation of the services provided on the digital platforms of health institutions was studied. Finally, an investigation of the relationship between the demographic characteristics of the participants and their activity on social media and on the digital platforms for health-related issues was carried out.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in which involved 100 patients who have been hospitalized at the private clinic "EUGENIDEION THERAPEFTEIRION I AGIA TRIAS S.A.". The study participation rate was 76.7% (112/146). The research tool was a questionnaire. Convenience sampling was performed. As a nurse at this particular private clinic, access to patients was easy. Conducting the survey with random sampling was impossible due to practical and time constraints. Data collection took place in the month of December 2023. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 28.0.1 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).
Results: The majority of participants were female (54%), high school graduates (52%) with an average age of 42.3 years. 37% of participants were private sector employees. 89% of the participants use the internet every day, while 25% of the participants base the final choice of a private health service mainly on the internet search and the website of the health service. However, it emerged that 51% of participants look for information about the health service before making their final choice. 53% of the participants, stated that they use the internet "too much" for the purpose of visiting social media. With reference to the use of social media for health issues, it emerged that 56.8% of the participants stated that they use social media a lot for health-related issues. In general, the participants stated that the services provided on the digital platforms by the healthcare providers are useful. 47% of the participants stated that Facebook is more related to the promotion of services/products. Finally, younger age was associated with online search and search on the corresponding service website when choosing a private service (p=0.018), and higher educational level of the participants was associated with more frequent use/visit of social media (p=0.002, p=0.031).
Conclusion: Health professionals must be informed, more extensively, about the attitude of their patients regarding the digitization of the services provided and the assimilation of the internet in daily practice. The age and education level of the participants appeared to influence some aspects of their online activity. However, the online search of potential patients before their final visit to a healthcare professional is a multifactorial process based on cognitive and emotional factors. Based on the already positive attitude that is observed towards the use of social media and digital platforms for health issues, health professionals who wish to promote their services more effectively, it is useful to devote more time to their promotion through social media and improve the services provided through digital platforms.
