ITC571 - Emerging Tech: Social Media in Healthcare Decisions

This report examines the role of social media in healthcare organizations' decision-making processes, utilizing the software development lifecycle method, specifically the agile method, to address the unpredictability of the research study. It highlights how social media serves as a marketing and communication tool to educate patients, facilitating timely interaction and discussion of concerns with healthcare providers. The report draws upon literature to demonstrate how social media enables access to patient records, facilitates advice from doctors, and allows healthcare organizations to connect and improve services. It concludes that social media is a valuable tool for decision-making in the healthcare sector, promoting self-regulation and improved patient care. The analysis includes a discussion of data collection methods, inclusion criteria, and the results of integrating social media into healthcare marketing campaigns, emphasizing its potential impact on patient privacy and the importance of digital marketing strategies in the healthcare sector.

Final Report
Full Name
Student ID
Subject ITC571 – Emerging Technology and Innovations
Assignment No Capstone Project Report
Due Date 21-Jan-2019
Lecturer’s Name Malka N. Halgamuge
Role of Social media in health organization’s decision-
making process
Your Name
Your Email
School of Computing and Mathematics, Charles Sturt University, Melbourne, Victoria

Abstract
1. AIM OF THE PROJECT
The aim of this project is to analyze role of the social media in health organisation’s decision- making
process.
2. METHOD
The selected method for this study is software development life cycle method and among them, particularly
agile method is used. This method is used where it assists the project team to determine unpredictability of
the research study.
3. RESULTS
The social media impacts the healthcare sector as it is a tool to provide marketing as well as
communication to educate the patients.
4. DISCUSSION
Access to the social media helps the professional to take proper decisions. It provides timely interaction of
the patients so that social media can offer faster way to interact and discuss concerns with the healthcare
providers.
5. CONCLUSION
It is concluded that social media is helpful to provide decisions in the healthcare sector. It permits the users
to access report in self-regulation manners.
Key Words— Social media, Healthcare organisation, Software Development Lifecycle

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Context
Social networking sites are allowed access to the healthcare industry from the network. In the healthcare
industry, the patients are keeping in touch with doctors so that the healthcare providers are providing
accurate services to their patients. This study is based on the healthcare context.
1.2 Some literature
In the healthcare sector, the social media help to make decisions by identification of the past records of the
patients. With help of social media, it offers accessibility to the patients. Moorhead et al. [11]stated that the
social media allowed the patients to acquire advice from the doctors instead of going anywhere. Evariant
[10] discussed that social media helps to make decisions as it permits the healthcare organisation to make
connections and develop plans to make improvement in proposed sector. There is continuous flow of the
health related data such that there is proper availability of data and tweets is received from various people.
The comments in the social media are analyzed by healthcare experts to take best possible decisions.
Naslund et al. [9] found that people those are suffering from illness make use of the social media to share
their experiences in the social networking site so that they can take advice from people and experts.
Therefore, proper strategies are taken to cope up with the healthcare issues. Sarasohn-Kahn [8] examined
that social media helps to make decisions and offer proper delivery of healthcare services. It is facilitated to
improve daily conditions of the patients so that their health is being improved.
According to Roll et al. [6], using social media, the information sharing of patients becomes easier as they
can share the data from anywhere. Brian, Smith and Smith [7] argued that social media and technology
plays a key role in healthcare sector as all the health related documents and reports are completed.
Automatic healthcare system is not required any manual entities. On timely basis, information is to be
updated while taking proper healthcare decisions. The information is related to patients on network such
that in case of emergency, anyone can access to the information along with decisions. Yonker et al. [5]
analysed that social media offers to provide awareness about medical information such that the patient
seeks treatment. It makes remote doctors availability for the patients based on single click. The social
media platform makes decisions such that the patients can select right advisor for the patients. Glover et al.
[4] illustrated that social media builds awareness among the patients such that prevention is to be taken
properly. It will help to overcome with miscommunication issues related to healthcare services.
Fernández-Luque and Bau [3] analysed that social media can increase trust and make decisions by gaining
interest of the patients from various sectors. The managers of healthcare are used of social media to raise
healthcare services such that it can provide patients with proper medical treatments. According to Thompon
et al. [2], social media is used as interaction platform to share and check quality benchmarks. It is best way
to understand situations of patient and analyse drawbacks from the past experiences. Thompson et al., [2]
stated that it can increase trust and credibility to take decisions by achieving interests of the patients from
various healthcare providers. Agnihotri [1] stated that social media provides to offer satisfaction to the
customers. It is used as a tool to offer marketing along with communication to educate the healthcare
customers.
1.3 Aim of paper
The aim of this paper is to analyze role of social media in health organization’s decision- making
process.
1.4 Structure of paper
Section 1: Context and Significance of the research: The context of this paper is based on healthcare where

significance of the social media is analyzed.
Section 2: How original is the approach?
The approach is original where methods related to software development lifecycle are used to analyze the
role of the social media for decision making processes.
Section 3-4: Literature review in the area what you are working
The literature study is based on selected research topic where the importance of social media is analyzed in
the healthcare sector for taking decisions related to patients.
Section 5: Research gap
The research gap is identified where benefits of the social media is not provided in the healthcare sector.
Real data is not analyzed in the research study.
Section 6: Aim of your research &Structure of paper
The aim is based on analyzing role of the social media in healthcare sector for the decision making process.
2. MATERIAL & METHODS
A. Data Collection
In order to collect data based on selected research topic, social media platform in the healthcare
organization is analyzed based on software development life cycle methods. In this study, agile method is
used which is followed sequential processing. Most effective design method which is used to implement
social media platform in the healthcare organization is top down approach. There is formulation of design
approach to provide specification of the decision making system in the healthcare sector.
B. Data Inclusion Criteria
The survey data is being extracted and included into the database only from the real survey reports. The
surveys are taken from small population group which is included when they can able to fulfill following
criteria such as:
 Population based surveys
 Defined survey design
 There is sample size of 100
 Cross sectional surveys
Table 1: Selected Attribute Description
Attribute Name Data
Type
Description
Value CDATA It can specify value which is associated with existing elements of
the healthcare.
StagesPath Integer It will list the stages processed record in order, based on stage
name.

C. Data Analysis
First, we analyzed the collected data using agile method. This data analysis method is used as collaborative
process to understand domain of the research study, identify the needs to be build, estimate functionality
along with prioritize the functions.
3. RESULTS
It is found that most of the healthcare organizations are unknown how to integrate of social media in the
marketing campaigns as sometimes it can affect privacy of the patients. From the literature study, it is seen
that social media is an option for the healthcare makers as it can engage the patients on the social media
platform they are used. Social media becomes a part of the digital marketing strategy as most of the
healthcare sector is trust the site to share their experiences with outer world. Approximately, 70-75% of US
based patients is used of internet services to take of the healthcare advises. Apart from them, 40% of the
patients are relied on responses generated from the platform of social media.
4. DISCUSSION
With the growing technologies the need of people has also increased over past years. The aim of new
emerging technology is to facilitate the people with maximum services. Health organization is one of the
important sector and serves the customers for achieving a healthy life. Thus it is important to discuss
important concepts related to the role of social media in health organization. Decision making is an
important factor for every organization. Proper decision making will help in better services towards the
people. According to the author Moorhead et al., [11], social media plays a major role in the decision
making process. Social media has offered a new dimension for making decision after analyzing the past
records. With the use of social media patients can request or ask for services from any corner of the world.
Social media is platform where people can share their problems and according to that solutions are
provided. This also offers face to face communication with experts and this reduces the ambiguity. With
the alignment of social media with health organization the speed of service delivered towards the customers
has increased. Social media helps in reviewing all the past records so that proper solution can be generated.
The data flow taking place while performing the services will be shared spontaneously so that everyone can
get notification regarding the services provided. After analyzing the comments updated in the social media
decision is made by the health care organization. This helps in making proper decision after analyzing each
comments carefully. According to the author Naslund et al., [9] it is observed that people has a tendency to
share their daily life routines. This also includes sharing about the illness they are suffering through and
seek advice from experts on similar issues. Thus social media plays an important role in communication.
Each and every problems related to the customer patient can be addressed at less amount of time and proper
solution is provided towards them. This also helps the patients in obtaining guidance from the expert’s
behavior. The risk associated with every illness are determined at early stages.
However it is equally important to understand the way social media helps in promoting decision making for
their patients. This offers proper decision making procedure with a better offer towards the customer. Apart
from this the social media helps in storing the data efficiently and allows transferring the contents from one
place to another. In order to attract the patients social media also develops certain healthcare plans that will

offer more benefit towards the health of the patients. Social media also helps in designing new policies for
the patients and also helps n generating awareness among the people. This helps in making proper decision
towards the patients. After analyzing all the articles it can be stated that the gap between the patients and
the healthcare organization can be minimized with the use of social media. This will enhance the way of
living and will provide better facilities towards the customers.
5. CONCLUSIONS
The report has discussed about the importance of social media in decision making process of an
organization. The report is being developed based on journal articles related to the topic. After analyzing
the articles it can be stated that social media has emerged as an important part of the society and plays a
vital role. This helps in forecasting the problems faced and provides instant solution from the experts. This
also helps in tracking down the type of problems faced in past. Every article has described the great
importance of social media. After viewing all the comments people and health organization can make
proper decision. Social media also plays a major role in designing plans towards the patients and also
describes new policies that will be beneficial for them. Thus it can be concluded that social media plays a
crucial part in decision making process.

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