Social Media in Healthcare: Some Folks Get It

I have a confession:  I’m a bit of a deficit hawk.

And when it comes to health care, that means I think the question of cost containment is paramount to solving the question of access.

Then I watch video like the one produced by Seattle Children’s Hospital this month.

Those guys at Children’s…  Man, they are good.

I’ve worked with them in years passed, and Suzanne Petersen Tannenberg continues to be a tremendous friend to us on our Washington Convening Panel.

On May 6th, 2012, they posted a video of cancer patients on the hemoncology floor.  In the 19 days since, it’s garnered 2.2m views on YouTube and has gone viral on Facebook.  This time next week, I’d bet it’s over 5m hits.

That’s the power of web video, social media and savvy story telling.  2.2m hits.

Here’s the real thing, though – and maybe this is because I’m the father to two amazing little kids, ages 5 and 4 – but when it comes to kids or any of our loved ones, cost sure becomes far less relevant, doesn’t it?

Setting aside discussion of price elasticity of demand for a minute (for all of my healthcare administrator friends), the reason we’re all doing this is in this video.  It’s why we’re all in health care today – or should be:  to give someone sick a chance to get well, a kid a chance to grow up, and a system a chance to make it all happen.