How Are Physicians Using Social Media?

In the past we have discussed pharma and medical device brands leveraging social media to reach healthcare professionals (HCPs). But can social media be influential as a marketing channel for healthcare product brands? How physicians use social media goes a long way in answering that question.  

Elsevier has insights on how physicians across the world use social media professionally. We conducted a global survey in 2019, giving us a window into social media use among other habits. Some of our findings might surprise you.

How Physicians Use Social Media

We surveyed 1937 physicians from the US, Asia Pacific region (APAC), and Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America (EMEALA). Of that group, 70% were secondary care clinicians, consultants, or specialists.

What we gained were insights around the why, where, what, who, and how doctors lean on social media for professional purposes.

Where do Physicians go on Social Media?

Doctors agreed that YouTube, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn are used most often. However, there was some disparity in which channels are most popular in different regions.

The channel with the smallest differential between regions was YouTube. In the US, 40% of respondents indicated they rely heavily on YouTube compared to 47% in EMEALA and 50% in APAC.

For WhatsApp users, only 9% of US doctors claimed to use the channel versus 42% in APAC and 51% in EMEALA.

Physicians using LinkedIn equaled 47% in the US and 35% for both EMEALA and APAC.  

Why do Physicians Access Social Media?

The reasons social media platforms are accessed came down to three primary activities:

• To keep up-to-date with news in a medical specialty or practice — APAC(78%) | EMEALA(67%) | US(56%)
• To keep up-to-date with information about conferences or congresses — APAC(60%) | EMEALA(53%) | US(39%)
• To keep up-to-date with general news on the topic of healthcare — US(54%) | APAC(50%) | EMEALA(48%)

Who Influences Physicians on Social Media?

When it comes to social media influencers, a combined 69% of physicians worldwide follow medical societies or institutions and healthcare institutions. Forty-three percent follow professional colleagues, and 22% follow key opinion leaders or experts.

What Actions do Physicians Take When Viewing a Post?

Fifty-five percent of US doctors have clicked a social media link to view an article or paper on another site. That number rises to 58% for EMEALA physicians and 60% for APAC doctors.

In comparison, 52% in the US continue to search for more information about a social post topic — versus 47% in the EMEALA regions and 55% in the APAC region.

How Do Physicians Feel About Social Media?

Finally, we asked respondents about concerns and benefits using social media. We found that 73% of US physicians prefer to keep their professional and personal social media activity separate. Sixty-five percent in EMEALA and 62% in APAC agreed.

Across all regions, most physicians are concerned about the security of private info and communications. The breakdown is as follows:

• APAC – 76%
• US – 75%
• EMEALA – 73%

On a positive note, 67% of APAC respondents claimed that social media can be beneficial for their careers, followed by EMEALA at 49% and US at 39%.

Get your free copy of Elsevier’s original survey results

With so many physicians following societies, institutions, and KOLs, it’s important to align your brand with other respected online and offline channels so many of those influencers turn to. Elsevier has 500+ journal titles that meet the needs of any specialty audience, delivered through online, digital, and multimedia channels. Explore what is available.

Article Written by: Alex Brown