Los Angeles, CA (February 28, 2013) — While those active on social media aren't shy about expressing opinions on their Facebook pages, how much do their "Likes" really reflect the quality of an organization? American Journal of Medical Quality (a SAGE journal) recently published a study that found that Facebook "Likes" were indeed an indicator of hospital quality and patient satisfaction.
"Findings suggest that Facebook offers an additional resource, beyond surveys, to gauge the attitudes of patient populations," wrote study authors Alex Timian et.al.
Researchers compared the 30-day mortality rates and hospital patron recommendations to the number of "Likes" on the hospitals' Facebook pages from 40 hospitals near New York, NY. They found that Facebook "Likes" were positively associated with patient recommendations and that a one percentage point decrease in the 30-day mortality rate corresponded with almost 93 more Facebook "Likes."
In addition to these findings, the researchers also found that teaching hospitals had a lower number of Facebook "Likes" than traditional hospitals, despite the fact that the staff at teaching hospitals is younger and predicted to be more active on Facebook. The researchers noted that this negative association of "Likes" and teaching hospitals may be a reflection of quality issues at those hospitals.
"Any hospital can start a Facebook page, but those with higher levels of quality and patient satisfaction are more likely to attract "Likes" to their page" wrote the authors. "Public health researchers and hospitals can use facebook "Likes" as a proxy for hospital quality and patient satisfaction."
Find out more by reading the article, "Do Patients "Like" Good Care? Measuring Hospital Quality via Facebook" in American Journal of Medical Quality, available free for a limited time here: http://ajm.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/01/31/1062860612474839.full.pdf+html
American Journal of Medical Quality (AJMQ) is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly journal for those practicing, conducting research, and teaching in the field of clinical quality improvement. AJMQ publishes research studies, evaluations of the delivery and management of health care, and reports on changes in the field of medical quality, utilization, and risk management, clarified with graphs and tables. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
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Source: 2011 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2012) SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. www.sagepublications.com
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American Journal of Medical Quality