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Dec 29, 2021
Annie Zhang

5 reasons why social healthcare platforms can transform the future of healthcare and improve patient care

5 reasons why social healthcare platforms can transform the future of healthcare and improve patient care

If you’re a patient, you want a healthcare provider that you can trust. Before you choose to see a new doctor, for instance, it’s likely that you read reviews about them online or ask your family and friends about their personal experiences. You want to find someone who is knowledgeable, reliable, and easy to communicate with.

If you’re a healthcare provider, you want to build trust with your patients. You want them to be comfortable confiding in you and following your guidance.

Social healthcare platforms are promising digital healthcare technologies that can improve patient care by building close, trusting relationships between patients and providers. These platforms have the potential to create a brighter future for healthcare and revolutionize the patient experience. Why?

Simplicity and convenience

73% of customers globally prefer text messaging to other forms of communication. Social healthcare platforms–which allow for text messaging between patients and providers–leverage the technology that patients already use and prefer. There’s no longer a need for them to navigate complex patient portals in order to contact doctors or view medical documents. By capitalizing on modern technology, these platforms offer the most accessible and user-friendly way for patients to communicate with providers. 

Better communication

Patients don’t want a doctor that speaks to them in complex medical jargon. They’d rather have a doctor that uses clear and simple language that’s easy to understand.
Patient texting allows for informal, jargon-free communication, making patients feel at ease with their providers. As a result, they may feel more comfortable with sharing information or asking questions. It also enables patients to follow and understand their doctor’s instructions correctly and without confusion.

Better health education

Social healthcare platforms are different from typical healthcare messaging apps (such as OhMD and Klara) because they aren’t only useful for direct, private messages – they can also function as social media platforms and provide a wealth of educational information.

For instance, Tell Health’s free HIPAA compliant messaging app has a special Twitter-like feature that allows providers to act as medical influencers. Providers can send out public messages to multiple patients at a time and offer educational health tips and advice. Patients can selectively “follow” providers that they trust to receive their announcements.

Since only verified healthcare providers can create posts, patients can receive information from a platform that is more reliable and trustworthy than a typical social media application such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (where anyone can post false information).

Improved patient care and satisfaction

With these platforms, patients can stay more informed than ever because they can easily receive pertinent information they can understand, ask questions, and quickly receive critical health updates. This also allows patients to feel more deeply connected to their providers.

HIPAA-compliance and security

Most consumer messaging platforms don’t allow for HIPAA compliant texting. Platforms built specifically for healthcare are HIPAA compliant, so patients can ensure that sensitive information about their health is kept secure.

Tell Health has set out to transform the future of healthcare by building a free social healthcare platform, which has secure HIPAA compliant texting capabilities and social media functions. For more information, visit tell.health.