Health Blogs Benifits to a Patient
Health blogs have many benefits to a patient. They can educate patients, humanize the hospital or service line, and increase trust.
This nonexperimental study surveyed real blog readers to measure their preventative health actions (scheduling a skin check or doctor appointment) following the reading of sample blogs. The results showed that blog type influenced the reader’s attitudes and beliefs about melanoma, but not their actual behaviors.
It’s a great way to raise awareness
If you’re a medical professional, blogging is an effective way to raise awareness about your practice. In addition, healthcare blogs are also a great source of information for people looking for help. They can provide information about different procedures, new medical equipment, and the latest research in a particular condition.
Bloggers can also share personal anecdotes and stories, which helps readers feel more connected to them. This is especially important for patients with chronic illnesses who may need support from friends and family. It can also help them to find meaning in their illness, and it can give them a sense of purpose.
In 2 experimental scenario-based studies and 1 qualitative survey of real blog readers, we found that reading patient-generated content was associated with intentions to take preventative health actions. The content of the blogs that led to these intentions differed, but the results were similar. Specifically, personal narrative and statistical blogs both increased intents to perform future preventative health actions compared to a control condition, and this effect was independent of perceived risk or severity.
It’s a great way to build trust
Health blogs are a great way to connect with patients and promote your medical practice. While some doctors may avoid blogging due to lack of time, others take a hands-off approach and allow nurses or other staff to write the content for them. Regardless of which method you choose, it’s important to focus on creating quality content. A well-written blog post will increase patient loyalty and improve your website’s search engine ranking.
Participants rated blogs as easy to read, easy to understand, informative, interesting, and emotionally moving. In addition, a significant portion of readers stated that they wanted to take preventative health action after reading the blogs. However, this effect was partially mediated by the bloggers’ perceived barriers.
A medical blog allows physicians to humanize themselves and their practice by sharing personal anecdotes (in compliance with HIPAA guidelines). Many patients have questions about their health, so a medical blogger can address these issues in a friendly, informative manner.
It’s a great way to get patient testimonials
The personal stories shared in medical blogs can have powerful effects on readers. These stories often influence readers’ intentions to take future health actions, such as seeking medical appointments or health screenings. Research on medical blog readership has largely focused on how these blogs enhance medical education, but little is known about their impact on preventative health behaviors.
Although blogging takes time, it can be a great way to attract new patients and keep current ones. For example, one pediatrician found that blogging answered many questions her patients had and saved her time in the exam room. She also shared information about advances in medical equipment and created FAQ posts on popular services and procedures. It is important to note that a physician’s blog should be written with professionalism. The best option is to have a number of people contribute to the blog, including nurses, billing professionals, and other members of the staff. This will ensure that the content is timely and relevant to patients.
It’s a great way to connect with patients
Many patients seek to connect with other people with the same illness or condition, and a health blog can be an effective way to share information. In addition, blogging can help attract new patients by increasing the ranking of a hospital’s website on search engines.
Publish research roundups to share the latest information on a particular health condition. This can be especially useful if your hospital has a specific service line, such as urology, that it wants to promote. It can also be helpful to include third-party links for further reading.
Highlighting national health observances is an excellent way to spread awareness. It is also a good idea to include a personal story from a patient. These stories can help readers to feel connected to other people and may inspire them to take action. In 2 experimental studies, both statistical and personal narrative blogs were found to increase participants’ intentions to take preventative health actions in the future. Moreover, the effect did not depend on readers’ perceived severity of their risk or susceptibility to the disease. Seeking a treasure trove of engaging blogs? Your search ends here.
