Evaluating the Presence of Hospitals on Social Media

Zahraa Jasem, Anwar AlHussainan, Dari Alhuwail

OAI: oai:igi-global.com:299954 • DOI: 10.4018/IJHISI.299954

Today, adults are using social media to seek health information. Evidence suggests that hospitals using Instagram reported better patient engagement and in turn increased profit and reputation. Yet, little is known about how public and private hospitals are leveraging Instagram. This study aims to analyze the presence of hospitals on Instagram using Kuwait as a case study. Hospitals were identified using the Ministry of Health's website and Instagram. Posts collected from seven odd months were analyzed using the Constant Comparison method. A total of 3,439 posts were distributed across six categories: health advice and education, operations and services, current events, hospital community, seasonal occasions, and trivia. Public and private hospitals differed in their activity on Instagram in terms of health topics covered, post categories, and interactions. Hospitals should improve their presence on Instagram to promote healthy lifestyles, augment public health campaigns, and be a source of reliable and accessible health information online.