We’ve seen the lack of support in blogging in hospitals…

…but that still doesn’t (completely) explain the general neglect by hospitals of YouTube, and other online video tools.

Possibilities are endless for what hospitals and health systems could do:

1. Hospital tour - if you work in an organization where it’s easy to navigate the facilities, your patients are extremely lucky (and your organization is probably small or your leadership understands the need for navigation ease). A search of “hospital tour” on YouTube returns 582 results. Helping patients find their way around the hospital by familiarizing them with the facilities before they arrive will ease tension on what could be an emotional visit.

2. What to expect when you arrive at our facilities - when a patient arrives for a visit (giving birth, heart surgery, emergency room, etc.) confusion has the potential to reign, and a familiarity with where to park, where to go, who to seek, etc. that comes through the use of YouTube could be quite helpful.

Here’s an example from a foreign land…

  3. Get to know providers, care givers, and staff - sticking with the familiarity theme, familiar faces on a stressful day can be helpful in reducing tension. Interviews with employees and providers could help patients get to know them and humanize health care just a little more.4. Health information on popular conditions and treatments - as a community service, provide information on common diagnoses and treatments, or other public health needs/concerns.

5. Other possibilities that you may suggest in comments.

Not to mention the inherent marketing value all of these suggestions hold…

Found this post, that comes from waaay back in 2006. Over 10,000 then, about 162,000 now. On the first page, however, most videos have to do with humor, history, and (General) Hospital (the tv show), not any of the above thoughts. The idea that hospitals need to be on the offensive when it comes to online tools is an argument of note.

But if a hospital or health system really wanted to stretch its comfort zone, it would start an online “tv” network through tools like Mogolus, blogTV, and Kyte. What would you put on a live channel? Well, there are a few suggestions above, but the possibilities are surely endless.

This entry is filed under Ideas.