Mayo's stake in social media transforms health care communication
Nine years after wading into the social media space with a flip cam and a WordPress account, the world's most recognizable health care organization finds Facebook is deepening relationships with its patients.
Lee Aase, Mayo Clinic's social media guru, says the Rochester-based institution always took the 'start small-think big' approach. He points out even relatively staid videos with content about specific ailments can find a significant audience of people who have a deep, personal connection.
Aase says Mayo Clinic's Center for Social Media began as a way to expand reach to patients and quickly became a method for strengthening the brand while also giving patients a touchstone for their own care.
The intersection of medical procedures and social media such as Twitter can sometimes lead to oversharing, something Aase says Mayo is working to avoid, partly because of the maze of medical privacy issues.
Aase spent time Thursday at Suite 520 in downtown Minneapolis - home to BringMeTheNews and our partners at GoKartLabs - explaining how Mayo's social outreach enhances its connection with patients.
