Abstract

Though working as a vital service to the community, health care companies have the same

challenges as other businesses needing to remain competitive in the marketplace. Health care providers, however, have the additional challenge of providing healthcare communications that are valuable to society. Social media presents a new environment for healthcare providers to communicate and form a relationship with their patient community. Better insights into this new environment are necessary in order to establish how patients self-report differences in preference for the different types of technology-mediated communications. Through survey methods, this study looks into the differences in self-reported claims of the patient community and their preferences in connecting with healthcare providers through social media and other forms of technology-mediated communications.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Communication in medicine--Public opinion; Social media--Public opinion; Patients--Attitudes

Publication Date

7-25-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Communication and Media Technologies (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

School of Communication (CLA)

Advisor

Andrea Hickerson

Advisor/Committee Member

Rudy Pugliese

Advisor/Committee Member

Linda Underhill

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at R118 .Z44 2016

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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