A higher number of Facebook "likes" is associated with higher patient satisfaction and higher hospital quality measures, according to an article published in the American Journal of Medical Quality.
Researchers examining the accuracy of the social platform for indicating hospital quality collected the number of "likes" as well as 30-day mortality rates and patient recommendation rates for 40 hospitals near New York City.
Analysis showed that both lower 30-day mortality rates and higher patient recommendations are associated with more "likes" on a hospital's Facebook page.
Researchers noted that Facebook likes may be a readily available heuristic for hospital quality data for consumers who may not be aware of or may not know how to use existing hospital quality databases.
More Articles on Quality:
Patient Safety Tool: National Collaborative Manual to Eliminate HAIs
Lower Readmissions Tied to Higher Nurse Staffing
Study: Quality of Care Depends on Insurance Type