Strategic advantages of social media within healthcare business activities: organizational practical implications, laws, regulations and theoretical concerns

Abstract

This article reviews the strategic advantages of Social Media (SM) within the borderless healthcare functions including the role that healthcare organizations are playing in leveraging SM platforms as part of their strategic business model. This is followed with several case studies highlighting both international and local organizations use of SM to support their healthcare business activities. Next, the concerns for healthcare organizations and health practitioners when it comes to marketing on SM are also discussed particularly the SM issues and challenges surrounding the healthcare business activities followed with suggested guidelines as way out from this cumbersome problem. Theoretical views from four leading ethical theories; Kantianism, Act Utilitarian, Rule Utilitarian and Social Contract Theory (SCT) towards the approaches to business ethics respectively using the SM as strategic advantages within the healthcare business activities will also be discussed in detail and to decide whether the act is ethically accepted by the ethical theories highlighted. The final section of this article will analyze some of the international and local policies as well as laws that govern the use of SM within the healthcare business activities including the Malaysia Cyber Law Acts.