Saatchi Wellness' Russell said there is a lot of uncertainty in healthcare in general, which means those in the industry are even more uncertain of how to proceed with social media. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, he said, need to listen more.
"They have to become more open marketers," he said. He also added that social media in the healthcare space is not about building brands, but providing value to consumers. "In our world, it's going to be more about the [health] condition and how people get information about that condition."
Edgerton said one reason companies are unwilling to participate in social media outreach, or offer ways for consumers to comment online about their products, is the fact that brands must report adverse events, and that the burden is on them.
But, he adds, almost 9 out of 10 doctors refer to the Internet as a critical component in their practice.
"It's simply a monetary issue. If you pay doctors to communicate, they will communicate," Parkinson said. If they see the value of using social media to save them time and money, they will use it. Additionally, he added, "I think regulation needs to be relaxed so doctors can experiment."
Parkinson also founded
Hello Health, which connects doctors and patients online, to schedule appointments and more. He predicts that soon, 20% of doctors and 20% of patients will be engaged in an e-patient relationship.
You can see the Twitter conversation about the event by following
#smwhealthcare.