March 4—An exploratory study suggests that the number of Facebook “Likes” for a hospital may reflect hospital quality and patient satisfaction.

In findings published in the American Journal of Medical Quality, researchers used 30-day mortality rates and patient recommendation rates to quantify hospital quality and patient satisfaction, and correlated these variables with Facebook data for 40 hospitals near New York City. The results showed that Facebook “Likes” had a strong negative association with 30-day mortality rates and were positively associated with patient recommendation.

The study took into account variables such as bed count, the number of days a hospital’s Facebook page has been active, and the ability for the hospital’s community to post. 

The researchers, who work for a New York-based not-for-profit research group, suggest that a hospital’s number of Facebook “Likes” can serve as a quick and widely available hospital quality and patient satisfaction metric that can supplement traditional measures.

Publication Date: Monday, March 04, 2013