Social media is used in a variety of industries, including news, construction, entertainment, and so on. According to a survey by accounting firm PwC, people are also turning to social media for healthcare purposes.

PwC surveyed 1,000 adults and found that nearly a third had used social media for healthcare purposes. The results weren’t all that surprising though. The survey showed that younger people are more likely to turn to social media for healthcare related issues, including filing a complaint and looking up informational videos on YouTube.

People searching for healthcare information turned to Facebook with 18 percent of those surveyed visiting the site, followed by YouTube with 12 percent, blogs at nine percent, and somewhat surprisingly, Google+ with eight percent.

While social media has helped in terms of education, only five percent of those surveyed said they would be swayed to choose one hospital over another based on its social presence – compared to the 30 percent that would choose a hospital based on its privacy policy.

Although regulations, security breaches, and privacy concerns limit how patients and healthcare providers use social media, PwC concluded that it would continue to be a resource for both providers and consumers. While you might not be able to interact directly with patients, brands and businesses should continue using social media to educate consumers about the healthcare industry.

[Via: ReadWriteWeb, Image credit: Clever Cupcakes]