Digital Reputation Management in American Cancer Hospitals

A Proposed Model

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51480/1899-5101.15.2(31).5

Keywords:

corporate communication, hospital, brand, reputation, Social Media

Abstract

Cancer patients face complicated situations from an emotional, social and physical perspective. Hospitals help them through implementing corporate communication initiatives based on social media platforms. This win-win relationship allows hospitals to reinforce their brand reputation. This paper aims to better understand how cancer hospitals manage social media platforms for enhancing their brand as well as their relationships with stakeholders. To do that, we carried out a literature review about corporate communication in health organizations, as well as a content analysis about how the top 100 American cancer hospitals managed their corporate website as well as their corporate profile on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for branding initiatives. Finally, we proposed the Reb Model for Branding Cancer Hospitals. We concluded that thanks to social media, cancer hospitals can reinforce their brand because these platforms allow them to promote human values, improve their internal processes and become a true source of scientific information.

Author Biographies

Pablo Medina Aguerrebere, Canadian University Dubai

Pablo Medina Aguerrebere is an Assistant Professor at the Canadian University Dubai (United Arab Emirates). His main research area is health communication, especially how hospitals promote their corporate brand through social media platforms.

Eva Medina, University of Alicante

Eva Medina is Researcher at the School of Communication and Psychology at University of Alicante, Spain. She holds a Master’s Degree in Health Law (Sorbonne University VIII, France, 2014) as well as a Bachelor in Law (Sorbonne University V, France, 2010). She carries out research about how hospitals implement integrated communication models for improving their internal functioning.

Toni Gonzalez Pacanowski, University of Alicante

Toni Gonzalez Pacanowski holds a PhD in Journalism (Pompeu Fabra University, Spain, 2005). His main research focus is health communication and technology, and more precisely, how hospitals integrate social media platforms and mobile apps in their internal functioning for improving their corporate communication initiatives with internal and external stakeholders. He is Assistant Professor at University of Alicante (Spain).

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Published

2022-09-22

How to Cite

Medina Aguerrebere, P., Medina, E. ., & Gonzalez Pacanowski, T. . (2022). Digital Reputation Management in American Cancer Hospitals: A Proposed Model. Central European Journal of Communication, 15(2(31), 265-285. https://doi.org/10.51480/1899-5101.15.2(31).5

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Section

Scientific Papers