How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics

Medical doctors have a high level of source credibility and a reputable profession. Some of them also share their expertise on social media. This led to so some doctors gaining thousands and millions of followers and becoming “influencer doctors”. Every bit of information that a medical doctor share...

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Main Author: Güldane Zengin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Selçuk University 2023-04-01
Series:Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2864396
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author Güldane Zengin
author_facet Güldane Zengin
author_sort Güldane Zengin
collection DOAJ
description Medical doctors have a high level of source credibility and a reputable profession. Some of them also share their expertise on social media. This led to so some doctors gaining thousands and millions of followers and becoming “influencer doctors”. Every bit of information that a medical doctor share is important for the followers. Influencers are content creators with a large social media following, and this makes them appealing for brands. Collaborations with brands are common for influencers. When it comes to influencer doctors, who have more credibility due to their profession, it can be said that they have an advantage over ordinary influencers, a power to drive their followers’ decisions. However, it is prohibited by law and regulations for medical doctors to advertise in any medium. Thus, in this study it was aimed to reveal medical doctors’ compliance with Turkish Medical Association’s rules on social media. A content analysis on 13 medical doctors’ Instagram stories was conducted. Each doctor has more than 500.000 followers and they shared a total of 565 stories. According to the findings, product promotions are most common content for the stories of these influencer doctors. They also share stories that showcase or promote their services; that contain patient information in which more than half are privacy breaches; and none included a disclosure on patient permission to reveal such information.
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spelling doaj.art-0480ba105dae4930812c0cbbc19c0e462023-09-14T08:49:19ZengSelçuk UniversitySelçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi2667-47502023-04-015027328610.52642/susbed.1227295154How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and EthicsGüldane Zengin0SELÇUK ÜNİVERSİTESİMedical doctors have a high level of source credibility and a reputable profession. Some of them also share their expertise on social media. This led to so some doctors gaining thousands and millions of followers and becoming “influencer doctors”. Every bit of information that a medical doctor share is important for the followers. Influencers are content creators with a large social media following, and this makes them appealing for brands. Collaborations with brands are common for influencers. When it comes to influencer doctors, who have more credibility due to their profession, it can be said that they have an advantage over ordinary influencers, a power to drive their followers’ decisions. However, it is prohibited by law and regulations for medical doctors to advertise in any medium. Thus, in this study it was aimed to reveal medical doctors’ compliance with Turkish Medical Association’s rules on social media. A content analysis on 13 medical doctors’ Instagram stories was conducted. Each doctor has more than 500.000 followers and they shared a total of 565 stories. According to the findings, product promotions are most common content for the stories of these influencer doctors. They also share stories that showcase or promote their services; that contain patient information in which more than half are privacy breaches; and none included a disclosure on patient permission to reveal such information.https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2864396kaynak güvenirliğifenomenhekimsağlık i̇letişimisosyal medyareklamkaynak güvenirliğifenomenhekimsağlık i̇letişimisosyal medyareklamsource credibilityinfluencermarketinghealth communicationsocial mediaprivacyethicskaynak güvenirliğifenomenpazarlamasağlık i̇letişimisosyal medyamahremiyetetik
spellingShingle Güldane Zengin
How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics
Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi
kaynak güvenirliği
fenomen
hekim
sağlık i̇letişimi
sosyal medya
reklam
kaynak güvenirliği
fenomen
hekim
sağlık i̇letişimi
sosyal medya
reklam
source credibility
influencer
marketing
health communication
social media
privacy
ethics
kaynak güvenirliği
fenomen
pazarlama
sağlık i̇letişimi
sosyal medya
mahremiyet
etik
title How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics
title_full How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics
title_fullStr How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics
title_full_unstemmed How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics
title_short How Influencer Doctors Use Social Media? A Content Analysis on Marketing Communications, Patient Privacy and Ethics
title_sort how influencer doctors use social media a content analysis on marketing communications patient privacy and ethics
topic kaynak güvenirliği
fenomen
hekim
sağlık i̇letişimi
sosyal medya
reklam
kaynak güvenirliği
fenomen
hekim
sağlık i̇letişimi
sosyal medya
reklam
source credibility
influencer
marketing
health communication
social media
privacy
ethics
kaynak güvenirliği
fenomen
pazarlama
sağlık i̇letişimi
sosyal medya
mahremiyet
etik
url https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2864396
work_keys_str_mv AT guldanezengin howinfluencerdoctorsusesocialmediaacontentanalysisonmarketingcommunicationspatientprivacyandethics