Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is the social media platform of choice among healthcare professionals (HCPs) for pharma interaction, patient advocacy, peer-to-peer engagement, and wider health education, according to new research by leading digital insights consultancy Creation Healthcare.
Conducted as an exclusive study for Marketing & Pharma, the research uncovers the key ways in which HCPs are using four key social media platforms – X, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.
Of these, X proves to be the platform of choice among healthcare professionals across the world, and is used in a variety of ways.
Engagement with Pharma
Between October and November 2024, Creation Healthcare’s research found that the leading pharma companies were mentioned more than 6,000 times by HCPs on X. Pfizer proved the most mentioned, significantly exceeding the mentions of its two closest competitors, Moderna and GSK. The fourth and fifth-most mentioned between October and November were Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
Creation Healthcare, who are able to analyze to the social media conversations of healthcare professionals through Creation PINPOINT – the world’s only artificial intelligence-powered global database of more than 3 million human-verified HCPs’ online profiles – found that HCPs often engage with pharma in response to major treatment launches, clinical trials and regulatory approvals.
In October, for example, 1,531 HCPs posted 2,194 times on X about the launches and approvals of new products.
Among these, 33 individual HCPs in 41 posts shared news of the approval of Bristol Myers Squibb’s nivolumab, for the treatment of certain patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer, following the results of the CHECKMATE 77T trials. In one post, Ivan Gonzalez, a Mexico-based medical oncologist, celebrated the approval, praising nivolumab as “a promising option for stage IIA-IIIB NSCLC patients.”
Later in the month, HCPs used social media to proactively engage with news that Iterum Therapeutics’ Orlynvah had been approved for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs in women who have limited oral antibacterial treatment options. 58 HCPs posted about the approval of Orlynvah in 65 posts.
The three most shared stories on X among HCPs in October discussing product launches were: an FDA post referring to the approval of Traumagel for traumatic wounds (128 HCP posts, 222,966 impressions), an FDA press release announcing the approval of nivolumab (43 HCP posts, 162,271 impressions), and an FDA press release announcing the approval of Orlynvah (35 HCP posts, 446,169 impressions).
Campaigning and Advocacy
Beyond pharma interaction, Creation Healthcare’s study also found that HCPs use X as a tool for campaigning and advocacy. In the analysis of social media use among physicians conducted between October and November this year, Creation Healthcare found that HCPs used their platforms to “actively amplify” influential voices in important healthcare contexts, “often blending medical expertise with political discourse”. A recurring theme, their study found, was the “intersection of politics and healthcare, featuring discussions on the impact of government policies on public health”.
In October and November, the most amplified accounts among US HCPs was emblematic of their interest in using X as a tool for engagement in campaigns, advocacy, and healthcare policy.
The account which drew the highest number of impressions from HCP mentions was Robert F. Kennedy’s, who is poised to become the next secretary of the Department for Health and Human Services. Overall, 3,200 individual HCPs mentioned Kennedy between October and November – with mentions naturally inflated by increased online conversation around the US election.
Elon Musk drew the second-highest number of impressions in the period, according to the research. Though attracting more mentions than Robert F. Kennedy (5,400), the total impressions created by these mentions was slightly lower, just short of 78 million.
The intersection of politics and healthcare in HCP conversations on X has also meant that campaigns to affect change in healthcare policy have gained traction on the platform. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, an amended version of which was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee in July this year, has proved a bastion of HCP advocacy in the last three years, according to recent Creation Healthcare research. In fact, between July 2021 and July 2024, US HCPs mentioned the Treat and Obesity Act in 13 per cent of their 6,068 online posts on X about obesity treatment accessibility – and lead in calls for policy change.
Online pharmacists, for example, were also found to be active in campaigns on X. This was particularly the case in relation to mental health, which was the focus of more than 6,700 pharmacist posts online. 2 per cent of these highlighted and looked to address the stigma behind discussing mental health concerns, while other HCPs encouraged their online audiences to seek mental health support where necessary, and shared helpful resources, helpline details and lifestyle advice.
Education
X is also used as a tool for healthcare professionals to disseminate academic information to an audience both of peers and the wider public. This is made clear in an analysis of the most-mentioned accounts among HCPs. The third, fourth and fifth most-mentioned accounts were largely those active in publishing educational and research-focused content, including JACC Journals (mentioned by 2,000 US HCPs). This account was the focus of a large number of mentions as a result of recent studies on cardiac screening in pregnant women, SLGT2i in cancer therapy, and others.
HCPs also shared a variety of journal articles discussing other topics, including the therapeutic targeting of senescent cells in the central nervous system, the role of AI in healthcare, sepsis diagnosis and management, and more – particularly as a means of peer-to-peer engagement and discussion around significant health developments.
A glimpse into the most-shared content sources among physicians serves as a useful example of how this materializes. Leading the pack was YouTube, with close to 8,000 mentions, followed by jamanetwork.com, nature.com and sciencedirect.com.
LinkedIn
Despite the prominence of X, Creation Healthcare’s research reveals that other platforms remain well-used by online healthcare professionals. One of these was LinkedIn. Among HCPs, LinkedIn is more often used as a tool for peer-to-peer networking and promotion, as well as broader dissemination of key discussions and learnings from industry events.
Promoting educational content
One of the key ways in which LinkedIn is used among HCPs was to share educational content. This ranges from posts sharing findings of research into the greater vulnerability of Native Americans to substance use-related cardiovascular deaths, to posts sharing links to a podcast on the challenges discussing mental health in pharmacy.
Sharing key events / discussions
Other HCPs use the platform to share posts related to relevant industry events and talks. Shellyza Moledina Sajwani, for example, shared to LinkedIn a summary of a talk she had delivered on behalf of Canadian Association of Pharmacy for the Environment (CAPhE) regarding the impact of climate change on pharmacy, and pharmacy on climate change.
During the Pharmacy Show, for example, several HCPs used LinkedIn to share images of the event. This included Nicola Stockmann, President of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians, who shared several images of the “ whirlwind weekend” spent at the Show with friends and colleagues. “Great to discuss the future of community pharmacy, legislation changes in practice, [and] influencing government and policy”, Stockmann added.
Instagram
Instagram is also used as a visual tool for HCPs to share more patient-facing educational content – both with a medical and personal focus.
Some larger accounts, such as “@pharmadrama” and “@pharmschoolsis” use their platforms on Instagram to share case studies and offer advice to their audience – in this case largely those who are aspiring to become – or already are – pharmacists. These include “A Day In the Life” videos, which offer a glimpse into the daily nature of work in pharmacy.
There are a number of other healthcare professionals who use Instagram for the same purpose in different health spaces – emphasizing Instagram’s role as a useful tool with which to combine the personal with the professional, and educational content with the real details of life as an HCP.
TikTok
A similar trend of sharing a variety of patient-facing educational content, ranging from drug information to thoughts on career progression was observed on TikTok. The platform exhibits a number of similarities with Instagram.
One particularly prominent HCP on the platform is Ethan Melillo, a pharmacist with a following close to 450,000. Many of his most popular are “reactions” to health-related videos that have gained particularly traction on the platform. Melillo does, however, also report on major news in drug developments relevant to pharmacy.
Julie McFadden, with a following of over 1.6 million, is also an HCP that uses TikTok as a tool for information dissemination. McFadden shares TikTok videos on aspects of her life as a hospice nurse, including more personal videos showing the ‘rougher’ side of her work.
Bluesky
Though Creation Healthcare’s studies have identified X as the primary HCP engagement platform, ongoing research is beginning to identify a trend that challenges established wisdom – the emergence of Bluesky as an alternative option for HCPs.
In a new study, Creation Healthcare found that of the world’s most impactful 1,000 HCPs who post about type 2 diabetes on X, 277 (or 28 per cent) have created accounts on Bluesky – with a number already using the platform to engage with peers in similar ways seen on X.
Creation Healthcare plans to reveal the more detailed findings of their research into HCP presence and activity on Bluesky in the coming weeks.
Commenting on the research, Daniel Ghinn, CEO of Creation Healthcare, said:
“Social media is increasingly vital for healthcare professionals across the world. It offers platforms to advocate, educate, and engage with peers, patients, and industry developments.
“Especially interesting are the nuances of how different platforms are used. While X offers a hub for real-time advocacy, the sharing of key health insights, and engagement with pharma, LinkedIn excels more as a platform for peer-to-peer interaction and information-sharing.
“Instagram and TikTok provide HCPs with an opportunity to create and share more patient-facing content, bringing a certain creativity and accessibility that other platforms perhaps lack.
“Also intriguing will be to follow how Bluesky evolves as a platform for HCPs. There are a number of structural and stylistic similarities between Bluesky and X, but will HCPs use both platforms in the same way as the former continues to grow?
“Understanding the many different ways in which HCPs use social media is key – whether you are a pharma organization looking to engage with HCPs, a policymaker seeking to leverage HCP insights, or someone simply looking to learn more from those on the front lines in particular disease spaces.
“By appreciating these platform-specific behaviors, we can better support HCPs in their mission to inform, educate, and drive change in the industry and beyond.”
ENDS
About Creation Healthcare
Creation Healthcare provides insights and consulting to inform health strategy, communications, and policymaking among some of the world’s largest healthcare companies, government organizations and NGOs.
This is made possible through CREATION Pinpoint®, the world’s only AI-powered global database of more than 3 million healthcare professionals’ social media profiles, analyzing the collective intelligence of almost 2 billion social media posts by professionals on the front lines of healthcare.
For further media enquiries
William Walter, Managing Director, Bridgehead Communications
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