Marketing and Social Media Management in Healthcare: A Bibliometric Analysis (2015-2024)

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed articles from the Web of Science (2015–2024) to examine the evolution of marketing and social media management in healthcare. Three search strategies “topic-based”, “title-focused”, and “Türkiye-specific” identify publication trends, collaboration networks, and thematic shifts. Results indicate a 16.44% annual growth in publications, driven by digital transformation and pandemic-related studies. The United States, the United Kingdom, and China lead in research output, while Türkiye, despite ranking among the top 20 contributors and increasing its academic engagement, shows limited international collaboration (6.5%). Topic-based searches emphasize “social media,” “COVID-19,” and “public health,” while refined searches highlight “marketing,” “branding,” “health communication,” and “patient satisfaction.” “Twitter,” “Facebook,” and “YouTube” play key roles in patient engagement and information dissemination. By mapping thematic shifts, this study uncovers global trends, regional collaborations, and Türkiye’s distinct contributions, underscoring the evolving role of social media and communication strategies in healthcare marketing.

Keywords

• Healthcare marketing
• social media
• bibliometric analysis
• health communication
• patient engagement.

Sağlık Hizmetlerinde Pazarlama ve Sosyal Medya Yönetimi: Bibliyometrik Bir Analiz (2015-2024)

Abstract

Bu çalışma, sağlık hizmetlerinde pazarlama ve sosyal medya yönetiminin gelişimini incelemek amacıyla Web of Science’ta (2015–2024) yayımlanmış hakemli makalelerin bibliyometrik analizini sunmaktadır. “Konu odaklı”, “başlık odaklı” ve “Türkiye’ye özgü” üç arama stratejisiyle yayın eğilimleri, iş birliği ağları ve tematik değişimler analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, dijital dönüşüm ve pandeminin etkisiyle yıllık %16,44’lük yayın artışı ile akademik ilginin arttığını göstermektedir. Araştırmaya göre ABD, Birleşik Krallık ve Çin en çok katkı sağlayan ülkeler olmuştur. Türkiye ise ilk 20 ülke arasında yer almakla birlikte, sınırlı uluslararası iş birliği göstermektedir (%6,5). Konu odaklı aramalar “sosyal medya”, “COVID-19” ve “halk sağlığı” konularına, dar kapsamlı aramalar ise “pazarlama”, “markalaşma”, “sağlık iletişimi” ve “hasta memnuniyeti” temalarına odaklanmaktadır. “Twitter”, “Facebook” ve “YouTube” sağlık hizmetlerinde hasta katılımı ve bilgi yayılımında önemli roller üstlenmektedir. Bu çalışma, tematik değişimleri haritalayarak küresel eğilimleri, bölgesel iş birliklerini ve Türkiye’nin özgün katkılarını ortaya koymakta; sosyal medyanın ve iletişim stratejilerinin sağlık hizmetleri pazarlamasındaki gelişen rolünü vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Sağlık hizmetleri pazarlaması
• sosyal medya
• bibliyometrik analiz
• sağlık iletişimi
• hasta katılımı.

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