Did the user ask for this? A brief analysis on hospital social media between website, AI and patients' need for communication

Hospital social media are not truly user-centred: they are mainly used to disseminate information rather than to listen to or actively engage patients. Content is often promotional or educational, but rarely interactive or co-created with users. Posts also have a very short lifespan: visibility declines quickly, and even viral peaks do not necessarily reflect genuine engagement, which is often superficial. Constantly changing algorithms further complicate the reliable assessment of impact over time. Moreover, social media are perceived as less reliable than institutional websites, especially for health information, due to unverified content, potential commercial or personal bias, and limited transparency. In contrast, official websites provide more controlled, up-to-date, and evidence-based information. There is therefore a need to return to listening to users and to ask a fundamental question: "Has the patient asked for this?"—in a context increasingly shaped by pull rather than push communication dynamics.