Social Media Utilization In Hospital Digital Marketing: An Empirical Evidence Synthesis and Managerial Implications

Purpose:Purpose: To synthesize empirical evidence on hospital social-media content strategies, patient responses, managerial challenges, and ethical considerations.Methodology:This narrative-thematic synthesis revisits the source manuscript’s systematic review matrix and PRISMA 2020 flow. The source reports 83 identified records, six duplicates, 77 screened records, 36 full-text assessments, and 30 included empirical studies published between 2020 and 2026.Findings:Twenty-five studies (83.3%) originated from Indonesia, and 21 (70%) employed quantitative surveys. Findings more consistently support associations with brand awareness, image, and trust than with actual service decisions. One study reported R² = 0.507 for brand image, whereas others found non-significant direct effects on intention. Staffing constraints, missing procedures, and weak evaluation recur across studies.Implication:Hospitals should prioritize trustworthy education and responsive communication integrated with service quality. The source selection counts have not been independently audited against original search logs.