Analysis of Mater Misericordiae Hospital’s Use of Facebook for Corporate Communication Between January 2020 and December 2024

Abstract

This study explored how Mater Misericordiae Hospital (MMH), a Level 5 private faith-based hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, utilized Facebook for corporate communication. It addressed a notable gap in academic literature regarding social media adoption in Kenya’s healthcare sector, particularly the limited research on Facebook’s role in fostering interactive engagement between healthcare institutions and their audiences. The primary aim was to analyze MMH’s Facebook usage patterns to understand how healthcare organizations in Kenya employ social media for corporate communication. Specific objectives included assessing posting frequency, categorizing message types, and examining the relationship between follower count and audience interaction. The research was guided by two theoretical frameworks: Social Presence Theory, which evaluates communication effectiveness through metrics like likes, comments, and reactions; and Dialogic Communication Theory, which emphasizes two-way, interactive dialogue over one-directional messaging. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzed 520 Facebook posts made by MMH between January 2020 and December 2024. Data collection involved manual content analysis of posts, images, and interactions. Qualitative analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s thematic framework, while quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 26. Findings showed MMH posted an average of 104 times annually, with peak activity in 2020 (197 posts) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Posts were primarily informative (62.69%), followed by marketing (22.88%) and promotional content (14.42%). Despite having 22,000 followers, engagement was low 71.92% of posts received only 1–50 interactions indicating limited two-way communication. The study concluded that while MMH effectively used Facebook for disseminating health information, especially during crises, it fell short in leveraging the platform’s interactive capabilities. The hospital maintained consistent posting but lacked responsiveness to audience comments and failed to apply dialogic principles. These insights contribute to the broader understanding of social media use in Kenya’s healthcare sector. The study underscores that mere presence on social platforms does not equate to meaningful engagement and calls for more strategic, interactive communication approaches to strengthen patient-provider relationships in developing healthcare contexts.