Publication Date
2026
Document Type
Senior Integrative Project
Abstract
This study examines the divergence between the curated digital brand identities of children’s hospitals and the lived experiences of their patients. Focusing on how institutions carry out their marketing objectives whilst navigating a “manipulated public sphere” on social media to maintain institutional viability and gain philanthropic support, a qualitative content analysis of 1,618 social media posts from Instagram and Facebook and 239 Google Reviews from 2023-2025 was performed. The analysis compares the difference in content curation of urban children’s hospitals and rural children’s hospitals, collecting posts from Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. Key findings include the use of hyperlocalized content and preventative education to appeal to regional audiences, the use of “patient success stories” as marketing tools and to build symbolic capital, and the impact of political polarization on users’ interactions with children’s hospitals’ content. This research ultimately highlights how hospitals manage their public image amidst a national healthcare affordability crisis and shifting federal health guidelines.
Recommended Citation
Giles, Abigail M., "Public Image vs. Patient Experience: A Comparative Study of Children's Hospitals" (2026). Program in Community Action (PICA). 6.
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/pica/6
Included in
Psychology Commons, Social Justice Commons, Sociology Commons
The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.