Social media use in health awareness

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Social media is being increasingly used for health awareness. It is not only used to promote health and wellness but also to motivate and guide public for various disease and ailments. Use of social media was proven to be cornerstone for awareness during COVID-19 management. [1] In recent times, it is one of the most cost effective tool for cardiovascular health awareness since it can be used to motivate people for adoption of healthy lifestyle practices. [2] Over the span of a decade, cardiologist Dr. Om Murti Anil utilized social media to significantly impact the public about cardiovascular health awareness. [3]

Contents

Background

Social media is proven to be useful for various chronic and incurable diseases where patients form groups and connect for sharing of knowledge. [4] Similarly, health professionals, health institutions, and various other individuals and organizations have their own social media accounts for health information, awareness, guidance, or motivation for their patients. [5] The utilization of social media for health awareness campaigns has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. The history of utilizing social media in health campaigns can be traced back to the early 2000s with the rise of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. [6]

Health campaigns

Health campaigns especially for chronic diseases like Cancer and heart diseases are increasingly common on different social media platforms because Social media serves as a cost-effective medium for launching and promoting health campaigns. Many organizations and governmental bodies use platforms like Twitter and Instagram to reach a wide audience. [7] [8] This wide outreach gives health campaigns more attention and support while raising awareness of their specific cause.

Research

When incorporating social media into health research recruitment, there is potential for a greater number of individuals to participate. Social media allows researchers to reach a wide range of participants while also allowing for recruitment 24 hours a day. There are many health organizations with large social media followings to allow them to reach a large amount of individuals. If these organizations pair with researchers and post flyers or make posts about a study they may be able to find the population that they are looking for. [9]

Although there are positives to using social media for health research recruitment, looking at the issues is important. Using this method in recruitment may cause competition between companies for the attention of the users. Another important point is that this is dependent on the type of health condition that is being researched. For chronic conditions, there are many organizations and platforms for support while for acute illnesses, there are not as many organizations that would be able to promote these studies and post for outreach. [9]

Patient education

Patients increasingly turn to social media for health communication and health-related information. Online health communities, forums and blogs enable individuals to share their experiences, offer support, and seek advice from peers. Healthcare professionals also use social media to provide valuable insights and address common health concerns. [10]

Community Resources - Peer Learning Program (Final).pdf

The use of social media for patient education allows individuals to gain more information for their illness or disease along with gaining support from individuals who may be experiencing the same. Many health organizations such as cancer organizations or organizations for chronic health conditions often have social media platforms that allow individuals to connect and even share their own stories. Peer support is beneficial to patients emotionally and even for them to understand their condition and how to cope. [11]

Another way that social media allows individuals to gain more information is the improvement of health literacy. Medical jargon can be confusing for individuals especially when they are newly diagnosed with an illness or disease. Social media has been able to create platforms that explain the information that individuals may need when they are newly diagnosed or if they just want to learn more about their illness. Medical conditions can be confusing but using social media may allow for individuals to develop a better understanding in a manner that they understand. When patients have a better understanding of their health there will be a result of better health outcomes. [11]

Misinformation

While social media is a powerful tool for health awareness, it comes with challenges. Misinformation can spread rapidly, potentially leading to incorrect or harmful health practices. Ensuring the accuracy of health-related information on social media is an ongoing concern. [12]

Health misinformation can be easily spread through social media to large amounts of individuals which can make this dangerous. One example of this was in 2020, when President Donald Trump said in speeches and on Twitter that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine could be used to treat Covid-19. While these drugs are antimalaria, it was being spread that they could be used for Covid-19. This resulted in increased deaths and individuals falling ill from taking this drug and the misinformation that was spread about this drug. [13] [14]

NIHR-Infographic-vaccine-misinformation.png

Spreading misinformation regarding health is one of the biggest concerns when using social media for health awareness. When spreading misinformation about health there is an increase in confusion about what is true and what is false regardless of who is saying this information. Along with the confusion of the public, there is a sense of mistrust that is a consequence of misinformation. Individuals are seeing different opinions which leads people to a situation where they do not know who to trust. [15]

While health misinformation is one of the largest issues, there are ways to help prevent it. As individuals, it is important to know where you are getting your information from and learn how to identify what is misinformation and avoid the spread of it.

Privacy and ethical issues

The sharing of personal health information on social media raises privacy and ethical concerns. Striking a balance between raising awareness and respecting individuals' privacy remains a delicate issue. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambulatory care</span> Medical care provided for outpatients

Ambulatory care or outpatient care is medical care provided on an outpatient basis, including diagnosis, observation, consultation, treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation services. This care can include advanced medical technology and procedures even when provided outside of hospitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Heart Association</span> American non-profit health organization

The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. They are known for publishing guidelines on cardiovascular disease and prevention, standards on basic life support, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and in 2014 issued the first guidelines for preventing strokes in women. The American Heart Association is also known for operating a number of highly visible public service campaigns starting in the 1970s, and also operates several fundraising events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community health</span> Field of public health

Community health refers to non-treatment based health services that are delivered outside hospitals and clinics. Community health is a subset of public health that is taught to and practiced by clinicians as part of their normal duties. Community health volunteers and community health workers work with primary care providers to facilitate entry into, exit from and utilization of the formal health system by community members as well as providing supplementary services such as support groups or wellness events that are not offered by medical institutions.

eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The use of electronic processes in healthcare dated back to at least the 1990s. Usage of the term varies as it covers not just "Internet medicine" as it was conceived during that time, but also "virtually everything related to computers and medicine". A study in 2005 found 51 unique definitions. Some argue that it is interchangeable with health informatics with a broad definition covering electronic/digital processes in health while others use it in the narrower sense of healthcare practice using the Internet. It can also include health applications and links on mobile phones, referred to as mHealth or m-Health. Key components of eHealth include electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, health information exchange, mobile health applications, wearable devices, and online health information. These technologies enable healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders to access, manage, and exchange health information more effectively, leading to improved communication, decision-making, and overall healthcare outcomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misinformation</span> Incorrect or misleading information

Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. Misinformation can exist without specific malicious intent; disinformation is distinct in that it is deliberately deceptive and propagated. Misinformation can include inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or false information as well as selective or half-truths. In January 2024, the World Economic Forum identified misinformation and disinformation, propagated by both internal and external interests, to "widen societal and political divides" as the most severe global risks within the next two years.

Public health surveillance is, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), "the continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data needed for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice." Public health surveillance may be used to track emerging health-related issues at an early stage and find active solutions in a timely manner. Surveillance systems are generally called upon to provide information regarding when and where health problems are occurring and who is affected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-care</span> Taking care of ones own health

Self-care has been defined as the process of establishing behaviors to ensure holistic well-being of oneself, to promote health, and actively manage illness when it occurs. Individuals engage in some form of self-care daily with food choices, exercise, sleep, and hygiene. Self-care is not only a solo activity, as the community—a group that supports the person performing self-care—overall plays a role in access to, implementation of, and success of self-care activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social media</span> Virtual online communities

Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the creation, sharing and aggregation of content amongst virtual communities and networks. Common features include:

Online health communities are online social networks related to health. They primarily provide a means for patients and their families to learn about illnesses, to seek and offer social support, and to connect with others in similar circumstances. These online groups can be composed of individuals with illnesses, groups of medical professionals with shared interests, non-professional caregivers and family of patients, or a combination. The term "online health community" is primarily academic jargon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PatientsLikeMe</span> Health management social networking website

PatientsLikeMe (PLM) is an integrated community, health management, and real-world data platform. The platform currently has over 830,000 members who are dealing with more than 2,900 conditions, such as ALS, MS, and epilepsy. Data generated by patients themselves are collected and quantified with the goal of providing an environment for peer support and learning. These data capture the influences of different lifestyle choices, socio-demographics, conditions and treatments on a person's health.

Health communication is the study and practice of communicating promotional health information, such as in public health campaigns, health education, and between doctor and patient. The purpose of disseminating health information is to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy. Health communication is a unique niche in healthcare that allows professionals to use communication strategies to inform and influence decisions and actions of the public to improve health.

Patient participation is a trend that arose in answer to medical paternalism. Informed consent is a process where patients make decisions informed by the advice of medical professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome</span> Chronic medical condition

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling chronic illness. People with ME/CFS experience profound fatigue that does not go away with rest, as well as sleep issues and problems with memory or concentration. The hallmark symptom is post-exertional malaise, a worsening of the illness which starts hours to days after minor physical or mental activity. This "crash" can last from hours or days to several months. Further common symptoms include dizziness, nausea and pain.

Digital health is a discipline that includes digital care programs, technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery and to make medicine more personalized and precise. It uses information and communication technologies to facilitate understanding of health problems and challenges faced by people receiving medical treatment and social prescribing in more personalised and precise ways. The definitions of digital health and its remits overlap in many ways with those of health and medical informatics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 misinformation</span> False or misleading virus information

False information, including intentional disinformation and conspiracy theories, about the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the origin, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease has been spread through social media, text messaging, and mass media. False information has been propagated by celebrities, politicians, and other prominent public figures. Many countries have passed laws against "fake news", and thousands of people have been arrested for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. The spread of COVID-19 misinformation by governments has also been significant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media</span>

Social media became an important platform for interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with the onset of social distancing. According to a study conducted by Facebook's analytics department, messaging rates rose by over 50% during this period. Individuals confined to their homes utilized social media not only to maintain social connections but also as a source of entertainment to alleviate boredom. Concerns arose regarding the overreliance on social media for primary social interactions, particularly given the constraints imposed by the pandemic.

An infodemic is a rapid and far-reaching spread of both accurate and inaccurate information about certain issues. The word is a portmanteau of information and epidemic and is used as a metaphor to describe how misinformation and disinformation can spread like a virus from person to person and affect people like a disease. This term, originally coined in 2003 by David Rothkopf, rose to prominence in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plandemic is a trilogy of conspiracy theory films produced by Mikki Willis, promoting misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. They feature Judy Mikovits, a discredited American researcher and prominent anti-vaccine activist. The first video, Plandemic: The Hidden Agenda Behind Covid-19, was released on May 4, 2020, under Willis' production company Elevate Films. The second film, Plandemic Indoctornation, which includes more interviewees, was released on August 18 by Brian Rose's distributor of conspiracy theory related films, London Real. Later on June 3, 2023, Plandemic 3: The Great Awakening was released on The Highwire, a website devoted to conspiracy theories run by anti-vaccine activist Del Bigtree.

Disinformation attacks are strategic deception campaigns involving media manipulation and internet manipulation, to disseminate misleading information, aiming to confuse, paralyze, and polarize an audience. Disinformation can be considered an attack when it occurs as an adversarial narrative campaign that weaponizes multiple rhetorical strategies and forms of knowing—including not only falsehoods but also truths, half-truths, and value-laden judgements—to exploit and amplify identity-driven controversies. Disinformation attacks use media manipulation to target broadcast media like state-sponsored TV channels and radios. Due to the increasing use of internet manipulation on social media, they can be considered a cyber threat. Digital tools such as bots, algorithms, and AI technology, along with human agents including influencers, spread and amplify disinformation to micro-target populations on online platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Google, Facebook, and YouTube.

Misinformation related to immunization and the use of vaccines circulates in mass media and social media in spite of the fact that there is no serious hesitancy or debate within mainstream medical and scientific circles about the benefits of vaccination. Unsubstantiated safety concerns related to vaccines are often presented on the internet as being scientific information. A large proportion of internet sources on the topic are mostly inaccurate which can lead people searching for information to form misconceptions relating to vaccines.

References

  1. ↑ Karhu, Mari; Suoheimo, Mari; Häkkilä, Jonna (2021-05-12). "People's Perspectives on Social Media Use during COVID-19 Pandemic". 20th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia (PDF). New York, NY, USA: ACM. pp. 123–130. doi:10.1145/3490632.3490666. ISBN   9781450386432. S2CID   247085160.
  2. ↑ Ladeiras-Lopes, Ricardo; Baciu, Lavinia; Grapsa, Julia; Sohaib, Afzal; Vidal-Perez, Rafael; Bohm, Allan; Silvola, Harri; Gimenez, Maria Rubini; Muscoli, Saverio; Wallner, Markus; Rakisheva, Amina; Nagy, Vivien Klaudia; Cowie, Martin R.; Clarke, Sarah C.; Achenbach, Stephan (2020). "Social media in cardiovascular medicine: A contemporary review". European Heart Journal - Digital Health: 10–19. doi:10.1093/ehjdh/ztaa004. PMC   9707982 . PMID   36713964. (Erratum:  doi:10.1093/ehjdh/ztab098)
  3. ↑ "A doctor using social media to spread health awareness".
  4. ↑ "How Social Media Support Groups Enhance Patient Experience".
  5. ↑ Bender, Jacqueline L.; Hueniken, Katrina; Eng, Lawson; Brown, M. Catherine; Kassirian, Shayan; Geist, Ilana; Balaratnam, Karmugi; Liang, Mindy; Paulo, Chelsea B.; Geist, Arielle; Rao, Pryangka; Magony, Alexander; Smith, Elliot C.; Xu, Wei; Liu, Geoffrey (September 2021). "Internet and social media use in cancer patients: association with distress and perceived benefits and limitations". Supportive Care in Cancer. 29 (9): 5273–5281. doi:10.1007/s00520-021-06077-0. ISSN   1433-7339. PMID   33651181. S2CID   232083963.
  6. ↑ "The Evolution of Social Media: How Did It Begin and Where Could It Go Next?". Maryville Online. 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  7. ↑ "5 Effective Public Health Social Media Campaigns – Top Masters in Public Health Degrees" . Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  8. ↑ "Young female influencers energise the campaign against menstrual taboos in Nepal – and beyond". Healthy DEvelopments. 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  9. 1 2 "Introduction to Social Media Recruitment: Opportunities and Challenges". Recruitment Services. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  10. ↑ Chirumamilla, S.; Gulati, M. (2021). "Patient Education through Social media". Current Cardiology Reviews. 17 (2): 137–143. doi:10.2174/1573403X15666191120115107. PMC   8226210 . PMID   31752656.
  11. 1 2 Chirumamilla, Sravya; Gulati, Martha (2021-05-07). "Patient Education and Engagement through Social Media". Current Cardiology Reviews. 17 (2): 137–143. doi:10.2174/1573403X15666191120115107. PMC   8226210 . PMID   31752656.
  12. ↑ "Radiology Management, ICU Management, Healthcare IT, Cardiology Management, Executive Management". HealthManagement. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  13. ↑ Boseley, Sarah (2020-05-22). "Hydroxychloroquine: Trump's Covid-19 'cure' increases deaths, global study finds". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  14. ↑ Niburski, Kacper; Niburski, Oskar (2020-11-20). "Impact of Trump's Promotion of Unproven COVID-19 Treatments on Social Media and Subsequent Internet Trends: Observational Study". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 22 (11): e20044. doi: 10.2196/20044 . ISSN   1438-8871. PMC   7685699 . PMID   33151895.
  15. ↑ Sylvia Chou, Wen-Ying; Gaysynsky, Anna; Cappella, Joseph N. (October 2020). "Where We Go From Here: Health Misinformation on Social Media". American Journal of Public Health. 110 (S3): S273–S275. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2020.305905. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   7532328 .
  16. ↑ Azer, Samy A. (2017-11-01). "Social Media Channels in Health Care Research and Rising Ethical Issues". AMA Journal of Ethics. 19 (11): 1061–1069. doi: 10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.11.peer1-1711 . ISSN   2376-6980. PMID   29168677.
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