scholarly journals Social media as a learning tool for healthcare professionals: is it really possible?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. e49101522371
Author(s):  
Carlos Gabriel de Lade ◽  
Helder Barra de Moura ◽  
Helder Zimmerman de Oliveira ◽  
Fernanda Dias Coelho ◽  
Marcionilo Euro Carlos Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Learning Tool ◽  
Educational Tools ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Pubmed Database

The aim of this study is to stimulate discussion about the potential of social media as an important learning tool for healthcare professionals through a critical review of the literature. We conducted a critical brief review of the literature published from 2010 to 2021 in PubMed, using the search terms "social media", "healthcare professional", "online learning", "online education", and "medical education", and some variations according to MeSH. Besides the Pubmed database, searches were conducted through the website https://mededu.jmir.org/. Many healthcare professionals use social media to find and share health information, communicate with colleagues and trainees, advertise their clinical practices, engage in health advocacy, impact health policy decisions, exchange developments in their fields, and publicize their research. However, this is still a topic without established conclusions. Although many studies describe social media as important tools to improve the learning of health students regarding communication, professionalism and ethics, limitations related to health information found in social media are the lack of quality and reliability. In conclusion, we recognize the numerous potential strengths of social media as educational tools, but many points are still unclear and need to be persistently understood, evaluated, and discussed.

scholarly journals Adherence to Anti-Osteoporotic Treatment and Clinical Implications after Hip Fracture: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 341
Author(s):  
Ramona Dobre ◽  
Dan Alexandru Niculescu ◽  
Răzvan-Cosmin Petca ◽  
Răzvan-Ionuț Popescu ◽  
Aida Petca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hip Fracture ◽  
Fracture Risk ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Treatment Adherence And Compliance ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
Second Fracture ◽  
Hip Fracture Mortality

The role of anti-osteoporotic treatment as part of the secondary prevention after hip fracture in terms of mortality and re-fracture risk has been studied, and the results are promising. Decreased treatment adherence and compliance is a problem that needs to be addressed by healthcare professionals. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the PubMed database with terms that included hip fracture, mortality, second fracture, and specific anti-osteoporotic treatment. We included 28 articles, 21 regarding mortality and 20 re-fracture rates in hip fracture patients. All studies showed lower mortality after hip fracture associated with anti-osteoporotic treatment, mostly bisphosphonate agents. The re-fracture risk is still debatable, since conflicting data were found. Although most of the studies showed notable effects on mortality and re-fracture rates associated with anti-osteoporotic treatment, we still need more data to validate the actual results.

Combating the spread of health misinformation on social media

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-42
Author(s):  
Gemma Harris
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Potential Risks

Social media platforms are increasingly turned to for health information, advice and community, but lack of regulation has allowed harmful misinformation to spread. Gemma Harris discusses this phenomenon, the potential risks to the public and the steps that healthcare professionals can take to counteract these effects.

scholarly journals Is it possible to teach good health practices using social media?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e295101220600
Author(s):  
Santiago Tavares Paes ◽  
Stephania Neves Scapim ◽  
Carlos Gabriel de Lade ◽  
Helder Barra de Moura ◽  
Helder Zimmerman de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Health Practices ◽  
Scientific Rigor ◽  
Virtual Tools ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Social media represents a powerful weapon to promote health education. The aim of the present study was to investigate how health information is discussed and disseminated by people who do not have specific academic certification but are legitimized due to their experiences. We conducted a narrative review of the literature published from 2016 to 2021 in PubMed, using the search terms “Social Media”, “Health” and “Education”, and their variations according to MeSH. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated the use of social media to disseminate health information content were included in the analysis. Despite the undeniable role of social media in disseminating content concerning health practices, the use of these platforms without proper scientific support or academic certification by so-called health influencers can promote questionable content. A number of studies demonstrate that content published on social media can negatively influence the health of users. Greater scientific rigor and professional training could contribute to guarantee reliability of data regarding health information shared on social media. More studies must assess the relevance of using virtual tools for sharing content aimed at improving health and scientific reliability.

Social Media and the Transformation of Healthcare: A Viewpoint (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Forgie ◽  
Hollis Lai ◽  
Bo Cao ◽  
Eleni Stroulia ◽  
Andrew James Greenshaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Physician Patient Relationship ◽  
Mediation Effects

UNSTRUCTURED As many as 80% of internet users seek health information online. The social determinants of health (SDoH) are intimately related to who has access to the internet and healthcare as a whole. Those who face more barriers to care are more likely to benefit from accessing health information online, granted the information they are retrieving is accurate. Virtual communities on social media platforms are particularly interesting as venues for seeking health information online because peers have been shown to influence health behaviour more than almost anything else. Thus, it is important to recognize the potential of social media to have positive mediation effects on health, so long as any negative mediation effects are reconcilable. As a positive mediator of health, social media can be used as a direct or indirect mode of communication between physicians and patients, a venue for health promotion and health information, and a community support network. False or misleading content, social contagion, confirmation bias, and security and privacy concerns must be mitigated in order to realize full potential of social media as a positive mediator of health. In any case, it is clear that the intersections between the SDoH, social media, and health are intimate, and they must be taken into consideration by physicians. Here, we argue that a paradigm shift in the physician-patient relationship is warranted, one where physicians: a) acknowledge the impacts of the SDoH on information-seeking behaviour, b) recognize the positive and negative roles of social media as a mediator of health through the lens of the SDoH, and c) use social media to catalyze positive changes in the standard of care.

scholarly journals Exploring the Influence of Social Media Usage for Academic Purposes Using a Partial Least Squares Approach

Computation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Jabar H. Yousif ◽  
Firdouse R. Khan ◽  
Safiya N. Al Al Jaradi ◽  
Aysha S. Alshibli
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Partial Least Squares ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Linear Regression Method

Social media applications have been increasingly gaining significant attention from online education and training platforms. Social networking tools provide multiple advantages for communicating, exchanging opinions, and discussing specific issues. Social media also helps to improve the processes of teaching and learning through sharing educational programs. In this study, we used a quantitative research technique based on the partial least-squares (PLS) linear regression method to determine the influence of using social media as an online discussion and communication platform for academic purposes by assessing the relationships among the skills obtained through social media, the usage of social media, and the purpose of social media. A total of 200 students participated in this study (88% female and 12% males), and a purposive sampling technique was used to select a suitable population for the study. The results show that 61.5% of the participants use the web daily for more than five hours, mainly for social communication (meaningful dialog and discussion skills) and entertainment. The students agreed that social media develops their creative thinking, but it has no positive impact on their academic performance.

scholarly journals A survey of the knowledge and attitudes of Egyptian healthcare professionals towards the application of Health Information Technology to optimize antibiotic therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i28-i28
Author(s):  
N Hassan ◽  
R Slight ◽  
S P Slight
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Health Information Technology ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
P Value

Abstract Introduction Antimicrobial resistance is a global health problem, especially in developing countries. Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes (AMS) have been shown to be effective at reducing antimicrobial resistance and hospital patient stays. Health information technology (HIT) can support Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) through more accurate diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. Aim To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of Egyptian healthcare professionals towards the application of HIT to optimize OPAT. Methods Healthcare professionals who worked in either private or public sectors of Egyptian healthcare system were emailed and asked if they would be willing to complete an electronic questionnaire (using google forms). One reminder was sent by email each week for two weeks (two in total) from the first invitation. The survey was laid out in four sections. The first section included specific details about the healthcare professional’s current employment and role, the second related to HIT services available in their organisations, the third covered their training in HIT and antimicrobial stewardship programmes, and the fourth included their use of HIT to optimize OPAT. Ethical approval was obtained from National Heart Institute, Egypt. Descriptive analysis was carried out for all the variables. One-way ANOVA testing at level of significance P-value <0.05, was used to compare numerical variables. SPSS version 26 was used for statistical analysis. Results Three hundred and eighty-five healthcare professionals were invited to respond to the questionnaire. (The response rate was 75.34% (290)). Of these, 152 (52.6%) were pharmacists, 134 (46.4%) physicians, and 3 (1%) nurses, and many participants (30.8%) had between 6 to 10 years of experience working in either outpatient or in-patient units. Only 15.2% of respondents mentioned that they have access to OPAT in their organizations, 51.2% did not have the service, while 33.6% responded that they did not know if the service was available. However, 27.3% had a training on ASP and 18.3% had a training on HIT. Mean scores for both knowledge (14.31±5.49) and attitude (14.67±2.53) were significantly higher in professionals who had received training in HIT (p = 0.003 & 0.006 respectively). However, scores for attitude were better than scores for knowledge. Conclusions In developing countries, HIT applications in OPAT are still in their infancy with only a few organisations adopting them. Egyptian healthcare professionals showed positive attitudes towards HIT use, especially when their knowledge was improved through training. Two strengths of this study include our high response rate and the wide breadth of different healthcare professionals who responded from both private and public healthcare settings. However, being a questionnaire, some questions were left unanswered and some respondents may not have been aware of their reasons for a particular answer. That said, this study has important implications for practice, with more awareness amongst healthcare professionals required on the availability of HIT services in their hospitals and how further training may be needed on the applications of HIT in optimizing OPAT.

scholarly journals Patterns of use and perceived value of social media for population health among population health stakeholders: a cross-sectional web-based survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungwon Yoon ◽  
Sharon Wee ◽  
Vivian S. Y. Lee ◽  
Jing Lin ◽  
Julian Thumboo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Preventive Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Healthy Behaviors ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Patterns Of Use

Abstract Background Although existing studies have described patterns of social media use in healthcare, most are focused on health professionals in one discipline. Population health requires a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure diversity and to include diverse stakeholders. To date, what is known about using social media in population health is focused on its potential as a communication tool. This study aims to investigate patterns of use and perceived value of social media usage among stakeholders in population health practice, policy, or research. Methods We conducted a web-based survey of delegates attending the Singapore Population Health Conversations and Workshop. We designed a 24-item questionnaire to assess 1) social media use in terms of type of platform and frequency of use; 2) perceptions of social media relevance and impact on population health; and 3) top three areas in population health that would benefit from social media. We used descriptive and logistic regression analyses to assess the relationships between variables. Results Of the 308 survey respondents, 97.7% reported that they use social media in some form. Messaging (96.8%) was the most dominant activity when using social media. Challenges in implementing social media for population health were time investment by health care professionals (56.2%) and patient adoption (52.9%). The top three population health areas that would benefit most from using social media were the promotion of healthy behaviors (60.7%), community engagement (47.7%), and preventive care (40.6%). Older respondents (> = 40 years) were less likely to view social media as useful for the promotion of healthy behaviors (OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.19–0.60). Non-social/healthcare professionals were more likely to consider social media to be useful for community engagement (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.10–2.76). For preventive care, older respondents (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.32–0.82) and non-social/healthcare professionals were less likely to view social media as useful (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38–0.97). Conclusions Our findings suggest that it may be important to select the specific care areas that would benefit most from using social media. The time investment needed by population health professionals should be fully addressed in planning to maximize the application and potential value of social media.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

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