Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Jul 5, 2021
Open Peer Review Period: Jul 5, 2021 - Aug 30, 2021
Date Accepted: Sep 18, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Dec 8, 2021
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Social Media and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of a Physician Group’s WhatsApp Chat
ABSTRACT
Background:
Social media has emerged as an effective means of information sharing and community building amongst health professionals. The utility of these platforms is likely heightened during times of health system crises and global uncertainty. Studies have demonstrated that physicians’ social media platforms serve to bridge the gap of information between on-the-ground experiences of health care workers and emerging knowledge.
Objective:
The primary aim of this study was to characterize the use of a physician WhatsApp group chat during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
Through the lens of the Social Network Theory, the authors performed a qualitative content analysis of posts of a women physician WhatsApp group located in the United Arab Emirates between February 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 during the initial surge of COVID-19 cases.
Results:
The were 6101 posts during the study period, reflecting a 2.6-fold increase in platform utilization when compared with the year prior. Eight themes and nine subthemes are described. The top 3 uses of the platform were requests for information, member support/promotion, and information sharing (46%, 16%, and 15% respectively). A significant proportion of posts were related to COVID-19 (43.5%) with the most popular theme being requests for logistical (non-medical) information. Among COVID-19 related medical information, it is notable that two thirds of these posts (571 of 868) were from public, mass media or unverified sources.
Conclusions:
Health crises can potentiate the use of social media platforms amongst physicians, reflecting their tendency to turn to these platforms for information sharing and community building purposes. However, important questions remain regarding the accuracy and credibility of the information shared. These findings suggest that training of physicians in social media practices and information dissemination may be needed. Clinical Trial: Not applicable
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