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Online Social Networking

Author
Team Zorg Enablers
Published on
24-11-2021
Category
Trends | Consultation

 

“The power of online social networking is it forces necessary change”

— Erik Qualman

Definition

The Online Social Networking (OSN) platform is in continuous development [1]. The term refers to an internet-oriented tool that offers both individuals and communities the ability to create and share content, social interactions and real-time collaborations. In addition, OSN refers to the various ways in which businesses, healthy and sick people and others can meet online [2, 3]. OSN eases the process to gaining knowledge together and sharing experiences.

 

Applications & benefits

OSN offers both healthcare consumers and healthcare professionals a tool for sharing and finding information. Users can discuss healthcare policy and practical matters, promote healthy behaviour, exchange data, share accurate information, distribute information quickly, form networks and interact with other healthcare consumers and/or professionals [3, 4]. It constitutes a dynamic community where the content is generated by the user who can enter into an open dialogue with one or multiple users. The Lifeline Corona study found that people felt more sombre, lethargic and lonely during the pandemic [5]. Considering the declining mental health in the Netherlands, the option of having an open dialogue online proved very beneficial. OSN was able to support a lot of people by connecting them [6].

 

Market

The statistics speak to OSN’s continued growth: 83.4% of 4.5 billion global internet users and 90.7% of 4.2 billion mobile internet users make use of social media. In addition, 3.9 billion people used social media globally with the average user totalling 8.8 social media accounts in 2020 [7-9]. Back in 2014, the average number of social media account totalled a ‘mere’ 4.8. One application that social media is being used for is to actively seek and share health information. This may vary from a simple search on how to alleviate a common cold to extensive descriptions of a disease process on a personal blog [8, 9]. A recent study shows that 80% of social media users that gather health information on platforms, look for reviews and experiences about the quality of hospitals and healthcare professionals. Or simply seek news updates on healthcare and the medical world [9]. In 2000 and 2003, only 42% and 49% of people was using the internet to obtain health information [10].

 

Driving forces

Increased awareness and growing acceptance
Growing connectivity and improved data infrastructure
Changing healthcare needs

Hindering forces

Data leads to misinterpretation
Increasing emphasis on privacy sensitivity
Ethical considerations

OSN is being driven by increasing connectivity and shifting healthcare needs, but some risks are involved as well. As we are developing an increasing number of applications for sharing personal health information and also ask people to share health information, it is a challenge to assure the privacy of personal data and patients [11-13]. We will also have to safeguard against breaching the patient-doctor relationship [14, 15]. There is an ongoing discussion about the online distribution of conspiracy theories and inaccuracies about vaccination and COVID-19 [16]. The quality and reliability of information on the platforms therefore deserves the proper scrutiny [17]. Meanwhile, the pandemic has emphasised the importance and relevance of OSN. Companies and individuals witnessed a considerable increase in social media use during the pandemic both in the context of business and social. The desire to keep in touch is strong when physical contact is no longer an option [18].

 

Conclusion

The use of online social networking is set to increase in the years ahead, which will include healthcare. Future patients will have even higher expectations when it comes to the ability to exchange and transfer their information and communication via this route. The healthcare system will have to handle this properly with attention to privacy legislation compliance when it comes to the patients’ data.

References

  1. Pruim, M., 2021. Persoonlijk contact digitaal vervangen tijdens corona | Pricewise. [online] Pricewise.nl Blog. Available at: https://www.pricewise.nl/blog/social-media-corona/ [Accessed 15 July 2021].
  2. Saferinternetcentre.nl. 2021. Internet blijkt lichtpuntje in coronajaar: geen toename van negatieve online ervaringen onder jongeren – Saferinternetcentre.nl. [online] Available at: https://saferinternetcentre.nl/internet-blijkt-lichtpuntje-in-coronajaar-geen-toename-van-negatieve-online-ervaringen-onder-jongeren/ [Accessed 15 July 2021].
  3. Van Dijck, J. 2020. The positive function of social media during the pandemic. The Network pages. Available at https://www.uu.nl/en/in-the-media/the-positive-function-of-social-media-during-the-pandemic. Accessed at 15 july 2021.
  4. Shu-Feng, T. 2021. What social media told us in the time of covid-19: a scoping review. Accessed at 15 july 2021: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(20)30315-0/fulltext
  5. De Jager, N. Geesteljike gezondheid van studenten verslechtert; ‘ze worden gek op hun kamertje’. De Volkskrant. https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/geestelijke-gezondheid-van-studenten-verslechtert-ze-worden-gek-op-hun-kamertje~bfa700ce8/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F Accessed at 16 july 2021.
  6. Rijskuniversiteit Groningen. Mentale gezondheid daalt tot dieptepunt sinds begin coronacrisis. https://www.rug.nl/news/2021/02/mentale-gezondheid-daalt-tot-dieptepunt-sinds-begin-coronacrisis. Accessed at 16 july 2021.
  7. Dean, B. 2021. Social network usage & growth statistics : how many people use social media in 2021. Backlink. https://backlinko.com/social-media-users. Accessed at 12 july 2021.8. ReferralMD. 2021. 24 Outstanding Statistics & Figures on How Social Media has Impacted the Health Care Industry. [online] Available at: https://getreferralmd.com/2013/09/healthcare-social-media-statistics/ [Accessed 15 July 2021].10.
  8. Brown J. et al. How doctors view and use social media: a national survey. J Med Internet Res. 2014; 16(12): e2679.
  9. Healthcarecompliancepros.com. 2021. [online] Available at: https://www.healthcarecompliancepros.com/blog/posting-with-caution-the-dos-and-donts-of-social-media-and-hipaa-compliance [Accessed 15 July 2021].
  10. Huisarts & Wetenschap. 2021. Gebruik van internet voor gezondheidsinformatie. [online] Available at: https://www.henw.org/artikelen/gebruik-van-internet-voor-gezondheidsinformatie [Accessed 12 August 2021].
  11. Panahi S. et al. Social media and physicians: exploring the benefits and challenges. Health informatics Journal. 2016. Accessed at 15 july 2021
  12. Dosemagen S. & Aase L. How social media is shaking up public health and healthcare. The huffington post. January 2016.
  13. Moorhead S.A. et al. A new dimension of healthcare: systematic review of the uses, benefits, and limitations of social media for health communication. J Med internet Res. 2013;15 (4): e 85
  14. Health Research institute. Social media ‘likes’ healthcare: from marketing to social business. PWC. April 2012. Accessed at 13 july 2021
  15. E-Health monitor 2015: tussen vonk en vlam. Accessed at 15 july 2021.
  16. Hotez, P. 2021. Covid vaccines; time to confront anti-vax aggression: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01084-x. Accessed at 15 juli 2021.
  17. Brumfiel, G. 2021. Anti-vaccine activists use a federal database to spread fear about COVID vaccines. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/06/14/1004757554/anti-vaccine-activists-use-a-federal-database-to-spread-fear-about-covid-vaccine?t=1626379399829. Accessed at 15 july 2020.
  18. Modahl M. et al. Doctors, Patients & Social Media. Quantia MD. September 2011