Background The need to include individuals with lived experience (ie, patients, family members, caregivers, researchers, and clinicians) in health research priority setting is becoming increasingly recognized. Social media–based methods represent a means to elicit and prioritize the research interests of such individuals, but there remains sparse methodological guidance on how best to conduct these social media efforts and assess their effectiveness. Objective This review aims to identify social media strategies that enhance participation in priority-setting research, collate metrics assessing the effectiveness of social media campaigns, and summarize the benefits and limitations of social media–based research approaches, as well as recommendations for prospective campaigns. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception until September 2021. Two reviewers independently screened all titles and abstracts, as well as full texts for studies that implemented and evaluated social media strategies aimed at engaging knowledge users in research priority setting. We subsequently conducted a thematic analysis to aggregate study data by related codes and themes. Results A total of 23 papers reporting on 22 unique studies were included. These studies used Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, websites, video-calling platforms, emails, blogs, e-newsletters, and web-based forums to engage with health research stakeholders. Priority-setting engagement strategies included paid platform–based advertisements, email-embedded survey links, and question-and-answer forums. Dissemination techniques for priority-setting surveys included snowball sampling and the circulation of participation opportunities via internal members’ and external organizations’ social media platforms. Social media campaign effectiveness was directly assessed as number of clicks and impressions on posts, frequency of viewed posts, volume of comments and replies, number of times individuals searched for a campaign page, and number of times a hashtag was used. Campaign effectiveness was indirectly assessed as numbers of priority-setting survey responses and visits to external survey administration sites. Recommendations to enhance engagement included the use of social media group moderators, opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction, and the establishment of a consistent tone and brand. Conclusions Social media may increase the speed and reach of priority-setting participation opportunities leading to the development of research agendas informed by patients, family caregivers, clinicians, and researchers. Perceived limitations of the approach include underrepresentation of certain demographic groups and addressing such limitations will enhance the inclusion of diverse research priority opinions in future research agendas.
While social media is increasingly leveraged to engage knowledge users in research priority-setting, there remains sparse explicit descriptions on how to implement it to build knowledge user-led research agendas. The aim of this study was to review a case study where social media was utilized to engage Canadians within the pediatric cancer community in a research priority-setting exercise; specifically highlighting the social media-based recruitment process, including recommendations on how to optimally engage key potential participants. A priority-setting partnership was launched to develop a stakeholder-driven research agenda in pediatric cancer in Canada. Social –media-based strategies were implemented for participant recruitment, developing a website, launching graphics and advertisements, and engaging internal and external stakeholders. These strategies incorporated the use of various social media platforms. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the data, in addition to the analytics provided by the platforms mentioned. Throughout the duration of the PSP, we garnered 870 Instagram followers, 450 Twitter followers, 69 Facebook page likes, 27 TikTok followers, 20 LinkedIn followers and 789 unique visitors to our website. Our Facebook page reached 28,641 people, while our Instagram profile reached 2,954 people. This social media campaign resulted in 330 individuals completing the initial survey of the PSP, and 197 individuals completing the interim prioritization survey. Social media is a novel approach to engage stakeholders in the development of a research agenda. Our study identified the following strategies as effective in increasing participation in our PSP: (1) creating a unified brand, (2) prioritizing accessibility (e.g., providing alternative text for all images), (3) ensuring social media campaign is reflective of the target audience by diversifying platforms and intermittently tailoring content to specific populations, (4) optimizing campaign’s reach via paid advertisements and circulating promotional material to partner organizations and individuals for them to subsequently share with their networks.
Mobile devices have become entrenched in today’s culture. In light of the unprecedented surge in mobile device usage, its implications on child health becomes more pertinent. Aspects of child development, such as establishing a stable work-life balance and identity formation are paramount when considering the impact of mobile devices.
Currently, approximately four to six percent of all Canadian children and youth have a learning disability. Three well-explored categories of learning disabilities are dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. Learning disabilities can affect all aspects of a youth’s life and development, including social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioural-moral domains. Options to treat and manage learning disabilities are currently divided into compensatory strategies and remedial treatments, including drilling and practice, task analysis, computer aids, faded support, and multisensory instruction. Different types of community-supports are also available to supplement treatment and management options. As a newly recognized field, research on learning disabilities has seen major developments within the last few decades, with significant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has impacted the health of children and youth with learning disabilities and changed the accessibility of education. However, despite the developments in the field, gaps and critiques persist in the research. This paper aims to review the current literature on treatments, community supports, and management strategies for learning disabilities in Canada and discuss the impacts of COVID-19. Reviewing existing data and gaps in the literature will help provide a holistic overview of the current state of the literature on learning disabilities in children and youth in Canada.
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