A survey on social media use and expectations in cancer patients.

Abstract

e18183 Background: Social media encompasses a wide variety of web based and mobile technologies. It has become increasingly popular, allowing for rapid communication and dissemination of information. Many believe that social media can be used as a platform for patient education and knowledge sharing. This survey intended to assess patient use of social media and patient expectations for its role at our cancer center. Methods: The study took place at West Virginia University (WVU) Hospital/Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, a tertiary care center. This IRB-approved, anonymous, and voluntary survey included twenty-five questions that abstracted patient data which included: age, gender, cancer type, level of education, internet use, information sources for given cancer, use of social media, and the use of WVU cancer website and social media. The survey was distributed by nursing staff to patients who were at least 18 years of age Results: 370 surveys were collected in total. 87.6 % of patients reported using social media, with Facebook as the most commonly used platform at 85.6 %. 70% reported to view or update social media sites daily. All patients reported at least monthly internet use with 61.1 % of patients reported using the internet daily. 32.7% of patients interact with WVU Cancer Centeron social media daily. When asked how patients search for background information or reviews about their provider, 57.8% of patients reported they used our institution’s website. 55.7% of patients believe it would beneficial to contact their cancer provider through social media. Only 22% of patients reported they use social media for medical information. Conclusions: With the increasing use of social media for medical information over the past several years, it is crucial for academic centers and providers to keep up with the growing demand to provide accurate and practical information for patients. Our data suggests our patient population would like to see an increased use of social media from the cancer center and its providers. The information can be used to update our cancer website and social media sites to provide patient-centered cancer information in hopes that patients will have one reliable source for all of their disease related questions and concerns.