Benefits and Barriers of Pediatric Healthcare Providers Toward Using Social Media in Asthma Care

Abstract

BACkgRoUNdAs the 21 st century unfolds, information technology is predicted to influence the methods by which patients receive health education -"Information technology will be used to change the way care is delivered from an approach centered on the physician visit to one in which tools such as email and Internet-based health information provide continuous communication and information flow between clinicians and patients." 1(p570) Information from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports that nearly 75% of U.S. adults are regular Internet users, and of these, 80% participate in groups. 2 ABSTRACT Background: Adolescents with asthma are the least compliant age group for asthma management. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of two pediatric physician groups towards using social media technology (SMT) to improve asthma management in adolescents. Methods: We employed in-depth interviews and a focus group to understand pediatric attending physicians' and residents' perspectives of SMT use in asthma management. We analyzed data using the constant comparative method. Results: Physicians acknowledge the importance of health education for asthma management and the potential for SMT. Identified benefits include enhanced understanding of how adolescents perceive asthma, improved patient-provider relationships, the availability of an interactive venue and an additional way to provide accurate information to asthmatic teens. The barriers consisted of time constraints during office hours, personal commitments, work schedules, lack of comfort with the technology and perceived liability issues. Discussion: SMT is considered a valuable tool to reach this target population. The barriers of using SMT need to be overcome for voluntary adoption to occur. Translation to Health Education Practice: SMTs may provide a dynamic platform for both health education and allow physicians to better understand the needs and wants of adolescents with chronic diseases.

Engaging Teens with Asthma in Designing a Patient-Centered Mobile App to Aid Disease Self-Management

“…Further concerns about the use of more than one device for asthma management, forgetfulness, [21][22][23] and variable wireless Internet access inhibit the routine use of app-based asthma self-management, which supports Web-based tools that are accessible via smartphones. 11 Whereas nationwide rates of teen ownership of smartphones are on the rise, almost half of our sample did not own their own mobile device.…”

“…Previous studies reveal that pediatric asthma patients, their parents, and their pulmonologists desire mobile, user-friendly solutions, such as an app, that tracks their asthma experience, alerts them when their conditions worsen, and strengthens communication among families and their healthcare providers. [21][22][23] The main objective of this study was to engage teen asthma patients in the developmental stages of product design for an asthma self-management app for persons in their age group. We assessed teens' overall impressions of currently available asthma apps.…”

Business Analytics: Research and Teaching Perspectives

“…More research needs to be conducted to establish the role and effectiveness of social media platforms in healthcare delivery. Previous studies have mostly investigated efforts made by healthcare institutions in using social media as a tool for healthcare management and information delivery [9]. Armstrong and Powell (2009) assert that patients value the additional support they receive from online communities and perceive online sources of information provided by lay people as a complement to information provided by professional healthcare providers [1].…”

Primary care for limited English-speaking patients and parents

“…The data in column 1 are adapted from Gibbons () and Norman et al (). The data in column 2 are adapted from Martinesk et al () and Chou et al ().…”

“…Social media. The Internet, web-based, and mobile technologies have been proposed as forums in which patients can be actively involved in receiving, processing, and responding to health information (Martinasek et al, 2011;van Uden-Kraan, Drossaert, Taal, Seydel, & van de Laar, 2009). Social media includes online groups, blogs, and social networks.…”