Social Media Use Among Transplant Professionals in Europe: a Cross-Sectional Study From the European Society of Organ Transplantation

Abstract

Objectives: Social media are Internet-based tools to gather and communicate information. Our aim was to survey transplant professionals in their attitude toward social media, to allow a better understanding of these technologies and their impact on health communication. Materials and Methods: An online survey was distributed through the European Society for Organ Transplantation's social media platforms. Participation was voluntary and confidential. Participants were health care professionals working in organ transplant fields and actively responding to the link shared through the European Society for Organ Transplantation's social media platforms. Results: In total, 190 health care professionals answered the survey: 70 (37%) were 35 to 44 years old, 105 (55%) were male, and 154 (81%) were white. The main training background was transplant nephrology (n = 42; 22%), with 115 participants (61%) working in academic centers. More than half (n = 102; 54%) used social media multiple times per day, utilizing Twitter or Facebook to connect with patients in equal amounts (n = 65; 34%) or WhatsApp (n = 53; 28%). To communicate about non-work-related information, most respondents (n = 124; 65%) chose WhatsApp, with 98 (52%) connecting through Facebook and Instagram (n = 54; 28%). Of total participants, 77 (41%) actively used Web-based technologies for educational purposes. Respondents indicated that the main described risks associated with social media were breach of anonymity and confidentiality (n = 159; 84%), lack of authenticity (n = 77; 41%), lack of standard informed consent (n = 77; 41%), and organ trafficking (n = 71; 37%). Conclusions: Transplant health care professionals recognize the role of social media platforms in promoting organ donation, sharing information, and providing knowledge for trainees or for research purposes. Future studies are needed to investigate how health care institutions and professional organizations could prevent risks related to social media use by professionals.

Living Donor Kidney Transplantation Improves Graft and Recipient Survival in Patients with Multiple Kidney Transplants

“…In our centre, where there is a high rate of living donor transplantation, there is for this reason an even higher proportion of organs retrieved from living donors in the case of 3rd+ KTRs (Table 1). To overcome living donor shortage, broad educational campaigns aiming to educate and inform the general population [21] and particularly via social media, have demonstrated an increase in donation rates [22]. With the current organ donor shortage and more patients dying on the waiting list, living donor kidney donation seems, therefore, to satisfy and significantly contribute to expand the donor pool for the general population, and more specifically for those who might not survive a long waiting list time or a major operation, like in the case of the repeated kidney transplantation subgroup.…”

Insights From Transplant Professionals on the Use of Social Media: Implications and Responsibilities

“…The majority of transplant surgeons in the United States perceive SoMe to be influential in increasing awareness about deceased organ donation and increasing living donation, yet 39% reported no SoMe outreach by their center (7). In Europe, while many transplant professionals reported using SoMe for work-related information, the majority do not engage in transplant-related campaigns (13). Thus, we reached out to eight leaders in transplantation who are known in their respective regions for their SoMe engagement or outreach or their work in the field of SoMe in transplantation.…”

COVID‐19 and education: restructuring after the pandemic

“…These initiatives aim to spread knowledge, which has the potential to save lives and counteract anxiety and frustration secondary to the unforeseen circumstances and the detrimental effects of SARS‐CoV‐2 [4]. Web‐based technology and social media platforms can be used to counteract the physical distancing in a dynamic fashion, reaching a broad and different audience [5].…”