The other Twitter revolution: how social media are helping to monitor the NHS reforms

Cole, Katie; Hurst, Louise; Aldridge, Robert W; Horton, Richard

doi:10.1136/bmj.d948

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Health care consumers now have a new digital space where they can discuss information that is provided to them and evaluate their health care services as they experience it, either while attending a clinic or while watching a TV broadcast [ 10 ]. This phenomenon has already been observed in the United Kingdom where reforms in the National Health Service have been influenced by social commentary on Twitter [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Reaction on Twitter to a Cluster of Perinatal Deaths: A Mixed Method Study

Meaney¹,

Cussen²,

Greene³

et al. 2016

JMIR Public Health Surveill

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BackgroundParticipation in social networking sites is commonplace and the micro-blogging site Twitter can be considered a platform for the rapid broadcasting of news stories.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the Twitter status updates and subsequent responses relating to a number of perinatal deaths which occurred in a small maternity unit in Ireland.MethodsAn analysis of Twitter status updates, over a two month period from January to March 2014, was undertaken to identify the key themes arising in relation to the perinatal deaths.ResultsOur search identified 3577 tweets relating to the reported perinatal deaths. At the height of the controversy, Twitter updates generated skepticism in relation to the management of not only of the unit in question, which was branded as unsafe, but also the governance of the entire Irish maternity service. Themes of concern and uncertainty arose whereby the professional motives of the obstetric community and staffing levels in the maternity services were called into question.ConclusionsTwitter activity provides a useful insight into attitudes towards health-related events. The role of the media in influencing opinion is well-documented and this study underscores the challenges that clinicians face in light of an obstetric media scandal. Further study to identify how the obstetric community could develop tools to utilize Twitter to disseminate valid health information could be beneficial.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Reaction on Twitter to a Cluster of Perinatal Deaths: A Mixed Method Study

Meaney¹,

Cussen²,

Greene³

et al. 2016

JMIR Public Health Surveill

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show abstract

“…Social media platforms have become an increasingly popular source of health information, and growing interest has emerged in the role of social media in public health promotion. In particular, 2-way communication between health authorities and the public via social media is possible, and real-time exchange of health information among families and friends during a pandemic is possible [34][35][36]. The internet is widely used by authorities to inform the public about the latest news, disseminate public health knowledge, refute rumors, and facilitate effective coordination of medical, public, and pharmaceutical resources [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct and Indirect Associations of Media Use With COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in South Korea: Cross-sectional Web-Based Survey

Lee¹,

You²

2022

J Med Internet Res

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Background The battle against the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has not concluded. Despite the availability of vaccines, the high prevalence of vaccine hesitancy represents a significant challenge to public health, and raising vaccine acceptance among the public is critical. Although media has become an increasingly popular source of COVID-19 vaccine-related information, the question of whether and how media use is related to the public’s vaccine hesitancy warrants exploration. Objective This study aimed to (1) examine the level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, (2) identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and (3) explore the direct and indirect relationship between media use and vaccine hesitancy through psychological factors. Methods A month before COVID-19 vaccination was initiated in South Korea, we conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey over 6 days (January 20-25, 2021). This study included 1016 participants, and a logit model for regression analyzed associations between sociodemographic factors, health-related factors, psychological factors, and media use toward one’s COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, we conducted a path analysis to examine the indirect effects of media use on vaccine hesitancy by using psychological factors (ie, perceived risk of COVID-19 infection, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers of COVID-19 vaccination). Results Among the participants (N=1016), 53.3% (541/1016) hesitated to take the COVID-19 vaccine, while 46.7% (475/1016) agreed to accept the vaccine. Of the sociodemographic factors, female gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.967, 95% CI 1.36-2.86; P<.001), age in 50s (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.96; P=.004), and age over 60s (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.24-0.99; P=.04) were significant individual predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Perceived susceptibility of infection (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.91; P=.01) and perceived benefits of vaccination (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.91; P=.01) were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Perceived barriers of vaccination (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.29-2.07; P<.001) and lower trust in government (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.53-0.98; P=.04) were related to vaccine hesitancy. The use of offline and online media as sources for the perceived benefits of vaccination was associated with vaccine hesitancy, resulting in lower vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, perceived susceptibility of the disease and perceived barriers of vaccination mediated the association between social media use and vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions Our findings revealed a considerable level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Korea. Gender-based and generation-based public health policies and communication are recommended. Efforts to lower the perceived risk of vaccine side effects and heighten perceived benefits of the vaccine are required. Although the use of media has a positive and negative effect on the population’s vaccine hesitancy, efforts should be made to disseminate reliable and timely information on media while confronting misinformation or disinformation for successive implementation of vaccine programs during pandemics.

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“…Twitter is a repository of free and accessible consumer-generated opinions [ 26 ]. Our study adds to a body of work indicating that Twitter is an emerging part of the health and health policy landscape [ 15 , 27 - 30 ]. The novel methodology used in our study linking Twitter sentiment to ACA implementation data may be an innovative way to inform how to improve the health care system in real time and may be applicable to other settings as health policy is implemented [ 15 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Twitter Sentiment Predicts Affordable Care Act Marketplace Enrollment

Wong¹,

Sap²,

Schwartz³

et al. 2015

J Med Internet Res

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BackgroundTraditional metrics of the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and health insurance marketplaces in the United States include public opinion polls and marketplace enrollment, which are published with a lag of weeks to months. In this rapidly changing environment, a real-time barometer of public opinion with a mechanism to identify emerging issues would be valuable.ObjectiveWe sought to evaluate Twitter’s role as a real-time barometer of public sentiment on the ACA and to determine if Twitter sentiment (the positivity or negativity of tweets) could be predictive of state-level marketplace enrollment.MethodsWe retrospectively collected 977,303 ACA-related tweets in March 2014 and then tested a correlation of Twitter sentiment with marketplace enrollment by state.ResultsA 0.10 increase in the sentiment score was associated with an 8.7% increase in enrollment at the state level (95% CI 1.32-16.13; P=.02), a correlation that remained significant when adjusting for state Medicaid expansion (P=.02) or use of a state-based marketplace (P=.03).ConclusionsThis correlation indicates Twitter’s potential as a real-time monitoring strategy for future marketplace enrollment periods; marketplaces could systematically track Twitter sentiment to more rapidly identify enrollment changes and potentially emerging issues. As a repository of free and accessible consumer-generated opinions, this study reveals a novel role for Twitter in the health policy landscape.

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The other Twitter revolution: how social media are helping to monitor the NHS reforms

Abstract: McKee, M; Cole, K; Hurst, L; Aldridge, RW; Horton, R (2011) The other Twitter revolution: how social media are helping to monitor the NHS reforms. BMJ (Clinical research ed), 342. d948.

Cited by 17 publications

References 1 publication

Reaction on Twitter to a Cluster of Perinatal Deaths: A Mixed Method Study

Reaction on Twitter to a Cluster of Perinatal Deaths: A Mixed Method Study

Direct and Indirect Associations of Media Use With COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in South Korea: Cross-sectional Web-Based Survey

Twitter Sentiment Predicts Affordable Care Act Marketplace Enrollment

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