Dear Richard,
Thanks for your message https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/bmj-glob-health-role-social-media-publi...
You wrote:
'In answer to your statement "Also lacking is an understanding of the ways that individual social media users can best engage with and filter information from a variety of online sources to make well-inforned choices around health behaviors" we do understand a little of how best to engage. Providers acknowledge the crucial importance role of "influencers" in the dissemination of information, understanding and belief. Providers develop a workstream to educate influencers and to provide influencers with current and up to date information about developing health issues. Influencers will be more likely to provide advice to their followers that supports well informed choices.'
Please can you say a bit more about "Providers develop a workstream to educate influencers and to provide influencers with current and up to date information about developing health issues."
To what extent, if at all, do top social media 'stars' such as Christiano Ronaldo (450,000,000 followers) relate to communication about healthcare issues? Are there any such stars who are specifically active in providing reliable healthcare inforamtion versus misinformation? Do we have examples of positive and negative impacts of such activity.
There are also many individuals with much smaller numbers of followers who are motivated to provide reliable healthcare information or misinformation. An example of the former is Dr Jennifer Guntner, a Candian-American gynaecologist who writes and tweets about women's health @DrJenGunter. Can HIFA members suggest examples? What do we know about the impact of social media on popular understanding of health issues?
Many thanks, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
