Social Media in Patients’ Self-Management of Chronic Disease by Associate professor Tina Bleging Jensen, ITM

The use of social media in healthcare is gaining momentum. An increasing number of patients with a chronic disease are becoming active users of information provided on the Internet through online patient communities and other types of social media. Contrary to the information in clinical electronic record systems that is professionally generated and approved, social media represent more informal and interactive connections among people who need support in dealing with their disease.

The increased use of social media means that many patients are well-informed about their health condition, thus taking on a new role with respect to self-management outside the realm of healthcare institutions. For a majority of patients, social media provide them with a broader understanding of their chronic disease and the possibility of discussing and relating personal experiences and needs. While social media may have great potential in empowering patients by giving them an important role in their own treatment, we also should acknowledge the limitations of social media. Patients may find that the information provided is ambiguous and we see a need for a “human factor” to help patients make sense of the information provided through these media. In addition, it requires new ways of organizing the healthcare system if these media are to be integrated to a larger extent.

Inspired by some of these trends, this project extends previous research on the use of technology in healthcare by focusing on how to facilitate and support patients’ adoption and use of social media. The aim of this presentation is to talk about some of the benefits and challenges related to this phenomenon and hopefully get feedback on how to proceed with the research project.