The use of social media and online communications in times of pandemic COVID-19

Adrian Wong; Serene Ho; Olusegun Olusanya; Marta Velia Antonini; David Lyness

doi:10.1177/1751143720966280

The use of social media and online communications in times of pandemic COVID-19

J Intensive Care Soc. 2021 Aug;22(3):255-260. doi: 10.1177/1751143720966280. Epub 2020 Oct 22.

Authors

Adrian Wong¹, Serene Ho², Olusegun Olusanya³, Marta Velia Antonini⁴, David Lyness⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Critical Care, King's College London, London, UK.
² Cavendish Clinic, London, UK.
³ Department of Critical Care, Barts Healthcare, London, UK.
⁴ CCN/CCP 1st ICU University Hospital of Parma, Italy.
⁵ Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Mater Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Abstract

The use of social media as a tool for professional communication and education in healthcare has been increasing; pros and cons of such platforms were extensively debated in recent years with mixed results. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media use has accelerated to the point of becoming a ubiquitous part of modern healthcare systems. As with any tool in healthcare, its risks and benefits need to be carefully considered. In this article, we review the use of social media in the current pandemic. Importantly, we will illustrate this using experiences from the perspective of large medical organisations and also identify the common pitfalls.

Keywords: COVID19; digital; pandemic; social media.

Publication types

Review