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Social media utilization in the cochlear implant community
Rajeev C Saxena1, Ashton E Lehmann2, A Ed Hight3
1Department of Otolaryngology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|February 19, 2015
Summary
The cochlear implant (CI) community actively uses social media for support, advocacy, and sharing experiences. This study surveyed online platforms, revealing high engagement on Twitter and Facebook groups.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Medical Informatics
- Social Media Research
Background:
- Over 200,000 individuals globally have received cochlear implants (CI).
- Social media platforms may serve as vital online communities for CI users and interested individuals.
- Limited research exists on the social media utilization patterns within the CI community.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the participation of the cochlear implant (CI) community in social media websites.
- To quantify the extent and nature of CI-related social media engagement.
Main Methods:
- A systematic survey of online CI-related social media sources was conducted.
- Search terms like 'cochlear implant,' 'auditory implant,' 'forum,' and 'blog' identified platforms.
- Participation was quantified by membership numbers and post counts across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and forums.
Main Results:
- Over 350 CI-related social media sources were identified, including numerous Facebook groups/pages, Twitter accounts, YouTube videos, forums, and blogs.
- Twitter accounts (35,577 members) and Facebook groups (17,971 members) showed the highest membership.
- CI users primarily used Facebook groups for information/support (68%), forums for extensive discussions (approx. 127,000 posts), and blogs/Twitter/YouTube for sharing personal stories (71-92%).
Conclusions:
- The cochlear implant (CI) community extensively utilizes a diverse range of online social media.
- Social media serves multiple purposes for CI users, including seeking support, advocacy, rehabilitation information, research engagement, and sharing personal experiences.
- Future research should explore leveraging social media to enhance patient-provider relationships and patient education.
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