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Using Social Media for Rapid Information Dissemination in a Pandemic: #PedsICU and Coronavirus Disease 2019
Sapna R Kudchadkar1,2,3, Christopher L Carroll4
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Insights
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the #PedsICU hashtag on Twitter facilitated rapid information sharing among pediatric critical care professionals globally. Strategic use of #PedsICU and #COVID19 enhanced collaboration and reached key stakeholders worldwide.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Public Health Communication
- Social Media Analytics
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid information exchange within the global pediatric critical care (PedsICU) community.
- Traditional communication channels faced challenges in disseminating timely information during the crisis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a collaborative strategy using Twitter for rapid information dissemination in pediatric critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To analyze the use of #PedsICU and #COVID19 hashtags for information sharing and engagement.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Twitter data from February 1 to May 1, 2020, using the Symplur Signals Database.
- Inclusion of tweets containing #PedsICU, with a focus on those also using #COVID19 or related terms.
Main Results:
- The #PedsICU hashtag saw 49,865 shares across six continents.
- #COVID19-related content rapidly dominated #PedsICU conversations post-March 14, 2020 (69% of tweets and impressions).
- Non-physician healthcare providers were primary users, sharing open-access resources like literature and educational videos.
Conclusions:
- Twitter served as a vital platform for real-time information sharing and collaboration in pediatric critical care during the pandemic.
- Targeted use of #PedsICU and #COVID19 effectively disseminated information and combatted misinformation among global stakeholders.
Objective:
To describe the impact of a strategy for international collaboration and rapid information dissemination on Twitter among the pediatric critical care community during a global pandemic.
Design:
Analysis of #PedsICU and coronavirus disease 2019 Twitter data in the Symplur Signals Database between February 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020.
Setting:
Social media platform Twitter.
Patients:
None.
Interventions:
Promotion of the joint usage of #PedsICU and #COVID19 throughout the international pediatric critical care community in tweets relevant to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and pediatric critical care.
Measurements And Main Results:
We collected data on all tweets containing the hashtag #PedsICU in addition to those containing both #PedsICU and coronavirus disease 2019 hashtags. Tweets including #PedsICU were shared 49,865 times on six continents between February 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020; between February 1 and March 13, only 8% of #PedsICU tweets included a coronavirus disease 2019 hashtag. After a sharp rise during the week of March 14, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 content has dominated the #PedsICU conversation on Twitter, comprising 69% of both #PedsICU tweets and impressions (p < 0.001). The most commonly used coronavirus disease 2019 hashtag over the study period was #COVID19 (69%). Proportionately, a greater percentage of #PedsICU tweets including the coronavirus disease 2019 hashtag (vs not) had images or videos (45% vs 41%; p < 0.001). In addition, non-physician healthcare providers were the largest group of users (46%) of the combination of #PedsICU and coronavirus disease 2019 hashtags. The most popular tweets shared on Twitter were open-access resources, including links for updated literature, narrative reviews, and educational videos relevant to coronavirus disease 2019 clinical care. Concurrent hashtags and words in tweets containing #PedsICU and coronavirus disease 2019 hashtags spanned several different disciplines and topics in pediatric critical care.
Conclusion:
Twitter has been used widely for real-time information sharing and collaboration among the international pediatric critical care community during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Targeted use of #PedsICU and #COVID19 for engagement on Twitter is a conduit to combat misinformation and optimize reach to pediatric critical care stakeholders across the globe when rapid dissemination is needed.
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