Using Social Media for More Engaged Users and Enhanced Health Communication in Diabetes Care.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Communication
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Social media features influencing user engagement are known.
• Patient-preferred information and provider use of social media in diabetes care remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• Analyze patient-desired information from social media for diabetes care.
• Assess social media's role in enhancing doctor-patient communication and care compliance.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed diabetic patients on interests in social media diabetes information.
• Assessed social media information's impact on doctor-patient communication.
• Content analyzed major US diabetes organizations' Facebook pages for communication effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Patients prioritized diabetes management recommendations.
• Higher diabetes knowledge correlated with interest in management tips but less prior social media use.
• 70.9% of patients discussed social media information with their doctor.
• Narrative evidence, research updates, and policy information drove higher engagement on social media.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists between patient interest in management tips and their prevalence in social media posts.
• Social media posts with diabetes-specific information engaged users more than those with social values.
• Patient discussions with doctors about social media information highlight its potential as a diabetes care communication platform.