Assessing Health Information Seeking Behaviors Among Targeted Social Media Users Using an Infotainment Video About a...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Communication
• Health Information Dissemination
• Social Media in Healthcare

Background:

• Lack of awareness and misconceptions about clinical trials hinder participation.
• Digital and social media are key platforms for health information, offering opportunities to improve public awareness.
• Infotainment strategies can effectively engage and educate audiences, potentially improving clinical trial awareness and recruitment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if an infotainment video promoting a clinical trial, shared via social media, could increase health information seeking behaviors.

Main Methods:

• An infotainment video promoting a cancer clinical trial was created and disseminated on Facebook.
• Video engagement (reach, retention, outbound clicks) and health information seeking behaviors were measured.
• Target audiences interested in breast cancer research were specifically targeted.

Main Results:

• The video campaign resulted in 414 outbound clicks to the clinical trial webpage within 21 days.
• Viewership increased dramatically from 1 visitor to hundreds during the campaign period.
• The study demonstrated a substantial increase in health information seeking behavior.

Conclusions:

• Digital and social media are scalable, cost-effective tools for clinical trial education and recruitment.
• Tailored content for specific audiences can improve awareness and engagement with clinical trials.
• Infotainment via social media presents a novel strategy for enhancing clinical trial participation.