Evaluation of a Digital Media Campaign to Promote Knowledge and Awareness of the GPFirst Program for Nonurgent...

GPFirst is a primary care partnership program designed to encourage patients with nonurgent conditions to seek care at participating general practitioner clinics instead of visiting the emergency department. In 2019, a digital media campaign (DMC) was launched to raise awareness and knowledge about GPFirst among residents in eastern Singapore.

This study aims to assess the DMC's impact on awareness and knowledge of GPFirst across different age groups, and the acceptability and satisfaction of GPFirst.

The DMC, comprising Facebook posts and a website designed using the Andersen behavioral model, was evaluated through 2 repeated cross-sectional surveys. The first cross-sectional survey (CS1) was conducted with eastern Singapore residents aged 21 years and older, 2 1 year before the campaign's launch, and the second survey (CS2) 4 months after. Satisfaction was measured on a 5-point Likert scale (very poor to excellent) about GPFirst experiences. Acceptability was assessed with 3 yes or no questions on decisions to visit or recommend GPFirst clinics. Analyses used tests of proportions, adjusted multiregression models, and age-stratified secondary analyses.

The Facebook posts generated 38,404 engagements within 5 months, with "#ThankYourGP" posts being the most viewed (n=24,602) and engaged (n=2618). Overall, 1191 and 1161 participants completed CS1 and CS2 respectively. Compared to CS1, CS2 participants were more aware (odds ratio [OR] 2.64, 95% CI 2.11-3.31; P<.001) and knowledgeable of GPFirst (OR 4.20, 95% CI 2.62-6.73; P<.001). Awareness was higher among married individuals (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.04-1.66; P=.03), those without a regular primary care physician (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.44-2.22; P<.001), and with higher education levels. Similarly, knowledge was greater among individuals with secondary (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.35-6.17; P=.006) and preuniversity education (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.14-5.70; P=.02), and those without a regular primary care physician (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.02-2.34; P=.04). For acceptability, among participants who visited a GPFirst clinic, 98.2% (163/166) reported they would continue to visit a GPFirst clinic before the emergency department in the future, 95.2% (158/166) would recommend the clinic, 60.2% (100/166) cited the clinic's participation in GPFirst as a factor in their provider's choice and 87.3% (145/166) were satisfied with GPFirst. Among those unaware of GPFirst, 88.3% (1680/1903) would consider visiting a GPFirst clinic before the emergency department in the future.

The DMC improved awareness and knowledge of GPFirst, with high satisfaction and acceptability among participants. Age-dependent strategies may improve GPFirst participation. The "#ThankYourGP" campaign demonstrated the potential of user-generated content to boost social media engagement, a strategy that international health systems could adopt.