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Imran S, Yasmeen R, Mansoor M. Development and validation of self-assessment instrument to measure the digital professionalism of healthcare professionals using social media. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:243. [PMID: 38448892 PMCID: PMC10919038 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05142-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of social media across the globe has risen incrementally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these sites undeniably provided new avenues for professional networking but also led to a surge in cases of online misconduct. Professionalism instruments and scales do not assess the digital attitude and behaviour of healthcare professionals (HCPs). The purpose of this study was to identify the domains and items of digital professionalism related to social media use and to validate a self-assessment instrument to assess the digital professionalism of HCPs using social media. METHODS An instrument development multiphase mixed method study (exploratory sequential) was conducted in two phases: item development and qualitative content validation followed by validation of the instrument. Feedback was taken from 15 experts for qualitative content validation in phase 1. In phase 2, content validity was established through three rounds of modified Delphi. Validity evidence was collected for the content (content validity index), response process (cognitive interviews), internal structure (confirmatory factor analysis), and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). RESULTS The 48-item preliminary instrument was reduced to a 28-item instrument with eight domains: self-anonymity, privacy settings, maintenance of boundaries and confidentiality, conflict of interest, accountability, respect for colleagues, and ethics. The content validity index of the scale was 0.91. The reliability and construct validity of the instrument was established by responses from 500 healthcare professionals from multiple hospitals. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a model with a goodness-of-fit index of 0.86, root mean square error of approximation of 0.06, and observed normed χ2 of 2.7. The internal consistency through Cronbach's alpha α was 0.96. CONCLUSION The digital professionalism self-assessment instrument (DP-SAI) has an appropriate level of content and measures the construct reliably. It can be used by medical doctors, dental clinicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and clinical pharmacists to self-assess and reflect on their social media practices. This will help to address these issues to enhance the quality of online communication through various social media platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shazia Imran
- Department of Anatomy, NUST School of Health Sciences (NSHS), National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Rahila Yasmeen
- Dean Riphah Academy of Research & Education, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Memoona Mansoor
- Department of Medical Education, Islamabad Medical & Dental College, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Galea G, Chugh R, Luck J. Why should we care about social media codes of conduct in healthcare organisations? A systematic literature review. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GESUNDHEITSWISSENSCHAFTEN = JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37361317 PMCID: PMC10088715 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-023-01894-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Background The conduct of healthcare organisation employees on social media can impact both their personal reputation and that of the organisation. However, social media has blurred the lines between professional and personal communication, and what is acceptable and ethical conduct is not always clear. Furthermore, the global COVID-19 pandemic has changed how healthcare organisations and their employees approach the use of social media, expediting the need to ensure that employees communicating health-related information adhere to employee codes of conduct. Aims This review aims to investigate the challenges associated with healthcare organisation employees' use of social media for sharing health-related information, identify the crucial elements for inclusion in social media codes of conduct for healthcare organisations, and examine the enablers for good codes of conduct. Methods A systematic review of the literature from six research database platforms on articles related to codes of conduct addressing the use of social media for healthcare organisation employees was conducted. The screening process yielded 52 articles. Results The key finding in this review focuses on privacy, protecting both patients and healthcare organisation employees. While maintaining separate professional and personal social media accounts is a much-discussed approach, training and education on social media codes of conduct can clarify acceptable behaviour both personally and professionally. Conclusion The results raise essential questions about healthcare organisation employees' use of social media. It is evident that organisational support and a constructive culture will enable healthcare organisations to fully realise the benefits of using social media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitte Galea
- School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, 45 Abbott Street, Cairns, QLD 4879 Australia
| | - Ritesh Chugh
- School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, North, Rockhampton, QLD 4702 Australia
| | - Jo Luck
- School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, North, Rockhampton, QLD 4702 Australia
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McLean S, Cook N, Rovira-Wilde A, Patel S, Kanagasingam S. Evaluating YouTube as a Patient Information Source for the Risks of Root Canal Treatment. J Endod 2023; 49:155-161. [PMID: 36526106 DOI: 10.1016/j.joen.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION YouTube is one of the most used social media platforms for health care information. Misinformation and poor educational content on this platform can exacerbate public anxiety and fear of root canal treatment. This study aimed to investigate the quality of videos examining risks of root canal treatment on YouTube. METHODS YouTube was searched using a combination of keywords relating to endodontic complications to replicate goal-orientated browsing. Video quality was assessed using a modified DISCERN score and global quality score by 2 authors independently. Manifest quantitative content analysis was used to capture information about the video and extent of interactions. The 10 most viewed videos were further analyzed in terms of the messaging and format of the videos. RESULTS The mean overall quality of the videos was relatively low (2.20). Videos produced by regulatory bodies had the highest mean score (3.00) and the shortest mean length (2 minutes 23 seconds) but had the fewest views and interactions. The poorest quality videos (mean 1.5) were produced by nonclinicians and news/media, which tended to be longer (mean 8 minutes 49 seconds) and received more engagement. Across all videos, information related to patient decision making tended to be poorly presented. CONCLUSIONS The dental community, particularly institutions and organizations, need to strategically create engaging videos to redress patients' concerns about root canal treatment. This can counterbalance the existing misleading information and improve access to evidence-based content, which will ultimately affect patient decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neil Cook
- School of Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire
| | | | - Shanon Patel
- Department of Endodontology, King's College London Dental Institute, London, UK, Specialist Practice, London, UK
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Misinformation about medication during the COVID- 19 pandemic: A perspective of medical staff. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276693. [PMID: 36301877 PMCID: PMC9612566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare professionals had to face numerous challenges during the pandemic, their professional activity being influenced not only by the virus, but also by the spread of medical misinformation. In this regard, we aimed to analyze, from the perspective of medical staff, the way medical and non-medical information about the virus was communicated during the pandemic to encourage the development of future research or interventions in order to raise awareness about the way misinformation affected medical staff. METHODS AND FINDINGS The study was conducted on Romanian healthcare professionals. They were asked to answer to a questionnaire and the sample of the research includes 536 respondents. The findings revealed that most respondents stated that information about alternative treatments against the virus affected the credibility of health professionals, and that younger professionals believed to a greater extent that trust in doctors was affected. The research also showed that respondents were well informed about the drugs used in clinical trials in order to treat the virus. CONCLUSIONS Healthcare professionals declared that the spread of misinformation regarding alternative treatments, affected their credibility and the relationship with their patients. Healthcare professionals had knowledge about the drugs used in clinical trials, and they acknowledged the role of social media in spreading medical misinformation. However, younger professionals also believed that social media could be used to share official information about the virus.
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Rossettini G, Peressutti V, Visintini E, Fontanini R, Caruzzo D, Longhini J, Palese A. Italian nurses' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic through social media: A longitudinal mixed methods study of Internet posts. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221129082. [PMID: 36211800 PMCID: PMC9536097 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221129082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To examine the experience of Italian nurses posted on social media and discover changes, if any, over the waves. Methods A mixed methods study reported according to the Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study criteria. All narratives (texts, letters and interviews) posted by Italian nurses from February 2020 to May 2020 (first wave) and from October 2020 to May 2021 (second/third wave) on the five most famous Italian professional social media platforms. The data were analysed qualitatively (first wave) and then quantitatively (second/third wave). Results A total of 380 narratives (202,626 words, 2510 quotes) were posted in the first wave, and 161 (68,388 words, 835 quotes) in the second/third wave. In the first wave, the following five themes emerged: (a) ‘sharing what is happening within myself’ (891; 35.5%); (b) ‘experiencing unprecedented working conditions’ (749; 29.8%); (c) ‘failing to rehabilitate the image of nurses in society’ (376; 15%); (d) ‘experiencing a deep change’ (253; 10.1%) and (e) ‘do not abandon us’ (241; 9.6%). The same themes and subthemes also emerged in the second/third wave with some significant differences, indicating changes in the lived experience of nurses. Moreover, in the second/third wave, a new theme emerged: ‘experiencing the mixed emotions towards jabs’. Conclusions By analysing their posts, Italian nurses continue to face challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with changes in their lived experiences across the waves. Governments, nursing associations and health care organizations should consider these changes to design policies to prevent the further loss of nurses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Rossettini
- Clinical PT, School of Physiotherapy, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alvisa Palese
- Udine University, Udine, Italy,Jessica Longhini, Udine University, Viale Ungheria, 20, 33100, Udine, Italy.
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Vukušić Rukavina T, Machala Poplašen L, Majer M, Relić D, Viskić J, Marelić M. Defining Potentially Unprofessional Behavior on Social Media for Health Care Professionals: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR MEDICAL EDUCATION 2022; 8:e35585. [PMID: 35758605 PMCID: PMC9399843 DOI: 10.2196/35585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social media presence among health care professionals is ubiquitous and largely beneficial for their personal and professional lives. New standards are forming in the context of e-professionalism, which are loosening the predefined older and offline terms. With these benefits also come dangers, with exposure to evaluation on all levels from peers, superiors, and the public, as witnessed in the #medbikini movement. OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to develop an improved coding scheme (SMePROF coding scheme) for the assessment of unprofessional behavior on Facebook of medical or dental students and faculty, compare reliability between coding schemes used in previous research and SMePROF coding scheme, compare gender-based differences for the assessment of the professional content on Facebook, validate the SMePROF coding scheme, and assess the level of and to characterize web-based professionalism on publicly available Facebook profiles of medical or dental students and faculty. METHODS A search was performed via a new Facebook account using a systematic probabilistic sample of students and faculty in the University of Zagreb School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine. Each profile was subsequently assessed with regard to professionalism based on previously published criteria and compared using the SMePROF coding scheme developed for this study. RESULTS Intercoder reliability increased when the SMePROF coding scheme was used for the comparison of gender-based coding results. Results showed an increase in the gender-based agreement of the final codes for the category professionalism, from 85% in the first phase to 96.2% in the second phase. Final results of the second phase showed that there was almost no difference between female and male coders for coding potentially unprofessional content for students (7/240, 2.9% vs 5/203, 2.5%) or for coding unprofessional content for students (11/240, 4.6% vs 11/203, 5.4%). Comparison of definitive results between the first and second phases indicated an understanding of web-based professionalism, with unprofessional content being very low, both for students (9/222, 4.1% vs 12/206, 5.8%) and faculty (1/25, 4% vs 0/23, 0%). For assessment of the potentially unprofessional content, we observed a 4-fold decrease, using the SMePROF rubric, for students (26/222, 11.7% to 6/206, 2.9%) and a 5-fold decrease for faculty (6/25, 24% to 1/23, 4%). CONCLUSIONS SMePROF coding scheme for assessing professionalism of health-care professionals on Facebook is a validated and more objective instrument. This research emphasizes the role that context plays in the perception of unprofessional and potentially unprofessional content and provides insight into the existence of different sets of rules for web-based and offline interaction that marks behavior as unprofessional. The level of e-professionalism on Facebook profiles of medical or dental students and faculty available for public viewing has shown a high level of understanding of e-professionalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Vukušić Rukavina
- Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lovela Machala Poplašen
- Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marjeta Majer
- Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Danko Relić
- Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Joško Viskić
- Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Marelić
- Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Stewart R, Madonsela A, Tshabalala N, Etale L, Theunissen N. The importance of social media users’ responses in tackling digital COVID-19 misinformation in Africa. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221085070. [PMID: 35321021 PMCID: PMC8935564 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221085070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Digital technologies present both an opportunity and a threat for advancing public health. At a time of pandemic, social media has become a tool for the rapid spread of misinformation. Mitigating the impacts of misinformation is particularly acute across Africa, where WhatsApp and other forms of social media dominate, and where the dual threats of misinformation and COVID-19 threaten lives and livelihoods. Given the scale of the problem within Africa, we set out to understand (i) the potential harm that misinformation causes, (ii) the available evidence on how to mitigate that misinformation and (iii) how user responses to misinformation shape the potential for those mitigating strategies to reduce the risk of harm. Methods We undertook a multi-method study, combining a rapid review of the research evidence with a survey of WhatsApp users across Africa. Results We identified 87 studies for inclusion in our review and had 286 survey respondents from 17 African countries. Our findings show the considerable harms caused by public health misinformation in Africa and the lack of evidence for or against strategies to mitigate against such harms. Furthermore, they highlight how social media users’ responses to public health misinformation can mitigate and exacerbate potential harms. Understanding the ways in which social media users respond to misinformation sheds light on potential mitigation strategies. Conclusions Public health practitioners who utilise digital health approaches must not underestimate the importance of considering the role of social media in the circulation of misinformation, nor of the responses of social media users in shaping attempts to mitigate against the harms of such misinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Stewart
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Social Science Research Unit, University College London Institute of Education, London, UK
| | - Andile Madonsela
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
- South Africa Centre for Evidence NPC, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nkululeko Tshabalala
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Linda Etale
- Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Research Village, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
- International Rice Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
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Li W, Khan AN. Investigating the Impacts of Information Overload on Psychological Well-being of Healthcare Professionals: Role of COVID-19 Stressor. INQUIRY: THE JOURNAL OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION, AND FINANCING 2022; 59:469580221109677. [PMID: 35912469 PMCID: PMC9340904 DOI: 10.1177/00469580221109677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
While past research has focused on the benefits of social media during pandemics, this study emphasizes the possible negative effects of social media use among healthcare professionals. It has been stated that healthcare professionals are exposed to COVID-19 and its impacts on the mental health of these workers. Even though recognizing the importance of healthcare professionals during the pandemic, the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare professionals have been rarely considered for investigation by researchers. By applying differential susceptibility to the media effects model (DSMM), the current article investigated the effect of COVID-19 information overload (CIO) on psychological and mental well-being and underline mechanisms. Time-wave technique was applied to collect the data. This study tested moderated mediation model by collecting data from 314 healthcare professionals. The findings stated that COVID-19 information overload impacted COVID-19 fatalism and COVID-19 exhaustion directly. Likewise, COVID-19 fatalism mediated the association between CIO and COVID-19 exhaustion. Moreover, the COVID-19 stressor moderated this mediating relationship. This study proposes several practical recommendations for healthcare professionals, social media platform providers, health authorities, organizations, and institutions on how to use social media effectively and sustainably during the global COVID-19 epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- School of Economics and Management Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
- Research Center of Hubei Micro & Small Enterprises Development, School of Economics and Management, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ali Nawaz Khan
- School of Economics and Management Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
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Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to examine the adaptive leadership of doctors during COVID-19 to understand the leadership competencies required for adaptive events. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Phenomenology-based qualitative design was used. Data were collected from six doctors from the state of Kerala, India using semi-structured interviews. FINDINGS Five themes were identified. The first theme, core leadership shows that doctors perceive leaders as educators, learners and social beings. The second theme, adaptive challenges, describes the ambiguous pandemic-related challenges that doctors are facing including, unusual occupational demands, information overload, sociocultural issues and personal intricacies. The third theme reflects that for doctors, adaptive work during the pandemic included - new learning to address unique issues, changing perspectives and establishing and maintaining a safe and engaging workplace environment. The fourth theme describes the adaptive leadership competencies such as regulating distress, providing direction, maintaining disciplined action, fostering collaboration, empowering, understanding organizational linkages, strategic vision and communication skills. The fifth theme elucidates the lacunae in leadership training as perceived by the doctors. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS The findings can help in developing and enhancing competency frameworks for doctors' adaptive leadership. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This is one of the earliest studies to systematically examine components of adaptive leadership for doctors during COVID-19 and identify associated competencies.
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