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Retiring the Flip Phones: Exploring Social Media Use for Managing Public Health Incidents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2019

Yasmin Khan Open the ORCID record for Yasmin Khan [Opens in a new window] ,
Shannon Tracey ,
Tracey O’Sullivan ,
Effie Gournis  and
Ian Johnson
Yasmin Khan*
Affiliation:
Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
Shannon Tracey
Affiliation:
Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
Tracey O’Sullivan
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
Effie Gournis
Affiliation:
Toronto Public Health, Communicable Disease Control, Toronto, ON, Canada Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
Ian Johnson
Affiliation:
Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Yasmin Khan, Public Health Ontario, 480 University Avenue, Suite 300, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1V2 (e-mail: yasmin.khan@oahpp.ca).
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Abstract

Objective:

Communication is essential during public health emergencies and incidents. This research aimed to understand current uses and challenges for public health agencies using social media during these incidents.

Methods:

An exploratory, qualitative study was conducted using the structured interview matrix facilitation technique. Focus groups were held with professionals from local public health agencies across Ontario, Canada. Representation from different geographic regions was sought to capture differences in participant experience. An inductive approach to content analysis was used to identify emergent themes.

Results:

A diverse group of public health professionals (n = 36) participated. Six themes were identified. Social media is identified as a communication tool used to expand reach of messages, to engage in dialogue with the public, and to inform the scope of potential incidents. Barriers to its use include hesitancy to adapt, lack of trust and credibility, and organizational structure and capacity constraints. Key strategies proposed to promote social media use and address barriers resulted from participant discussions and are presented.

Conclusion:

Social media use is highly variable across public health agencies in Ontario. This study identifies and provides strategies to address barriers and practice gaps related to public health agencies’ use of social media during emergencies.

Keywords

communicationemergency managementpreparednesspublic healthsocial media
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 5-6 , December 2019 , pp. 859 - 867
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

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