Abstract
Health information dissemination through social media networks has transformed the process of communication between health practitioners, patients, and the public. Twitter is one of the most commonly used social media networks in Saudi Arabia for sharing health information. However, the reliability of health information on Twitter has been questioned by some skeptics, thereby placing the public at a significant health risk. This study was conducted to assess the attitudes of the general population of Saudi Arabia towards health information sought from Twitter. Of the 384 total respondents, 199 (51.8%) considered using Twitter as a source of health information as a positive experience due to its ease of use and the accessibility of information (131, 66.0%). The study found that respondents have great concern about nutrition/weight loss (229, 59.6%), healthy lifestyle (225, 58.6%), and getting a better understanding of health care misconceptions (168, 43%). Most of the respondents (167, 43.5%) were satisfied using Twitter as a source of health information. However, a few respondents experienced harm to their health as a result of false medical advice (2, 0.5%) and false health information (2, 0.5%) they found on Twitter. This study concludes that Twitter is mainly useful in obtaining health knowledge for maintaining good health, preventing illness, and curing illnesses or diseases. However, the public must take extra caution when obtaining health information from Twitter. It is essential for Twitter users seeking medical information to also seek professional medical advice or consultation, as necessary, to prevent a significant health risk.
Highlights
The dissemination of health information during this digital generation has emerged in various ways to convey messages to the target population or audience
The survey questionnaire consisted of four parts: questions pertaining to the respondents’ sociodemographic data, respondents’ characteristics as a Twitter user, health-related benefits and harms from seeking health information from Twitter, and reasons for using Twitter to search for health information
The results of this study show an increase in the number of Twitter users in Saudi Arabia who seek health information, as more than half (131, 51.8%) of the respondents preferred Twitter as a source of health information due to its ease of use and accessibility
Summary
The dissemination of health information during this digital generation has emerged in various ways to convey messages to the target population or audience. Social media network sites and the availability of web-based platforms that facilitate information sharing in the form of user-generated content have transformed the process of communication. A survey of 111 patients from an outpatient family practice clinic in southern Utah, United States, showed that 56% wished that their physicians should use social networking platforms for health information sharing, answering general questions, setting appointments and reminders, notifying prescriptions, and reporting diagnostic test results [3]. Physicians are currently exploring social media network platforms as a way to seamlessly share health information with relevant health care stakeholders. Skeptics may argue about the efficiency and safety of using Twitter as a social media networking tool in gaining health information for the public and for medical and allied health professionals [7]
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