Social media in cancer care: highlights, challenges & opportunities.

Abstract

10.2217/fon-2016-0065 © 2016 Future Medicine Ltd Social media is transforming cancer communication Social media, defined as online functions that enable users to create, share, comment upon or modify content, is rapidly changing the way patients with cancer obtain health information [1]. When one looks at the use of social media, nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) were online in 2015, up from 7% in 2005 [2]. Use of social media extends to cancer care, and patients and their families are increasingly using various forms of social networking (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, blogs) to interact with each other and with oncology professionals, form communities and receive and obtain credible information about their health or that of their loved ones [3]. Social media technologies can serve as key health communication channels, granting clinicians and the public alike unprecedented access to conversations touching on topics such as cancer prevention, treatments and research. However, while social media is a powerful tool to convey health information, it also imposes multiple challenges, including the difficulty in assessing the reliability of sources, lack of privacy and confidentiality, the potential for inaccurate medical advice, propagation of negative health behaviors and information overload. The purpose of this article is to highlight three ways that social media may be effectively used in cancer care: enhancing the patient–provider relationship, connecting COMMENTARY