On Measles, Vaccination, Social Media Activism, and How to Win Back Our Role as Our Patients’ Best Advocates

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L Oehler
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Childhood Immunization ◽  
Media Activism ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Patient Resources ◽  
Measles Vaccination

Abstract Once declared transmission free in the United States less than 20 years ago, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases have made a spectacular comeback. Waning public support for childhood immunization and subsequent recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases have been spawned by several technological and social factors, including the erosion of the provider-patient relationship, the emergence of internet-based patient resources and social media sites, and the rise of online healthcare activism. New tools are needed for physicians and healthcare providers to reverse this trend and regain our role as our patients’ best advocates.

Capturing the surge of public interest towards Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin and BCG vaccine during COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabbir Syed-Abdul ◽  
Shwetambara Malwade ◽  
Sim-Mei Choo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Drug Effects ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bcg Vaccine ◽  
Public Interests ◽  
Treatment Regimes ◽  
Appropriate Treatment

UNSTRUCTURED The outbreak of COVID-19 that started in December 2019, was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Currently, there is no specific treatment recommended and healthcare providers are struggling to find appropriate treatment regimes. Medication misinformation spread through social media has caused panic situations and self-prescription leading to harmful drug effects. The situation worsened following false propaganda via social media, leading to shortage of some medications. Our study shows the frequency of search for the medications Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Azithromycin and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in Google Trends, across 6 countries. Public interests from the United States, Italy and Spain leaned towards HCQ, whereas those from Taiwan, Japan and South Korea were keen towards learning about the BCG vaccine. Our article aimed to inform the general public of the adverse drug reactions to avoid self-prescription or yield to the assumptions of leaders and unanimous social media posts. Proactive participation and preventive measures such as social distancing, use of face masks and hand sanitizers are recommended to help curb COVID-19 and other infections.

From Ink to Web and Beyond

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather McKee Hurwitz
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Women Activists ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Women's Activism ◽  
Media Activism ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
History Of ◽  
Feminist Movements

Mainstream media ignores the breadth and diversity of women’s activism and often features sexist, racist, and sexualized portrayals of women. Also, women hold disproportionately fewer jobs in media industries than men. Despite these challenges, women activists protest gender inequality and advocate a variety of other goals using traditional and new social media. This chapter examines the history of women’s media activism in the United States from women activists’ use of mainstream and alternative newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, to how activists adopted Internet technologies and new digital media strategies starting in the 1990s, to how contemporary feminists protest with Facebook and hashtag activism today. I argue that women activists’ use of new social media may necessitate significant shifts in how we research continuity and diversity in women’s and feminist movements, and how we conceptualize resources, micromobilization, and leadership in social movements broadly. I conclude with several suggestions for future research.

Can Twitter social media be an effective tool for breast cancer survivor support and education?

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (26_suppl) ◽  
pp. 130-130
Author(s):  
Deanna J. Attai ◽  
Jeffrey Landercasper ◽  
Jody M Schoger ◽  
Alicia C Staley ◽  
Michael S Cowher
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Imaging ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Support ◽  
Patient Resources

130 Background: Despite reported benefits, approximately 60% of women do not attend breast cancer support groups. Many online resources for support exist, but information regarding the effects of participation is lacking. We report the results of a Twitter breast cancer support community participant survey. Methods: The Breast Cancer Social Media (#BCSM) Twitter support community began in July 2011. IRB approval with waiver of informed consent was obtained for a de-identified survey which was posted for two weeks on Twitter and on the #BCSM blog and Facebook page. Results: There were 206 respondents, with a median age of 45-54 and 93% being female. 74% were from the United States. 92% were Caucasian. 83% completed a 4-year college degree. 69% had been treated for breast cancer. 14% reported living with metastatic breast cancer. 72% became aware of #BCSM through Twitter. 45% had been participating in the chats for > 12 months. 81% of respondents reported increased overall knowledge about breast cancer. Increased knowledge through #BCSM was reported in all the following specific domains: 86% survivorship, 80% metastatic breast cancer, 70% cancer types and biology, 66% clinical trials and research, 56% treatment options, 56% breast imaging, 54% genetic testing and risk assessment, and 43% radiotherapy. 31% reported that participation led them to seek a second opinion or bring additional information to the attention of their treatment team. 73% percent reported plans to increase their outreach and advocacy efforts as a result of participation. Levels of reported anxiety before and after participation were analyzed. 29 of 43 patients (67%) who initially reported “high or extreme” anxiety reported “low or no” anxiety after participation (p < 0.001). Also, no patients initially reporting “low or no” anxiety prior to participation reported an increase to “high or extreme anxiety” after participation. Conclusions: While many online breast cancer patient resources exist, data documenting patient educational benefits of participation are lacking. This study demonstrates that breast cancer patients’ perceived knowledge can be increased and that their anxiety can be decreased by participation in a Twitter social media support group.

scholarly journals Mental Illness and Prisoners: Concerns for Communities and Healthcare Providers

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Hoke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Prison Life

The United States prison system is the largest in the world. Mental illness is disproportionately represented within this system where half of all incarcerated individuals have a mental illness, compared to 11% of the population. Four of 10 inmates released from prison recidivate and are re-incarcerated within three years. A social hypothesis suggests recidivism is the result of compounding social factors. Mentally ill individuals often find themselves in less than ideal circumstances of compounding social factors such as illicit substances and unemployment. Prison life may provide improved social situations and a rehabilitating environment, yet corrections often fall short of meeting acceptable standards of healthcare. This article provides a brief overview of healthcare in the corrections environment and discusses factors that affect mental healthcare in prisons, such as characteristics of the prison population and social policy. The article also addresses factors impacting mentally ill persons who are incarcerated, including access and barriers to mental health treatment and efforts to reduce recidivism.

scholarly journals The Risk of Resurgence in Vaccine Preventable Infections Due to COVID-Related Gaps in Immunization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy G Feldman ◽  
Sean T O’Leary ◽  
Lara Danziger Isakov
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
School Health ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Childhood Immunization ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Contagious Diseases

Abstract Nationally, immunization delivery has decreased significantly during COVID-19. Internationally, over 60 national vaccine programs have been disrupted or suspended. As a result of these immunization declines, the global community is at risk for a resurgence in vaccine preventable infections including measles, pertussis and polio; all highly contagious diseases that result in significant morbidity and mortality in children. Measles outbreaks have already occurred in many countries who suspended their vaccination programs. Outbreaks in the United States are likely to occur when social distancing stops and children return to school. Health care providers have acted quickly to institute multiple risk mitigation strategies to restore vaccine administration. However, childhood immunization rates remain below pre-COVID levels. Partnerships between healthcare providers, community leaders and local, state, regional and national public health departments are needed to reassure families that vaccine delivery during COVID is safe and to identify and catch-up those children who are under-immunized.

scholarly journals “Click First!”: The Effects of Instant Activism Via a Hoax on Social Media

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512090470
Author(s):  
Keonyoung Park ◽  
Hyejoon Rim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Activism ◽  
Issue Involvement ◽  
Issue Knowledge ◽  
High Level ◽  
Situational Motivation

To facilitate the immediate effects of social media activism, some activists adopt a deceptive strategy, swaying lay individuals’ perceptions and manipulating their behavior despite ethical considerations. This study identified instant activism, which targets lay individuals’ effortless supportive actions (e.g., clicking) on social media and examined its effects in the context of GMO (genetically modified organisms) labeling issues in the United States. Grounded in the situational theory of problem solving, this study investigated who engages in instant activism and what their behavioral consequences are. Results of an online survey ( n = 483) suggested that (a) individuals with a low level of issue knowledge but a high level of issue involvement tend to believe a social media hoax and (b) belief in the hoax leads individuals to engage in active communicative activities that involve problem solving and behavioral changes when mediated by situational motivation. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

scholarly journals Religious Social Media Activism: A Qualitative Review of Pro-Islam Hashtags

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Iman Mohamed Zahra
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Activism ◽  
Successful Model ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Active Change

There have been so many acts of terrorism connected to radical Muslims that it's not surprising Islam has a public relations problem. Pollsters, historians and other experts say that the West's collective instincts toward Islam have been shaped over decades by a patchwork of factors. These include demographic trends, psychology, terrorism events, foreign policy, domestic politics, media coverage and the Internet. Therefore, it is not surprising that Muslims are the most negatively viewed faith community in some countries as the United States. The objective of the current research is to review qualitatively the social media platforms of the hashtag #Notinmyname, initiated by renowned Muslim British Community namely Active Change Foundation as a successful model of social media activism combatting the worsening image of Islam. The major conclusion of this study is that hashtags launched by Muslim activists derive from the social media platforms exacerbating and unprecedented power to stir political and social movements especially, regarding controversial and stagnant matters. Posts, comments and shares on different social media platforms go viral, stir discussions and trigger public opinion. These #hashtags were not a launching base for a pro-Islam campaign only, as much as being an outlet breather for all pro and anti-opinions regarding Islam. Social media are now the pathway to mobilize the crowd online to take an action in the real world.

Talking about Racism in the Context of the Trial against George Floyd’s Murderer: Practical Recommendations for Professionals, Parents, & Clinicians

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chardée Galán ◽  
Irene Tung ◽  
Alexandra Tabachnick ◽  
Stefanie Sequeira ◽  
Derek M. Novacek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Public Support ◽  
New York Times ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Racial Trauma ◽  
Black Lives Matter

In the weeks following the killing of George Floyd and media coverage of the killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, the Black Lives Matter movement and other protests for racial justice swept the world. Demonstrations occurred in more than 700 cities internationally and across all 50 states in the United States. Notably, demands for the dismantling of systemic racism extended far beyond police brutality to include inequities in health, housing, economic opportunity, and other sectors. In academia, faculty, students, and staff called attention to the ways in which “universities remain ivory towers perpetuating institutionalized forms of racism, oppression, and inequity” (p. 13, Galán et al., 2021; Gray, Joseph, Glover, &amp; Olayiwola, 2020), while psychologists highlighted the ways in which direct and vicarious exposure to racial violence and discrimination may compromise mental health and contribute to racial trauma. Although Pew Research Center surveys in June 2020 showed increased recognition of racism as a problem and increased public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, support for these issues has since returned to pre-June levels among White people (Pew Research Center, 2020). However, the trial for Derek Chauvin - the White, former Minneapolis police officer charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the murder of George Floyd – is scheduled to start March 8, 2021. With Chauvin’s trial certain to garner wide-spread media coverage and protests, it is likely that we will see another uptick in conversations and concerns regarding racial inequities. While conversation and action towards dismantling racism are always welcomed and needed, we must stop the practice of only recognizing a problem when it is in our face, sprawled across social media feeds, news segments, and websites. These reactive practices do little to dismantle oppressive systems, especially when they are followed by complacency that often settles in as news headlines transition to the next “hot topic” and our positions of power and privilege allow us to go on with our lives, as if the racist systems and practices we vehemently opposed just a week earlier have suddenly been abolished.So, before our Twitter accounts, the New York Times, USA Today, and every other newspaper outlet bombard us with headlines, reminding us of why protests swept our country last summer, let us be intentional with reflecting on: (1) larger systems of oppression and racism that this trial represents and the ways in which we have been complicit (or active contributors) to their perpetuation, and (2) the effect that this trial may have on our Black colleagues, students, clients, and friends. We offer the following recommendations for health providers, educators, parents, and social media users.

scholarly journals Facebook and Twitter vaccine sentiment in response to measles outbreaks

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 1116-1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S Deiner ◽  
Cherie Fathy ◽  
Jessica Kim ◽  
Katherine Niemeyer ◽  
David Ramirez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Spearman Correlation ◽  
Bootstrap Confidence Intervals ◽  
The Us ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Measles Vaccination ◽  
Measles Outbreaks

Social media posts regarding measles vaccination were classified as pro-vaccination, expressing vaccine hesitancy, uncertain, or irrelevant. Spearman correlations with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–reported measles cases and differenced smoothed cumulative case counts over this period were reported (using time series bootstrap confidence intervals). A total of 58,078 Facebook posts and 82,993 tweets were identified from 4 January 2009 to 27 August 2016. Pro-vaccination posts were correlated with the US weekly reported cases (Facebook: Spearman correlation 0.22 (95% confidence interval: 0.09 to 0.34), Twitter: 0.21 (95% confidence interval: 0.06 to 0.34)). Vaccine-hesitant posts, however, were uncorrelated with measles cases in the United States (Facebook: 0.01 (95% confidence interval: −0.13 to 0.14), Twitter: 0.0011 (95% confidence interval: −0.12 to 0.12)). These findings may result from more consistent social media engagement by individuals expressing vaccine hesitancy, contrasted with media- or event-driven episodic interest on the part of individuals favoring current policy.

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