Social media has changed lives the world over in many ways. Due to the ease of use, people around the globe are interacting with their families, friends and the world in general in manners unseen in human history.
Governments and social service agencies have also begun to utilize social media as a means of keeping the citizenry up-to-date on sometimes critical information. One of the government branches beginning to use social media in exciting and effective ways is the departments of public health. These offices of public health professionals around the United States are using social media in creative and innovative ways, not only to keep the American public apprised of critical situations, but in ways that may actually help to predict trends in disease.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways that social media is changing the face of public health in America.
Disaster Alerts
When Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast in October of 2012, local public health agencies and emergency departments took to social media to keep residents informed. Emergency information was relayed and volunteers were mobilized through various social media channels. Once the brunt of the storm had passed, officials continued to update residents for several weeks on road closures and available services.
While the relay of critical information during natural disasters is a top priority, public health departments utilize social media during non-critical events as well. For instance, power outages might affect television and radio equipment and prevent those news outlets from conveying information, but in many cases officials are still able to use Twitter or Facebook to keep the public updated.
Public Health Campaigns
One critical component of public health is the implementation of campaigns that encourage the public to take part. These can be related to nutrition, exercise and fitness or vaccination programs. Traditional media outlets have long been used to promote these issues, but public health officials are now using social media for promotion with encouraging results.
In 2011 the Boston Health Commission launched Facebook and YouTube campaigns aimed at educating the public, mainly teens, about the health risks of consuming sugary drinks like soda. Their efforts were largely successful, with 23,000 clicks on their Facebook ad and 30,000 views on YouTube.
Public health departments across the country and around the world use social media to promote vaccination clinics, well baby checkups, health fairs and free services such as blood pressure and diabetes testing. These services can be critical to the health of a population, and social media has vastly increased their visibility.
Monitoring Disease Outbreaks
Most people assume that the United States Center for Disease Control is wholly responsible to monitoring the outbreak and spread of disease in the country, but in fact the CDC relies on local public health departments to keep their offices aware of local outbreaks. Local and national public health officials are using social media to accomplish this task.
Monitoring social media for clues to the spread of disease is more difficult than simply skimming the status updates of people who are sick. Analysts and statisticians monitor social media information to determine details like who is sick, where they live and what diagnoses have occurred. Much of this information is relayed to the CDC, who then issue reports on current outbreaks, such as the flu and other viruses.
Now, public health agencies are beginning to utilize social media to predict outbreaks and trends in disease rather than just observe them. In November of 2013 the CDC launched a campaign that encouraged researchers to assist them in predicting outbreak trends for the current flu season. Using algorithms that scanned for flu-related keywords on Twitter and Facebook, these researchers were able to map current cases of the flu in real time.
These campaigns have proven valuable in ascertaining the geographic locations hardest hit by flu outbreaks and have enabled public health officials to allocate resources more effectively.
Social Media Challenges
While the use of social media to promote public health and emergency preparedness has numerous benefits, it’s not without its drawbacks. One of the most pressing issues is the fact that not everyone uses social media regularly, especially the elderly. This is most critical because it’s often the elderly members of a community who need the most assistance during a disaster or disease outbreak.
For this reason, public health departments continue to work with traditional media outlets such as newspapers and television stations to relay information. This is doubly important as not only does it allow those without social media access to information, but it also enables the traditional media outlets to convey the health information via their own social media, increasing the availability of the information to a wider audience.
As we move more toward an interconnected world, it’s important to realize the amazing potential of social media to change our lives for the better. Public health departments around the country are the first line of defense in many ways, and the information that they relay might save many lives. Isn’t that worth a like or a follow?
