World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance

BACKGROUND: Social media provides an opportunity for people to connect and form communities. This community architecture can help to disseminate health-related information in the form of an awareness campaign. The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology and the European Network of Gynaecological...

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Main Authors: Christina Uwins, MBChB, BSc Med Sci (Hons), MRCS, MRCOG, Yusuf Yilmaz, PhD, Esra Bilir, MD, Geetu P. Bhandoria, MS
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-08-01
Series:AJOG Global Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666577822000284
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author Christina Uwins, MBChB, BSc Med Sci (Hons), MRCS, MRCOG
Yusuf Yilmaz, PhD
Esra Bilir, MD
Geetu P. Bhandoria, MS
author_facet Christina Uwins, MBChB, BSc Med Sci (Hons), MRCS, MRCOG
Yusuf Yilmaz, PhD
Esra Bilir, MD
Geetu P. Bhandoria, MS
author_sort Christina Uwins, MBChB, BSc Med Sci (Hons), MRCS, MRCOG
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Social media provides an opportunity for people to connect and form communities. This community architecture can help to disseminate health-related information in the form of an awareness campaign. The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology and the European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy Groups initiated a global campaign, World Gynecologic Oncology Day, on September 20, 2020. We studied and analyzed the impact and reach of this Twitter campaign. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact and reach of the 2020 World Gynecologic Oncology Day Twitter campaign. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed gynecologic oncology–specific posts (tweets) between 12 am on September 17, 2020, to 11:59 pm on September 25, 2020 (Coordinated Universal Time), covering the days immediately before and after World Gynecological Oncology Day (September 20, 2020), using Tweepy. The European Network of Gynecological Cancer Advocacy Groups suggested hashtags (#GoForPurple, #WorldGODay, and #GoForCheckup) should be used for this social media campaign. We used these hashtags for our data (tweet) collection. RESULTS: A total of 382 Twitter accounts participated in this campaign and 662 tweets, including retweets, were reported. Of those, 22% of participants were healthcare professionals. A total of 164 unique hashtags were identified, and #WorldGODay was the most frequently used among the Twitter accounts. #VaginalCancer, #CervicalCancer, and #VulvarCancer were used in relation to the campaign. We identified 5 significant communities that contributed to raising awareness. CONCLUSION: Twitter campaigns should be designed around a single, short, easy-to-spell hashtag and coordinated with previously identified influential accounts using timed tweets. #WorldGOday hashtag was relevant, easy to spell, memorable, and the most effective hashtag used in this campaign.
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spelling doaj.art-11cd6ce3c2db4cb59ecf5a5baafdd4d32022-12-22T02:51:57ZengElsevierAJOG Global Reports2666-57782022-08-0123100079World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a GlanceChristina Uwins, MBChB, BSc Med Sci (Hons), MRCS, MRCOG0Yusuf Yilmaz, PhD1Esra Bilir, MD2Geetu P. Bhandoria, MS3Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, United KingdomMcMaster University Education Research, Innovation and Theory (MERIT) Program and Office of Continuing Professional Development, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Global Health, Koç University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul, TurkeyDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Command Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India; Corresponding author: Geetu P. Bhandoria, MS.BACKGROUND: Social media provides an opportunity for people to connect and form communities. This community architecture can help to disseminate health-related information in the form of an awareness campaign. The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology and the European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy Groups initiated a global campaign, World Gynecologic Oncology Day, on September 20, 2020. We studied and analyzed the impact and reach of this Twitter campaign. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact and reach of the 2020 World Gynecologic Oncology Day Twitter campaign. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed gynecologic oncology–specific posts (tweets) between 12 am on September 17, 2020, to 11:59 pm on September 25, 2020 (Coordinated Universal Time), covering the days immediately before and after World Gynecological Oncology Day (September 20, 2020), using Tweepy. The European Network of Gynecological Cancer Advocacy Groups suggested hashtags (#GoForPurple, #WorldGODay, and #GoForCheckup) should be used for this social media campaign. We used these hashtags for our data (tweet) collection. RESULTS: A total of 382 Twitter accounts participated in this campaign and 662 tweets, including retweets, were reported. Of those, 22% of participants were healthcare professionals. A total of 164 unique hashtags were identified, and #WorldGODay was the most frequently used among the Twitter accounts. #VaginalCancer, #CervicalCancer, and #VulvarCancer were used in relation to the campaign. We identified 5 significant communities that contributed to raising awareness. CONCLUSION: Twitter campaigns should be designed around a single, short, easy-to-spell hashtag and coordinated with previously identified influential accounts using timed tweets. #WorldGOday hashtag was relevant, easy to spell, memorable, and the most effective hashtag used in this campaign.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666577822000284academic tweetingcancer awarenessgynecologic cancerhealth promotionovarian cancerpatient and public involvement social media
spellingShingle Christina Uwins, MBChB, BSc Med Sci (Hons), MRCS, MRCOG
Yusuf Yilmaz, PhD
Esra Bilir, MD
Geetu P. Bhandoria, MS
World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance
AJOG Global Reports
academic tweeting
cancer awareness
gynecologic cancer
health promotion
ovarian cancer
patient and public involvement social media
title World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance
title_full World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance
title_fullStr World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance
title_full_unstemmed World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance
title_short World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersAJOG Global Reports at a Glance
title_sort world gynecologic oncology day the use of twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancersajog global reports at a glance
topic academic tweeting
cancer awareness
gynecologic cancer
health promotion
ovarian cancer
patient and public involvement social media
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666577822000284
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