Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation
Background Social media can be used to engage consumers in hospital service design and quality improvement (QI) activities, however its uptake may be limited by a lack of guidance to support implementation. This article presents the perceived barriers and enablers in using social media for consumer...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kerman University of Medical Sciences
2022-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4160_f61c6f3eda41c237d438c19a88e0e40f.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811158722626453504 |
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| author | Louisa Walsh Nerida Hyett Jayne Howley Nicole Juniper Chi Li Belinda MacLeod-Smith Sophie Rodier Sophie Hill |
| author_facet | Louisa Walsh Nerida Hyett Jayne Howley Nicole Juniper Chi Li Belinda MacLeod-Smith Sophie Rodier Sophie Hill |
| author_sort | Louisa Walsh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Social media can be used to engage consumers in hospital service design and quality improvement (QI) activities, however its uptake may be limited by a lack of guidance to support implementation. This article presents the perceived barriers and enablers in using social media for consumer engagement derived from an interview study with public hospital stakeholders.Methods Semi-structured interviews with 26 Australian hospital service providers and consumer representatives. Data were analysed using a deductive content analysis method.Results Data were collected between October 2019 and April 2020. Facebook was the platform most commonly used for consumer engagement activities. Barriers and enablers to social media-based consumer engagement were identified. The barrier themes were (1) fears and concerns; (2) lack of skills and resources for social media engagement; (3) lack of organisational processes and support; and (4) problems with social media platforms and the changing social media landscape. The enabler themes were: (1) hospitals facilitating access and use; (2) making discussions safe; (3) cultivating a social media community; and (4) building on success.Conclusion Using social media to facilitate consumer engagement in hospital service design and QI activities is feasible and acceptable to service providers and consumers. Hospitals and their executives can create a supportive environment for social media-based engagement activities through developing clear governance systems and providing training and support to all users. Consumers need to be involved in co-designing social media-based activities and determining which forms of engagement are accessible and acceptable. For some consumers and service providers, barriers such as a lack of resources and distrust of social media companies might mean that social media-based engagement will be less acceptable for them. Because of this it is important that hospitals provide complementary methods of engagement (eg, face-to-face) alongside social media-based methods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:28:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51e50dfd07b3484e88db34789f876186 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-5939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:28:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Kerman University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-51e50dfd07b3484e88db34789f8761862023-03-07T09:11:45ZengKerman University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Health Policy and Management2322-59392022-10-0111102287229810.34172/ijhpm.2021.1514160Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for ImplementationLouisa Walsh0Nerida Hyett1Jayne Howley2Nicole Juniper3Chi Li4Belinda MacLeod-Smith5Sophie Rodier6Sophie Hill7Centre for Health Communication and Participation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, AustraliaLa Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC, AustraliaIndependent Researcher, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaOrygen, Parkville, VIC, AustraliaAlbury Woonga Health, Wodonga, VIC, AustraliaSafer Care Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaNorthern Health, Bundoora, AustraliaCentre for Health Communication and Participation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, AustraliaBackground Social media can be used to engage consumers in hospital service design and quality improvement (QI) activities, however its uptake may be limited by a lack of guidance to support implementation. This article presents the perceived barriers and enablers in using social media for consumer engagement derived from an interview study with public hospital stakeholders.Methods Semi-structured interviews with 26 Australian hospital service providers and consumer representatives. Data were analysed using a deductive content analysis method.Results Data were collected between October 2019 and April 2020. Facebook was the platform most commonly used for consumer engagement activities. Barriers and enablers to social media-based consumer engagement were identified. The barrier themes were (1) fears and concerns; (2) lack of skills and resources for social media engagement; (3) lack of organisational processes and support; and (4) problems with social media platforms and the changing social media landscape. The enabler themes were: (1) hospitals facilitating access and use; (2) making discussions safe; (3) cultivating a social media community; and (4) building on success.Conclusion Using social media to facilitate consumer engagement in hospital service design and QI activities is feasible and acceptable to service providers and consumers. Hospitals and their executives can create a supportive environment for social media-based engagement activities through developing clear governance systems and providing training and support to all users. Consumers need to be involved in co-designing social media-based activities and determining which forms of engagement are accessible and acceptable. For some consumers and service providers, barriers such as a lack of resources and distrust of social media companies might mean that social media-based engagement will be less acceptable for them. Because of this it is important that hospitals provide complementary methods of engagement (eg, face-to-face) alongside social media-based methods.https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4160_f61c6f3eda41c237d438c19a88e0e40f.pdfsocial mediaaustraliaservice designquality improvementconsumer engagementpatient involvement |
| spellingShingle | Louisa Walsh Nerida Hyett Jayne Howley Nicole Juniper Chi Li Belinda MacLeod-Smith Sophie Rodier Sophie Hill Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation International Journal of Health Policy and Management social media australia service design quality improvement consumer engagement patient involvement |
| title | Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation |
| title_full | Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation |
| title_fullStr | Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation |
| title_short | Social Media as a Tool for Consumer Engagement in Hospital Quality Improvement and Service Design: Barriers and Enablers for Implementation |
| title_sort | social media as a tool for consumer engagement in hospital quality improvement and service design barriers and enablers for implementation |
| topic | social media australia service design quality improvement consumer engagement patient involvement |
| url | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4160_f61c6f3eda41c237d438c19a88e0e40f.pdf |
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