Chapter 1

Introduction

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1. Introduction

1.1. Background of the task

1.1.1. Introduction to Social Media

The definition of “social media” is broad and constantly evolving. The term by and
large alludes to Internet-based tools that permits people and networks to accumula te
and impart; to share data, thoughts, individual messages, pictures, and other content;
and, in some cases, to team up with different clients continuously. Social media is also
referred to as “Web 2.0” or “informal communication.” [i]

Social media sites / application provides an assortment of highlights that fill various
needs for the individual user. They may include blogs, social networks, video and
photo-sharing sites, or a bunch of other media, which can be gathered by reason, serving
functions for example

✓ Social networking (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

✓ Professional networking (LinkedIn)

✓ Media sharing (YouTube, TikTok)

✓ Content production (blogs [Tumblr, Blogger] and microblogs [Twitter])

✓ Knowledge/information aggregation

✓ Virtual reality and gaming environments

Anyone with internet access can sign up for a social media account. They can utilize
that record to share whatever content they decide to, and the content they share arrives
at any individual who visits their page or profile. [ii]

Social media has now appeared as an assortment of tech-empowered exercises. These

exercises incorporate blogging, social gaming, impacting, business systems, virtua l
universes, surveys and significantly more. Indeed, even governments and legislators are
presently using social media to connect with constituents and voters. [iii]

For people, social media is utilized to stay in contact with companions and more distant
family. A few people will utilize different social applications to organize professio n
openings, discover individuals over the globe with like interests, and offer their idea,
sentiments, knowledge, feelings and impact. The individuals who take part in these
exercises are a piece of a virtual social network. For organizations, social media is an
irreplaceable instrument. Organizations utilize the stage to discover and connect with

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clients, drive deals through publicizing and advancement, check purchaser patterns, and
offering client care or support. [iv]

Social Media benefits: The benefits of social media vary on what you use and how, as
well as the nature of your website. There are numerous ways that you could discover
social media important to you:

✓ As a showcasing stage, with practically zero cost, social media can advance your
site, image, items or administrations
✓ As a commitment or persuasive instrument, social media can assist you with
conveying and associate with your clients and crowd comprehensively and
independently
✓ For client research, social media can give you bits of knowledge into your guests'
conduct, interests and exercises
✓ For content administration, social media can minister and distribute your content·
as far as social media business, web-based social networking can bring a lead into
sales funnel. [v]

1.1.2. Social Media Statistics 2020

✓ More than 4.5 billion individuals are utilizing the web toward the beginning of 2020
✓ Active social media users have passed the 3.8 billion imprints with this number
expanding by in excess of 9% (321 million new clients) since this time a year ago.
✓ About 60 percent of the total population is as of now online RIGHT NOW, and
patterns recommend that the greater part of the world's total population will utilize
social media by the middle of this current year.
✓ Individuals go through 2 hours and 23 minutes daily on social networking media
perusing and informing. Furthermore, 98.55% of individuals use at any rate four
social media channels every day. [vi]

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 Global digital users – Jan 2020
[Source: smartinsights.com]

A summary of global social media users around the world – Jan 2020
[Source: smartinsights.com]

Social Platforms Analysis – Jan 2020

[Source: smartinsights.com]

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1.2. Introduction to Social Media in Health and Wellness
Social media or social networking sites in health have evolved and matured over time
with many forms of participation and contributions from the different stakeholders
within health and wellness domain. Broadly, social media has been utilized in health
and wellness segment as a correspondence channel to advise, teach and advance
information trade among the various members within healthcare. Over the years, social
media in conjunction with the end user’s ability to surf the Internet have been the major
force in a more patient centric model for healthcare. Social media empowers various
types of social availability among various partners electronically. Web 2.0 is another
term for social media specific to this sector. Health 2.0 has been characterized as the
utilization of healthcare services benefits that are electronically based for various
partners, for example, specialists, patients, and caregivers. As social media for health
care evolved, the different participants within health care have found and created new
and valuable ways to use it. [vii]

The use of social networking has enabled participants to connect and collaborate as a
group on the different health issues. With the use of social networking in health, it has
been claimed to bring and extend certain benefits for and to the participants. For
example, social media participation is expected to improve healthcare delivery while
reducing costs. The ability to share and create knowledge by the participants in the
healthcare system is intended to improve the relationships between the different groups.
One key explanation behind such a perception is, that the sharing of information, which
is central to person to person communication in health, is encouraging the expansion of
clinical information through correspondence and coordinated effort of the healthc are
professionals. The benefits that social media bring to health and wellness domain can
generate an overall improvement through better communication through the various
forms of social media. Social media for health and wellness have discussed the topic of
social networking as an aspect of social media. The use of social networking in health
care is a significant portion of social media with the need to understand it in more depth.
The understanding of who the participants are within the healthcare system and how the
different groups use social media has not been scrutinized. [viii]

In this research, what role social media can play in health and wellness associated to
general public and healthcare professionals after the COVID-19 pandemic will be
defined. Analysis of the role of social networking in health and wellness will first be
examined. Then the individual types of social networking in health and wellness will
be analysed, more specifically to each networking site, looking at the various aspects of
their respective development associated with COVID-19 pandemic.

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 Chapter 2
Literature Review

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2. Literature review

“The evolving role of social media in healthcare delivery, measuring the perception
of healthcare professionals”

The objective of this research article is to evaluate the perception of healthc are
professionals towards the usage of social media in healthcare delivery. In this cross-
sectional research, author Fatimah Alshakhs aims on proving social media to be an
enhanced tool for promoting health care and developing health-care professiona l’s
knowledge if used wisely. Fatimah acknowledges that social media can give extensive
advantages in patients care, instruction, and health programs, however there are a few
risks identified with patient privacy and nature of data, among other issues.

An online-based questionnaire was designed and conveyed among the healthc are
professionals to gather insights. The perception of healthcare professionals towards the
use of social media in health-care service delivery was evaluated by analysing their
attitude towards its benefits and risks involved.

The sample size of 120 participant were recorded. 80% of the respondents concurs with
the advantages of utilizing social networks in healthcare services benefits and thought
about the use of these advancements in the arrangement of healthcare administratio ns
improves their professional information and is an appropriate tool for patient education
and public health awareness. In any case, the rest of the respondents accepted that there
are a few risks related with the use of social media, for example, moral or legitima te
difficulties, the hazard to the patient's health status, or the breaking of the security and
classification of the patient.
Author Fatimah Alshakhs concluded this research indicating that that social media can
be a valuable tool by which doctors may advance their services and distribute general
health data. In any case, there are expected risks in the utilization of social networks
that can have contrary ramifications for patients and healthcare providers. This suggests
safety measures must be taken to evade bursts of patient protection and different risks
that can bring about lawful activity against healthcare professionals harming their
picture and professional status. Author likewise found that the members are eager to
utilize social media for professional purposes.

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 Chapter 3
Research Objective

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3. Research Objective

The aim of the research is to “Identify and predict the role of social media in
health and wellness setting after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The research objectives are:

• To study the role of social media in health and wellness domain during the crisis.

• To understand and make a comparative analysis of the social media usage behaviour
of general population and healthcare professionals before and after the crisis.

• To analyse the current adaptation of health-related content on social media

• To make a detailed predictive analysis of the role social media will adapt in health
segment after the COVID crisis.

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 Chapter 4
Research Design

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4. Research Design

4.1. Type of Research

The research is classified as Quantitative Research. It aims at achieving and

constructing an in-dept understanding the perception of the general population and
health personnel via survey research model.

4.2. Period of the Study

The research duration was 2 months. The initial time span was allotted to research and
record the secondary data available. The later part of the research included the
questionnaire development stage and circulating it to the targeted audience segment.
The final stage includes the data set analysis and conclusion

4.3. Data Collection

Both primary and secondary data were chosen to collect the data that were used in
analysing the research study.

✓ Primary research collection

Primary research data were obtained through questionnaire given to the respondent.
Two detailed structured questionnaires were designed targeted to capture general public
and healthcare professional’s perception towards the role of social media.

✓ Secondary data collection

The secondary research data was mainly obtained through websites, blogs and research
articles. The aim was to understand the current role of social media in health and
wellness, pointing the stakeholders involved and social media highlights during the
pandemic.

4.4. Questionnaire development

A descriptive study configuration was utilized to understand the perception of general
public and healthcare professionals w.r.t to the role of social media in health and
wellness domain. For data collection process, an open online-based questionnaire was
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created using Google Forms. The contents of the questionnaire were based on research
objectives. To increase unwavering quality of the poll, a detailed questionnaire design
approach was followed. The questionnaire was shared through WhatsApp, Facebook
and LinkedIn. The completion of the questionnaire was considered to imply infor med
consent to participate in the study.

Two detailed questionnaires were designed to understand the perception of both general
public and healthcare professionals individually. The questionnaire for general public
consisted of five sections. The first section was based on the personal and professiona l
data, the second section consisted of questions about the social media usage, the third
section was specific to social media influencers, the fourth section includes the social
media behaviour of general public before and after the pandemic using the Likert scale
and the last section contains questions on the perception of the role social media. The
questionnaire for healthcare professional consisted of four sections. The questionna ire
design was comparatively similar to the questionnaire design of general public. The first
section was based on the personal and professional data, the second section consisted
of questions about the social media usage, the third section includes the social media
behaviour of healthcare professionals before and after the pandemic using the Likert
scale and the last section contains questions on the perception of the role social media.

4.5. Sampling Technique

The factors that are intended to examine can be applied and investigated to the data
population that uses social media. Since there are time and asset restrictions, a particular
population had to be recognized so as to sum up and make applicable fragments. The
population for this examination is general public and healthcare professionals. The
example was picked on a convenience basis. Convenience sampling includes utilizing
tests that are the simplest to get and is proceeded until the inspecting size that need is
reached. The attempt was to collect as many respondents as possible.
Total responses: 115 (General Population: 100, Healthcare Professionals: 15)

4.6. Limitations of the Study

✓ Sample Size: Due to the unbalanced situation of COVID-19, the sample size
recorded of healthcare professionals is small i.e. only 15 responses were recorded.

✓ Lack of comparative data: Its hard-gathering secondary research data about

specifically show casing social media before the COVID-19 phase i.e. elaborating
social media as just an entertainment platform.

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 Chapter 5
Data Analysis & Insights

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5. Data Analysis and Insights

The data analysis has been further divided into 3 parts

5.1 - Secondary research analysis
5.2 - Primary research analysis
5.3 - Primary research findings

5.1. Secondary research data

5.1.1 Role of Social Media in Health and Wellness during the crisis
Social media and healthcare are a powerful combination. Social networks have become
an important health resource, and not just for millennials. Nearly 90% of older
adults have used social media to seek and share health information. [ix]

From people Instagramming the common health practices to posting Facebook updates
about their daily quarantine yoga practice / gym workouts, social media platforms are
now being challenged to meet the needs of how people are now consuming content. It
tends to adopt health beneficial content fast over the entertainment content in this
extraordinary period. [x]
If you feel like you’re seeing more informative public health posts or hashtags like
#stayhomestaysafe on Instagram, you’re not alone: health and wellness is really taking
over the social media. After all, this is much more than just a popular trending topic or
fad - it’s an entire ecosystem of information, advice, guidance, reviews, and
suggestions. [xi]
We consider how various groups can influence the community — especially
government authorities, social media influencers and health-care providers. Ultimate ly,
they have roles to play in fulfilling its essential civic function of facilitating to find
better ways for people to become aware of, and to make choices to support, a healthy
and fulfilling life. In other words, usage of social media in healthcare can be defined as
Health 2.0. Where tools are used to promote public heath content and collaboratio ns
between patients, caregivers, medical professionals, social media influence rs,
government communications, etc. in order to achieve better public health outcomes. [xii]
According to a Health Research Institute survey:

✓ 25% have posted about their health status at least once.

✓ 20% have joined a health-related forum or community

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But healthcare has been slow on the take-up the advantages of social media. The
industry is simply beginning to recognize the unquestionable effect social media can
have on the quality of healthcare services. This hesitance could be because of the risks
to patients, networks and suppliers that must be mulled over. Confidentiality and
security of patient information be must be maintained consistently. Be that as it may,
social media can get data out to the network quicker than some other tool. [xiii]

A. Public Health Monitoring

Individuals post about everything on internet, including their health. Hashtags would
now be able to uncover when disease springing up in new areas. Public health
associations can even get a feeling of the seriousness of these symptoms. Today, social
media offers more favorable circumstances over conventional information sources,
including constant information accessibility, simple entry, and decreased expense to the
end users. [xiv]

HealthMap is a project created by a team at Boston Children’s Hospital. It tracks

public health threats through social data points including crowdsourcing

B. Promote Health Awareness

Social media platforms represent a promising opportunity for public health promotio n.
In some cases, bringing issues to light is as basic as reminding the community about
basic health practices or tending to normal healthy living concerns.
Social media will be a key method to raise public health awareness about new,
developing, and annual health concerns. Healthcare system frameworks must give
confided in data [xv]

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C. Combat Misinformation

Social media by their very nature help spread health information rapidly to various
gatherings of individuals. That is extraordinary when the data is reality based,
supportive, and clear. Sadly, there's additionally a ton of health-related misinformatio n
on social networks. Some of the time the misinformation comes as false articulatio ns.
These are moderately easily exposed. One needs to just refer to distributed exploratio n
or the most recent data from a trustworthy health source like the CDC or WHO. [xvi]

D. Global Crisis Communication

More people now get their news from social media than from newspaper. That makes
social a key delivery partner in sharing health information. People usually turn to
government health official social handle for latest information and instruction. [xvii]

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E. Common QnA’s

Health authorities and different associations working now in healthcare services can
convey important wellspring of data pretty much a wide range of health concerns. Social
instruments offer creative ways for health experts to address regular inquiries. For
instance, the government of India created a Facebook Messenger. It can answer
questions, direct citizens to the right resources, and counter misinformation. [xviii]

5.1.2 Stake Holder Map

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