Social media in healthcare

Abstract

Despite its significant potential there has been limited analysis of the use of interactive social media in a healthcare setting. This paper considers important feedback and advice from cancer patients at a large Canadian academic health science centre, along with a review of Social Media literature, Information Seeking Theory, Virtual Communities literature, Social Theory, Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST), and technology evolution to propose a high-level, theoretical interactive-dynamic social media platform for cancer patients. Further, it puts forward a research question and four propositions to guide future empirical research to assess whether this type of social media platform positively influences patient and provider satisfaction, health outcomes and value for money in the treatment of cancer patients.