The following is a summary of “How Likes and Retweets Impacted Our Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” published in the November 2023 issue of Allergy and Clinical Immunology by Ramirez, et al.

It was the COVID-19 epidemic that contributed to an increase in the ever-increasing dependence on social media for health-related information. This dependence caused problems that had never been seen before regarding navigating the enormous amounts of information directly available to us at their fingertips. 

In therapy, the use of social media significantly influences the decision-making process, which in turn has repercussions for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. For a study, researchers sought to analyze the elements that contribute to the dependence and prevalence of social media and the role that social media plays in disseminating information and disinformation. According to the parameters of this study, this will be carried out. 

In the study, they sought to discuss how the shifting landscape has impacted medical providers, the effective communication strategies that can be utilized during in-office patient encounters, and how they can be active participants in the utilization of social media as a tool for health promotion, the correction of misinformation, and the preparation for eventual pandemics. There was a comprehensive discussion on each of these subjects.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213219823008061