Social media in healthcare

What are the global social media statistics (DataReportal)?

5.81 billion user identities, ~70% of the world's population using it monthly, and an average of 6.66 platforms used per month

What are the UK social media statistics (Digital 2026)?

55.5 million user identities and 79.7% population penetration

What is the most-used social media platform in the UK?

WhatsApp

Which other platforms are most used in the UK after WhatsApp?

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Reddit

Discussion: Are healthcare professionals engaging where patients actually are?

Patients are mostly on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Reddit, so professionals should consider engaging there

Where do patients increasingly obtain health information?

Healthcare professionals, social media creators, online communities, friends and family, and AI tools

Why do patients go online for health?

Information, shared experiences, emotional support, reassurance, community and practical tips

Name five examples of the Diabetes Online Community.

Diabetes UK Community, Breakthrough T1D, Digibete and Facebook support groups

Discussion: What support can peers provide that clinicians cannot?

Shared lived experience, 24/7 availability and emotional understanding between appointments

What does the evidence say online peer support provides?

Emotional support, reduced isolation, increased confidence, practical self-management advice and shared lived experience

Which sources support the evidence on peer support benefits?

Ma et al. (2024), Bujanda-Sainz de Murieta et al. (2024) and Hemetek et al. (2025)

What are the benefits of online communities for patients?

Belonging, empowerment, education and peer support

What are the risks of online communities for patients?

Misinformation, social comparison, anxiety and unrealistic expectations

Which sources support the benefits and risks of online communities?

Berry et al. (2024) and Ma et al. (2024)

Patient perspective: why is the "#doc" valuable?

Diabetes teams cannot offer 24/7 support, but the #doc is always there and bridges the gap between appointments (T1DM patient, age 18)

What is the "Dr Google has competition" message?

Patients are increasingly using AI tools before consulting healthcare professionals ("Patients now ask AI before they ask us")

Name four AI tools patients use for health information.

ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini and Perplexity

What is an infodemic (WHO definition)?

Too much information, including false or misleading information

What are the potential impacts of an infodemic?

Vaccine hesitancy, delayed care, poor health decisions and reduced trust in healthcare

Which Would You Trust? What three questions are asked?

Which is most trustworthy? Why? How would you verify it?

What examples were compared in the "Which Would You Trust?" activity?

A TikTok diabetes nurse, the Diabetes UK profile and the #dedoc° profile

Why are healthcare professionals on social media?

Education, research dissemination, professional networking, advocacy and public health communication

What is the key message about social media and professional practice?

Social media is increasingly part of modern professional practice

What are the benefits of social media for professionals?

Networking, learning, career development and advocacy

What are the risks of social media for professionals?

Confidentiality breaches, professional complaints, online abuse and reputation damage

What are the four key themes of GMC and BMA guidance?

Confidentiality, professional boundaries, transparency and public trust

What is the key principle of professional standards online?

Professional standards apply both online and offline

Which GMC document covers social media use by doctors?

Using social media as a medical professional (GMC, 2024)

Poll 1: A patient asks for a selfie to post online. What should the professional do?

Politely decline (C)

Poll 1: Why should the professional decline the selfie?

Confidentiality concerns and professional boundaries

Poll 1: What is the key learning?

Professional judgement matters more than permission

Poll 2: A doctor shares age, diagnosis, ward location and a clinical image in a WhatsApp group with no name. Has confidentiality been breached?

Yes (A)

Poll 2: What is the key learning?

Anonymous does not always mean unidentifiable

Poll 3: A patient says "I trust TikTok more than my healthcare team." What is your first response?

Ask what they found helpful (B)

Poll 3: What is the key learning?

Understand first. Correct second.

Poll 3: Why are "Explain they're wrong" and "Tell them not to trust social media" poor responses?

They dismiss the patient's experience rather than first understanding what they found helpful

Poll 4: A student posts "The NHS is broken. Patients deserve better." What is the best answer?

Acceptable but risky (C)

Poll 4: What is the key learning?

Professionalism often involves judgement rather than rules

Poll 5: A patient asks for treatment changes after using ChatGPT, Reddit and Facebook. What is your reaction?

Depends on information quality (C)

Poll 5: What is the key learning?

Evaluate information, not just the source

Poll 6: A doctor promotes a device on Instagram without declaring sponsorship. Is there a conflict of interest?

Yes (A)

Poll 6: What is the key learning?

Transparency protects trust

Final debate: Do healthcare professionals have a responsibility to maintain a presence on social media?

Open debate with a live poll (Yes, Probably, Probably not, No), considering patients learning through TikTok, Facebook groups, WhatsApp support and AI tools

What are the five learning objectives of the workshop?

Explain how patients use social media for health support, recognise benefits and risks of online communities, identify challenges of misinformation, apply professional guidance to social media scenarios, and reflect on your digital professional identity

Take-home message 1

Patients are already using social media

Take-home message 2

Online communities can reduce isolation and provide support

Take-home message 3

Misinformation is a major challenge

Take-home message 4

Professional standards apply online

Take-home message 5

Future clinicians need digital literacy

Take-home message 6

Your online identity is part of your professional identity

What is the closing message of the workshop?

The question is no longer whether social media influences health, but how we help patients use it safely

Who presented the workshop?

Dr Rebecca (Becky) Reeve, Honorary Senior Tutor at Swansea University Medical School and Sanofi employee (personal views, not Sanofi's)

Denniss and Lindberg (2025) is about what?

Social media and the spread of misinformation as a threat to public health (Health Promotion International)

Ma et al. (2024) is about what?

Experiences and views of young people and healthcare professionals using social media to self-manage type 1 diabetes (JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting)

Berry et al. (2024) is about what?

The role of social media on psychological wellbeing for young people with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers

Bujanda-Sainz de Murieta et al. (2024) is about what?

A scoping review of online community use among people with type 2 diabetes

Hemetek et al. (2025) is about what?

How to facilitate peer support via instant messaging services to improve diabetes self-management

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