Using Social Media for MCH (SM-MCH) John Richards Georgetown University: MCH Library and SUID/SIDS Resource Center at NCEMCH Health Information Group/MCH Distance Learning Projects National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center Connections 2012 What You Always Wanted to Know about Social Media

MCH Social Media Why MCH Social Media? What Is Social Media? Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Resources With funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant numbers U02MC00001 and U48MC08717.

Why Social Media for MCH?

Why MCH Social Media 81% of families, 97% of pediatricians, and 96% of state health department staff use the Internet to routinely locate health information (AAP, 2003; Fox et al., 2009; Turner et al., 2009). Web 2.0 technologies that emphasize active information sharing have exploded into the public health landscape because they “reinforce and personalize health messages, reach new audiences, and build a communication infrastructure based on open information exchange” (AHRQ, 2010). Facebook has over 350 million active users (50% log in every day); in 2009 Twitter experienced a 1,382% growth rate (Burkhardt, 2010). Web 2.0 technologies are numerous and ever-evolving. In the public health arena, many applications have received attention for being effective in reaching families with children: health blogs, wikis, video-sharing sites, online social networks, data mashups, user-generated tagging/folksonomies… “Information overload!”

Why MCH Social Media Specific Needs of Professionals. The research that has been focused on IT in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) to date has laid “only a very general foundation of user needs and technologies to be employed. Little effort has been spent learning about the benefits of new media. [MCH] seems to be behind the curve in using social media” (Ridgeway, 2008).

Why MCH Social Media Specific Needs of Families. According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study, 58% of parents stated that their most important source for health information is the Internet, not their pediatrician (Madden et al., 2006). However, numerous studies have also shown that when using IT, “parents will find poor quality information.” (Kind, 2009). There has been little research into how families use and can improve their IT skills. According to one study, only 2% of organizations surveyed focus on children’s health and technology as compared to 79% that have researched children’s education and technology (KirkHart et al., 2008). The Internet, particularly through Web 2.0 features, increasingly is being recognized as more than an information repository; it is now used “as a means to intervene and communicate, including user-generated content… particularly in rural and underserved areas” (Kind, 2009).

What Is Social Media? (let’s talk specifics)

What Is Social Media? Collecting Resources. Health Information Group: New Media Primer Distance Learning Toolkit

What Is Social Media? Slide Source: Gov 2.0 Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going? Government IT Professionals Survey Results April 2012

What Is Social Media?

Promising Practices for Social Media in MCH (this means you too!)

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media 1.There is no one right way! 2.Get your feet wet! 3.People are forgiving! 4.The Pilot Test is your friend! 5.The landscape is always changing!

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media

YouTube It Gets Better itgetsbetterproject SUID/SIDS Resource Center

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Facebook Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) “Lots of health topics, lots of information sources, and lots of updates make for a solid Facebook page” (8 Great Public Health Campaigns Using Social Media).

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Twitter New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Twitter CDC Rules!

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Twitter Official HHS Twitter Accounts and Twitter guidelines tools/twitter.html

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media LinkedIn Healthy People 2010

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Podcasts NIH Health Matters news/radio/healthmatters

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Photo Sharing: Flickr AIDS.gov photos/aidsgov

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Blog SAMHSA Blog

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Instagram Around the Table

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Wikis SIDS on Wikipedia

Promising Practices for MCH Social Media Text Messaging Text 4 Baby Evaluation of Text Messaging: Flu Vaccine JAMA, 9 May 2012

Resources HHS Center for New Media “The Mother Load”

Resources

Thank you! John Richards Georgetown University: MCH Library and SUID/SIDS Resource Center at NCEMCH Health Information Group/MCH Distance Learning Projects National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center