Exploring the Social Networks’ Use in the Health-Care Industry: A Multi-Level Analysis

Tommasina Pianese and Patrizia Belfiore
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Tommasina Pianese: Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean, National Research Council of Italy (CNR ISMed), 80132 Napoli, Italy
Patrizia Belfiore: Department of Movement and Wellness Sciences, Parthenope University of Naples, 80132 Napoli, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: The application of social networks in the health domain has become increasingly prevalent. They are web-based technologies which bring together a group of people and health-care providers having in common health-related interests, who share text, image, video and audio contents and interact with each other. This explains the increasing amount of attention paid to this topic by researchers who have investigated a variety of issues dealing with the specific applications in the health-care industry. The aim of this study is to systematize this fragmented body of literature, and provide a comprehensive and multi-level overview of the studies that has been carried out to date on social network uses in healthcare, taking into account the great level of diversity that characterizes this industry. To this end, we conduct a scoping review enabling to identify the major research streams, whose aggregate knowledge are discussed according to three levels of analysis that reflect the viewpoints of the major actors using social networks for health-care purposes, i.e., governments, health-care providers (including health-care organizations and professionals) and social networks’ users (including ill patients and general public). We conclude by proposing directions for future research.

Keywords: social media; social network; healthcare; literature review; e-health; technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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