Influence of Social Media on Physician Selection and Medical Advice-Seeking Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

This study explores how social media influences healthcare decisions in Saudi Arabia, finding that it moderately impacts how people seek medical advice.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the role of social media in healthcare decision-making within Saudi Arabia.

Findings

Social media significantly influences healthcare decisions, with 26% rating its impact as strong and 47.8% as moderate.

Snapchat, Telegram, and Instagram are the most used platforms for accessing medical information from healthcare professionals.

Older employed participants showed a stronger influence from social media in healthcare decisions.

Abstract

Background

Social media (SM) can help the public cultivate their autonomy by enriching the information offered by healthcare professionals (HCPs). It enables patients to obtain advice and complement offline information, perhaps increasing patient empowerment. The study aims to assess the influence of SM on the behavior of the general population when seeking healthcare advice and care from HCPs in Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using a face-validated questionnaire by two experts and one statistician to receive participants' perceptions, attitudes, and experiences regarding SM in seeking medical care. Appropriate tests of significance and data presentation methods were used to explain the findings scientifically.

Results

Analysis of participant responses revealed that SM played a significant role in healthcare decision-making: its influence was rated as strong by 26% of participants and moderate by 47.8%. Snapchat, Telegram, and Instagram were the most commonly used platforms to access medical information from HCPs and medical institutions. Participants who belonged to the age groups of 35-44 and 45-54 years and those who were employed significantly showed a stronger influence than others (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant positive association observed between hours spent on SM and influence (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The impact of SM in seeking healthcare advice and care was found to be moderate among the participants. HCPs can establish interactive patient strategies using SM platforms. Physicians may reach out to potential patients and offer information about their healthcare organization or private practice using various SM platforms.

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