Impact of COVID-19 on social media as perceived by the oncology community: results from a survey in collaboration with the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the OncoAlert Network

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of modern-day oncology, including how stakeholders communicate through social media. We surveyed oncology stakeholders in order to assess their attitudes pertaining to social media and how it has been affected during the pandemic. Materials and methods A 40-item survey was distributed to stakeholders from 8 July to 22 July 2020 and was promoted through the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the OncoAlert Network. Results One thousand and seventy-six physicians and stakeholders took part in the survey. In total, 57.3% of respondents were medical oncologists, 50.6% aged <40 years, 50.8% of female gender and mostly practicing in Europe (51.5%). More than 90% of respondents considered social media a useful tool for distributing scientific information and for education. Most used social media to stay up to date on cancer care in general (62.5%) and cancer care during COVID-19 (61%) given the constant flow of information. Respondents also used social media to interact with other oncologists (78.8%) and with patients (34.4%). Overall, 61.1% of respondents were satisfied with the role that social media was playing during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, 41.1% of respondents reported trouble in discriminating between credible and less credible information and 30% stated social networks were a source of stress. For this reason, one-third of respondents reduced its use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding meeting attendance, a total of 59.1% of responding physicians preferred in-person meetings to virtual ones, and 51.8% agreed that virtual meetings and social distancing could hamper effective collaboration. Conclusion Social media has a useful role in supporting cancer care and professional engagement in oncology. Although one-third of respondents reported reduced use of social media due to stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority found social media useful to keep up to date and were satisfied with the role social media was playing during the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 on oncology professionals—one year on: lessons learned from the ESMO Resilience Task Force survey series

“…21 The increased access to virtual oncology conferences and virtual mentorship programmes have also proven popular. 22 In the long-term, these initiatives may increase the ability of more staff to participate in professional development activities while balancing other commitments and mitigating financial cost.…”

Utilizing Social Media Advertisements and Participant Social Networks to Recruit African American Breast Cancer Survivors: Design and Rationale

“…The Meta study Page also connects survivors and family/friends of survivors with information to learn more about the study, breast cancer disparities, and the study investigators/team. Recent research has shown that cancer patients are now utilizing social media more during COVID-19 as a resource to answer questions related to their cancer experience ( 25 , 26 ). We have found that breast cancer survivors recruited through Meta share the study information and questionnaire directly with their social networks on social media and with individuals who might not have Meta accounts.…”

Utilization of Internet Resources by Surgeons for Continuous Professional Development in the Era of Prevailing COVID-19 Pandemic: Trends and Obstacles

“…However, these platforms may help professionals collaborate with each other, participate in journal clubs and join online discussions. A recent study that included oncologists revealed that social media was especially preferred for networking, research sharing, and leadership development ( 16 ). On the other hand, YouTube was frequently used by the surgeons participating in our study.…”