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Revolutionizing Healthcare in the COVID-19 Era: Physicians Are Successfully Embracing Social Media to Replace Traditional Face-to-face Contact

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Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has restricted face-to-face communication. Social media groups have emerged as a tool for knowledge sharing and problem-solving. However, the unfiltered information exchange can present a dilemma. This study examines the role of a private Facebook group managed by physicians from the same class in the Alexandria Faculty of Medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. It employs a mixed-methods approach, combining content analysis of group posts and responses with an electronic survey of group members. The content analysis of 185 posts reveals that the majority (89.2%) were problem-related, with logistic help requests and clinical questions being the most common types representing 41% and 37%, respectively. Vaccine-related inquiries (11%) and posts seeking specialist responses to laboratory or radiological investigations (11%) were also present. The analysis further demonstrates that 89.7% of problem-related posts received specific replies, addressing the raised requirements, indicating an engaged and supportive community. Moreover, 0.6% of posts received psychological support or wishes for rapid recovery. Of the problem-related posts, 84.2% were successfully solved, contributing to preliminary diagnosis, referral, prescription, or logistical assistance. The electronic survey measuring member satisfaction shows that the majority (76.4%) of participants reported being satisfied with the group’s services, with high satisfaction rates regarding reply speed, quality of replies, problem resolution, and meeting expectations. Physician social media groups facilitated knowledge exchange, problem-solving, and peer support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt. Future research can explore the long-term impact of these groups on clinical outcomes and physician well-being.

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Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the following DOI link: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22352293.v1

Code Availability

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

SNSs:

Social networking sites

COVID-19:

Coronavirus disease 2019

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, 5372066, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

    Amr Alnagar

  2. Department of Health Administration and Behavioral Sciences, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, 165 El-Horeya Road, Al Ibrahimeyah Qebli WA Al Hadrah Bahri, Bab Sharqi, 5422031, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

    Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi & Rowan Abuyadek

  3. Department of Public Health, Sudanese Medical Research Association, P.O. Box 382, Khartoum, Sudan

    Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi

  4. Nephrology Department - Al Sabah Hospital, Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, 8WG2+HQ5, Kuwait City, Shuwaikh Industrial, Kuwait

    Muhammad Quoritem

  5. Alexandria Directorate of Health Affairs, Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, Number 3 Magles El Shaab Street, Cairo, Egypt

    Rodaina Osama Abdel Majid

  6. Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, 5372066, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

    Sara Attia Ghitani

  7. Public Health Department - High Institution of Public Health - Alexandria University, 165 El-Horeya Road, Al Ibrahimeyah Qebli WA Al Hadrah Bahri, Bab Sharqi, 5422031, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

    Asma Omar

  8. ENT Department, Kafr El-Sheikh University Hospital, El Gish St, Qism Kafr El-Shaikh, Kafr Al Sheikh First, 6860404, Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, Egypt

    Manar Arafat

  9. Department of Surgery, King Fahd University Hospital, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Bashar Ibn Burd St, 34445, Al Khobar, Al Aqrabiyah, Saudi Arabia

    Mohammed S. Foula

  10. Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences - Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA

    Ramy Shaaban

Authors
  1. Amr Alnagar
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  2. Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi
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  3. Rowan Abuyadek
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  4. Muhammad Quoritem
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  5. Rodaina Osama Abdel Majid
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  6. Sara Attia Ghitani
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  7. Asma Omar
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  8. Manar Arafat
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  9. Mohammed S. Foula
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  10. Ramy Shaaban
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Contributions

Study conception and design: Amr Alnagar, Ramy Shaaban.

Data acquisition: Yasir Ahmed Mohammmed Elhadi, Rowan Abuyadek, Muhammad Quoritem, Rodaina Osama Abdel Majid, Sara Attia Ghitani, Asma Omar.

Analysis and data interpretation: Manar Arafat, Mohammed S. Foula.

Drafting of the manuscript: Amr Alnagar, Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi.

Critical revision: Ramy Shaaban.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amr Alnagar.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University (approval number:0305378).

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was obtained from all participants whose posts were involved in the study.

Consent for Publication

Informed consent was obtained from all participants whose posts were involved in the study.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Alnagar, A., Elhadi, Y.A.M., Abuyadek, R. et al. Revolutionizing Healthcare in the COVID-19 Era: Physicians Are Successfully Embracing Social Media to Replace Traditional Face-to-face Contact. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 6, 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-023-01632-8

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