Use of social media in doctor-patient relationship in Keffi, North-central Nigeria

Abstract

Background A good doctor-patient relationship is important for quality health care delivery. Measures that improve such will improve health outcomes. The online social media has become an important part of our daily living such that members of the society interact at various levels through it. The doctor-patient relationship can be improved through the social media by increasing the interaction between the physician and the patient. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and pattern of use of social media by patients visiting the FMC Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 304 patients visiting the medical outpatient department of the FMC Keffi between January and July 2019. Patients visiting the clinic were randomly selected and interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS 25 Result: 304 patients completed the questionnaire. 278 (91.4%) use the social media for various purposes. Facebook 87.8% and Whatsapp 86.5% were used more frequently. The use of social media was associated with the level of education (P = 0.001). 158 (56.8%) patients had sent friendship requests to their physicians while 242 (87.1%) will like to be friends with their physicians through the social media. 111(39.9%) patients have discussed health issues with a doctor through the social media. 88.8% of the patients agreed that interaction between physicians and patients/patient’s relatives through the social media can improve the doctor-patient relationship. 81.7% of the patients believe that easy access to health information and the physician are the main advantages of social media in doctor-patient relationship. Conclusion: the use of social media is high among patients that visit FMC Keffi. A significant number of these patients will like to interact with their physician through the social media. The doctor-patient relationship can be improved through the social media by increasing access to health information and making access to physicians easier.