Improving the quality of intensive care with social media

Abstract

Social media (SoMe) is a user-friendly, and easy way of communicating through smartphones, and may be a novel way to communicate about local quality of care in busy intensive care units (ICU). The aim of this doctoral project was to describe SoMe use among ICU nurses and physicians, evaluate a multifaceted quality improvement campaign using closed Facebook groups, and explore ICU nurses’ and physicians’ experiences with SoMe in this context. The first study revealed frequent use of SoMe among ICU personnel, especially nurses, females and those younger than 40 years. In the second study, the use of SoMe in a multifaceted intervention reached most ICU personnel and improved the documentation of pain, agitation/sedation and delirium. However, in the last study, personnel described in focus-group interviews an ambivalence towards the use of Facebook for this purpose. They were motivated by the professional content provided through Facebook, but when posts appeared unexpectedly on Facebook among other content in their free time, this was considered inappropriate and intrusive. They suggested that more applicable and appropriate hospital communication platforms are needed.