Getting Started: Social Media and Scientific Communications

Caroline Shepherd, CMC Connect, IPG Health Medical Communications Ltd; Jennifer Ghith, Pfizer Inc; Raj Patel, Pfizer Inc; Lana Vegman, Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Laura Dormer, Future Science Group; Dikran Toroser, Merck & Co., Inc; Orla Weir, CMC Connect, IPG Health Medical Communications Ltd

“The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers or of ISMPP. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as legal or regulatory advice.”

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Considerations for Using Social Media for Scientific Data Dissemination to Healthcare Professionals

Social media allows people to communicate and rapidly share information through virtual networks and communities. Healthcare professionals are increasingly using social media to find relevant information that informs their practice^1,2.  Whilst healthcare professionals most frequently use social media platforms for consuming practice-related medical news and information, they also use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and WhatsApp for dissemination of research, clinical trial recruitment, correcting misinformation, professional development and communication^3-7. 

Alongside researchers and publishers, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have a responsibility to provide healthcare professionals with trustworthy, timely and accurate scientific data about the products they research and develop, and the diseases they treat.  It is important to note that for the pharmaceutical industry, scientific communication with healthcare professionals and the general public occurs through scientific exchange that must be compliant with industry regulations. This includes the use of social media approaches both in the active provision of non-promotional information, and for responding to unsolicited requests received through social media. 

Overall, social media channels have a role in improving equity of access to trusted information about the latest scientific and clinical evidence-based research, presented at medical congresses and published in peer-reviewed journals. Social media can also serve to raise awareness of clinical trial recruitment initiatives, thereby supporting evidence-based data generation.

Here we provide general guidance for medical communications professionals on getting started in using social media to extend the reach of scientific communications. (A glossary of terms in social media is provided at the end of this article).

Tips for Extending the Reach of Scientific Communications through Social Media

1. Define the purpose

Be clear about the purpose of using social media for scientific communications

Social media can be deployed to improve transparency about clinical trial findings and to expand the reach of clinical and scientific data beyond traditional channels.  If for transparency, the objective will focus on equity of access to scientific data and signposting of trusted sources. If for extending engagement, understanding audience preferences for data formats on social media will be important to define (e.g. visual abstracts, bite-size video clips, mini-presentations, animations).  Before starting, ensure there is approval within the organisation for using social media for these purposes.

Be aware of the social media landscape for scientific communications

Initially, consider undertaking a social media landscaping activity to inform tactical execution and how to stand out from the crowd. This will include identification and mapping of the various channels and users, including contributions from journals, societies and industry, that might also include handles from several functions within these organisations.

Establish the identity, purpose and voice of the social media presence

Ensure there is consensus regarding the identity, purpose and voice of the handles employed in the organisation so they can clearly differentiate themselves to audiences.  Develop a best practice approach to handle naming, ownership, monitoring and management with internal stakeholders. 

Be realistic about what can be achieved with intended audiences in terms of reach and engagement

The reach of information is related to the number of followers of the content provider (the account) who see the post and subsequently the number of browsers that display the post (either as a follower or through a share/retweet or from use of a search term/hashtag).  The number of followers is related to the relevance of the information provided, the reputation of the source and/or opinions from digital communicators and external experts. Engagement with the posted content is measured by clicks, likes, comments and/or amplification through sharing with other users or dialogue with the handle and its followers.

Increasing page views, an indicator of publication reach, can be a goal for using social media for scientific communication. This is an example of extending the reach of the journal article, initiated through posting social media content highlighting the journal article; the post will be viewed, and clicked through, to view the article on the journal website (figure 1). 

 Figure 1: Utilizing open social media channels to expand publication reach^7*   

In addition to the volume of followers and retweets, the visual appeal of the tweet can be an important factor affecting impressions, page views, downloads or citations of the article or impact factor of the journal⁸. Including a visual abstract in a tweet instead of just the title or a text abstract can increase engagement and reach of the journal article^9,10.

While <10% of healthcare professional social media users appear to comment on posts and participate in discussions, handles need to be prepared to interact with users where necessary¹.  Therefore, for responding to questions or comments in this public forum, pre-approved responses would be prepared in some cases and new responses drafted and approved quickly, along with links to trusted resources for further information.

2. Establish a cross-functional social media leadership team

Consider the importance of partnering with cross-functional stakeholders and identify the key stakeholders, including an omnichannel and data dissemination lead, who will form the leadership team for social media activities (figure 2). 

Figure 2: Cross-functional leadership team for social media for scientific communications*

The leadership team will need to establish processes that are compliant in the context of the broad viewership of social media, beyond the target audience of healthcare professionals. The approach from the pharmaceutical industry will consider ethical and reputational obligations and needs to ensure that governance is in place with the right resources available.  Teams will need to familiarize themselves with ​international and national guidelines and ​relevant social media ​policy considerations.  

The leadership team will be responsible for overseeing strategy and execution. This will involve developing standard operating procedures for selecting the handle; establishing what content to include and what to exclude; establishing the team required for creating, reviewing, approving, publishing, managing, and monitoring content throughout the lifecycle of postings and the handle.  Monitoring activities will include: integrating adverse event surveillance and reporting, setting up a process for protecting the integrity of the handle, and incorporating best practice for measuring engagement and handling responses.

3. Define tactical execution

The following are some tips and suggestions for the tactical execution of social media activities for scientific communications.

1. Provide content in a manner aligned with the values established by the leadership team and how audiences want to receive the information (first impressions matter).

2. Consider how to increase transparency and reach of scientific information with followers most effectively. This will include agreeing on style, voice and tone; currency and timeliness; type of information posted; and format and accessibility.

3. Maintain a consistent voice and tone. Develop a toolkit to include style guide, lexicon (consider readability and health literacy), templates, formats and creative assets.

4. Select optimal platforms to employ and tailor content.

• Research audience preferences on social media to establish which are their preferred platforms, e.g., for news or information-gathering, discussion. 
• Understand audience preferences for topics and sources.  
• Consider if there are digital literacy needs or translation needs.
• Understand the different platform characteristics to inform the preparation of content.
• Select a platform that is tailored for audience needs and preferences.
• Develop an approach for adapting content across the platforms targeted, considering audience expectations of the platform and format, e.g. text versus visual, infographic or video.
• Do not automatically repost the same content across various platforms but rather consider the pros and cons of repetition across social media.
• Selecting the right hashtag can make a significant difference to the reach of social media posts in expanding the number of followers.

5. Make content engaging.

• Use polls.
• Ask questions.
• Formulate a series of posts as tweetorials.
• Use webcards, GIFs, videos, and compelling visuals.

6. Choose the right time to post.

• Develop an annual, rolling calendar for posts, aligning and adapting to publication plan evolution.
• Ensure the team is ready to address comments/changes quickly, as needed to respond with the timeliness expected in social media.
• Quick, tailored responses in specific instances may need a rapid approval pathway.
• 24-hour monitoring for adverse events may need to be put into place.

7. For medical publications, consider each publication stakeholder’s social media activity (figure 3) and agree on best practices for integrating into the publication development processes.

• Establish a process that ensures authors are informed about social media communications.
• Are authors requested to develop a social media post for the journal, or does the journal develop them independently?
• Will author-approved posts be developed alongside the manuscript (integrated into review and approval process), or will authors do this independently?
• Are authors active on social media and posting their own content?
• Obtain permissions from authors and journals for tagging.
• Establish an efficient communication process between the publications team and the social media leadership team that aligns with the publication date.
• Confirm that your plan adheres to company social media policy or guidance.
• Are medical affairs’ social media posting of company-sponsored publications coordinated with author and journal postings?

Figure 3: Stakeholders in industry-sponsored medical publications posting on social media

4. Monitor and adapt

It is important to measure the handle’s social media performance often and optimize the process and content.

Define specific measurable goals in advance. For example, if transparency is the driver, then the metric would be a sentiment measurement. If the driver is for increasing awareness, then a metric could be number of views and number of new followers.

Example types of metrics

• Clicks to publications
• Post views/impressions
• Dialogue rate (replies/post)​
• Amplification rate (shares/post)
• Appreciation rate (likes/post)
• Impressions
• Handle followers

Define and monitor a timely response strategy based on tracking against overall goals for the handle’s social media activity for scientific communications. 

Conclusion

It is important to have realistic expectations about what can be achieved by data dissemination through the social media channels, especially when considered alongside traditional communications channels.  After defining a strategy, applying a stepwise approach to reflect and learn from each initiative launched through social media is recommended. 

References

1. Sermo 2019 analytics; Sermo_The_Digital_Day_of_an_HCP_2019
2. Chen J, Wang Y. Social media use for health purposes: systematic review. J Med Int Res 2021; 23: e17917.
3. Markham MJ, Gentile D, Graham DL. Social media for networking, professional development and patient engagement. 2017 ASCO Educational Book. Asco.org/edbook.
4. Chan WSY, Leung AYM. Use of social network sites for communication among health professionals: systematic review.  J Med Res Int 2018; 20: e117.
5. Bellini MI, Parisotto C, Dor FJMF, Kessaris N. Social media use among transplant professionals in Europe: A cross-sectional study from the European Society of Organ Transplantation. Exp Clin Transplantation 2020; 2: 169-176.
6. Shakir MA, Singh A, Levy P, Cohen A, Moran S, Mikelson CH, Rodriguez R, Gray WA, Patel R.  Social media use and community-based cardiovascular healthcare professionals: perception versus reality. Heart Views 2020; 21: 276-280.
7. Chari D, Ghith J, Patel R, Volkman T, Houck S, Rotz L. Utilizing open social media channels to expand publication reach. Curr Med Res Opin 2021; 37 (suppl 1): 20.
8. Søreide K. Numbers needed to tweet: social media and impact on surgery. Eur J Surg Oncol 2019; 45: 292295.
9. Ibrahim AM, Lillemoe KD, Klingensmith ME, Dimick JB. Visual abstracts to disseminate research on social media. A prospective, case-control crossover study. Ann Surgery 2017; 266: e46-e48.
10. Hoffberg AD, Huggins J, Cobb A, Forster JE, Bahraini N. Beyond journals – visual abstracts promote wider suicide prevention research dissemination and engagement: a randomized crossover trial. Frontiers in Research Metrics Analytics 2020; 5: 564193.

Glossary

Engagement – in social media. This is measured through social listening that reports on likes, shares (amplification), dialogue and commentary for a particular post.

Handle – A social media handle is a public username for a social media account. The handle is a public-facing name associated with the account and is used when connecting with and broadcasting to other users. The audience or followers will use this unique identifier to find the account on social media.

Hashtag – a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet) (Merriam-Webster.com).  A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the hash symbol (#), written within a post or comment to highlight it and facilitate a search for it. By including hash marks in a post, it can be indexed by the social network so that it can be discoverable to all users interested in similar topics who search for the hashtag.

Impressions – an instance in which a specific element is displayed on a web page accessed by a user (Merriam-Webster.com).

Omnichannel – using different channels, or methods of connecting with users and integrating them so the user experience is seamless, regardless of the channel they use.

Popularity bias – occurs when what is tweeted on most often may not be of highest importance or an accurate reflection of the context of the data.

Reach – who sees and engages with content. In social media, this is measured by the number of followers and the extension of impressions.

Scientific exchange occurs when companies exchange medical and scientific information or data in a non-promotional context with healthcare professionals. This can be regarding presentation or publication of study data, dissemination of medical/scientific texts and clinical practice guidelines pertaining to unapproved uses (per FDA guidance), responses to unsolicited requests.  An FDA regulation, Codes of Federal Regulations, Section 312.7(a).

Social media is an internet-based channel that allows people to communicate and rapidly share information through virtual networks and communities.

Tagging allows social media users to engage with a social media account when they mention them in a post or comment. Social media tagging notifies the recipient and links to the tagged profile.  A tag is the @ symbol preceding a handle on a social network.