Social media in healthcare information

CHICAGO — Social media has now been an integral part of life for over 20 years, revolutionizing so many aspects of our lives that it is now difficult to imagine a world without it. As smartphone technology has matured and users have grown more sophisticated in their use of various social media platforms, concerns about privacy, ethics, censorship, and misinformation have grown and become more complex. Published by Facet Publishing and available through the ALA Store, “Social Media in Healthcare Information” provides an overview of current and recent developments in social media, concentrating on the most influential and well-established platforms, and the effects on healthcare information. In addition to drawing together some of the most recently published scholarship in this area, Paula Younger includes practical tips and considerations of how the platforms can be used to support knowledge and library service provision in healthcare settings, as well as:

• the use of social media in healthcare research and medical education;
• COVID-19 and misinformation;
• digital inequalities and technological barriers;
• confidentiality, privacy and security;
• social media campaigns, data analysis and trends; and
• AI, big data, and the future-proofing the profession.

Younger is a UK Chartered Librarian with several years of experience in NHS, academic, and government libraries and information services. Her interests include the use of technology, health literacy, and healthcare information in languages other than English. Since the 1990s, she has published several articles, which have appeared in several professional LIS and nursing journals as well as on international websites. In 2010, she co-edited “Using Web 2.0 for Health Information,” with Peter Morgan of Cambridge University. Paula is currently Library Manager at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Teaching Hospitals in Greater Manchester, UK.

Facet Publishing, the commercial publishing and bookselling arm of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, is the leading publisher of books for library and information professionals worldwide. ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library and information professionals worldwide. ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman publishes resources used by library and information professionals, scholars, students, and educators to improve programs and services, build on best practices, enhance pedagogy, share research, develop leadership, and promote advocacy. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a variety of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman at editionsmarketing@ala.org.