Social Media Health Information Exchange Related to Patient-HCP Communication, Discrimination, and Trust in the U.S. Health Care System

Background Individuals use social media platforms and online forums to share personal and general health information, as well as interact with others who have similar health and medical issues.Purpose This study examines how social media health information exchange is related to interpersonal patient-health care provider (HCP) communication, health care discrimination, and trust in the U.S. health care system.Methods Informed by the social ecological model, we employed multiple linear regression to examine data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 7 (N = 5,195).Results For participants of color, both better interpersonal communication with HCPs and experiences of discrimination in health care interactions predicted more social media sharing and information exchange. However, higher trust in the U.S. health care system predicted less social media sharing and information exchange among participants of color. These associations were not observed among non-Hispanic White participants.Discussion Individuals who experience discrimination in the health care system and have low trust in the U.S. health care system might be more likely to engage in mediated communication about health, such as exchange health-related information.Translation to Health Education Practice Health Educators must consider how experiences of discrimination in the U.S. health care system intersect with patients’ likelihood to engage in information exchange with similar others online. It is uniquely important that HCPs and Health Educators incorporate culturally responsive approaches for working with populations who experience and/or are especially at-risk health care discrimination. Health Educators might use assessment tools or screening questions ahead of appointments to identify patients who have previously experienced prejudice and/or discrimination in health care settings or related to their health, especially related to their social media use.