Healthy discourse: How Canadian physicians use Twitter to communicate in healthcare

Abstract

Although several medical organizations predict that the Canadian healthcare landscape will undergo a significant shift resulting from increased use of social media by Canadian healthcare practitioners, little research exists in Canada about how and why Canadian physicians use social media. To address this research gap and establish a baseline for future Canadian research, this paper sought to examine how Canadian physicians perceive Twitter in relation to healthcare. By conducting interviews with 18 Canadian physicians of varying specialties and backgrounds from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, this exploratory study has provided qualitative data that will aid an important and growing area of health communications research.