Friend or Foe: Exploring the Use of Social Media Apps for Patient Care and Referral in the Malawian Hospitals.
1
School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, BLANTYRE, Malawi
2
Clinical Department, Ministry of Health, Mwanza, Malawi
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A954
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Communication for patient care has evolved over the years. Moving from verbal communication, through paper-based to gadget-enhanced communication systems. The coming of social messaging apps has made it easy for communication. In settings where people do not have access to secure patient messaging apps, health care workers have resorted to the use of social messaging apps to cover the communication gaps and improve patient outcomes.
METHODS:
This paper intends to paint a picture of using social media messaging apps such as Whatsapp and Telegram for patient management in a Malawian setting using diffusion of technology theory.
RESULTS:
In Malawi there is a Whatsapp group that was created in 2018 to be used for communication of cases. The group as of March 2025 had 487 clinicans. Case summaries of Patients including imaging and laboratory tests are sent on the Whatsapp group for surigical opinion and referral. Technology advancements have made social messaging apps readily available, accessible and affordable for use in various sectors including health. As it is expensive to develop customized patient care messaging apps, health care workers have sought quick, reliable and inexpensive messaging apps that are already available. The platforms offer quick pathways to patient care. This has improved communication among clinicans and interhospital referrals happened in a controlled and coordinated manner which improves patient outcomes. On the down side the platforms are accessed by several people which breaches data privacy.
CONCLUSIONS:
Using Whatsapp groups has made communication easy and effective. However there is no control of who sees the data and how they may use it. Therefore, there is a need to put in place data protection frameworks on social media messaging apps.
Communication for patient care has evolved over the years. Moving from verbal communication, through paper-based to gadget-enhanced communication systems. The coming of social messaging apps has made it easy for communication. In settings where people do not have access to secure patient messaging apps, health care workers have resorted to the use of social messaging apps to cover the communication gaps and improve patient outcomes.
METHODS:
This paper intends to paint a picture of using social media messaging apps such as Whatsapp and Telegram for patient management in a Malawian setting using diffusion of technology theory.
RESULTS:
In Malawi there is a Whatsapp group that was created in 2018 to be used for communication of cases. The group as of March 2025 had 487 clinicans. Case summaries of Patients including imaging and laboratory tests are sent on the Whatsapp group for surigical opinion and referral. Technology advancements have made social messaging apps readily available, accessible and affordable for use in various sectors including health. As it is expensive to develop customized patient care messaging apps, health care workers have sought quick, reliable and inexpensive messaging apps that are already available. The platforms offer quick pathways to patient care. This has improved communication among clinicans and interhospital referrals happened in a controlled and coordinated manner which improves patient outcomes. On the down side the platforms are accessed by several people which breaches data privacy.
CONCLUSIONS:
Using Whatsapp groups has made communication easy and effective. However there is no control of who sees the data and how they may use it. Therefore, there is a need to put in place data protection frameworks on social media messaging apps.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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