Communication technologies for supporting better healthcare

Clear and effective communication is of paramount importance in healthcare, both for patients and healthcare staff. Dr Anne Moorhead, senior lecturer in health communication at Ulster University, investigates how technologies, including social media, health apps, and telehealth services, play a role in enhancing communication within healthcare. With the recent accelerated shift to remote consulting and use of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic, Moorhead argues for drawing upon this recent evidence base to fully realise the potential of such technologies, to best supplement and complement existing methods of communication in healthcare.

Effective communication is of paramount importance in all healthcare settings. Effective health communication has considerable benefits for patients, and research shows that good communication significantly improves their health outcomes. There are also great benefits to healthcare providers, as good communication results in the efficient and effective use of resources.

Dr Anne Moorhead, senior lecturer in health communication at Ulster University, investigates how communication technology can enhance healthcare, among healthcare providers, patients and the general public, most notably through social media, health apps, online portals, and telehealth services. Her research provides insight into ways to best use these technologies in healthcare settings to supplement and complement traditional methods of communication.

Social media
The use of social media in healthcare contexts is becoming increasingly accepted and is used by many different groups including the public, patients, health professionals, and healthcare support staff. The benefits of using social media in these environments include facilitating dialogue between patients and health professionals, the ability to provide answers to medical questions without members of the public having to visit a hospital, collecting data on patient experience using online surveys, and providing online consultations.

Using social media can also lead to an increase in patient–healthcare staff interactions, the ability to provide more specifically-tailored information, and improved access to health information. However, there are some limitations to the use of social media in healthcare settings. For instance, health professionals may require further training to fully maximise the benefits of social media, which may be a drain on healthcare provider resources. There are also concerns with the reliability of online technology as well as potential issues of confidentiality and privacy. It is imperative therefore, that maintaining patient privacy and the integrity of shared information is a priority when healthcare providers opt to use social media in their practices.

Many patients and members of the public frequently use social media services in their everyday lives. This can mean that is it sometimes expected that healthcare providers should provide these services. Moorhead highlights the importance of healthcare providers in managing patient expectations carefully with respect to how social media can be used within a healthcare setting. This can range from merely encouraging staff to use social media at all, to motivating them to deal with user problems and complaints. However, Moorhead recommends that providers only use social media when they have a specific purpose for each activity, and that guidelines should be created according to these purposes. A key message from Moorhead’s research is that social media has the potential to supplement and complement pre-existing methods of communication in healthcare, social media should not completely replace them.

Health apps
In addition to an increased use of social media in healthcare, digital health apps have also increased in popularity. Moorhead’s research shows that the most frequent users of such applications are well-educated, young individuals with above-average income and excellent physical health. However, although these differences of age, finances, and education achievement are evident, it is also true that such individual sociodemographic factors are becoming less potent in influencing engagement with mobile devices and health app use. This point is particularly pertinent when healthcare providers consider which sociodemographic groups would benefit the most from using digital technologies.

Managing one’s lifestyle behaviours and improving mental health are two of the key reasons that people opt to use health apps. In her research, Moorhead demonstrates that health app use is most frequently associated with intentions to change diet, increase physical activity, and meet professional lifestyle recommendations. Although health apps are most frequently used by those who are already healthy, the intentions for using the apps concern those who wish to change their lifestyle to a healthier one, such as aiding in weight loss and increase in physical activity.

Moorhead’s research provides insight into ways to best utilise technologies in healthcare settings, to supplement and complement traditional methods of communication.

Smartphone-based digital phenotyping can also provide insight into mood, cognition, and behaviours, through for example, mood logs. Health apps, especially those with evidence-based systems, can monitor mental health behaviours including mood and can contribute to improving users’ mental wellbeing. For instance, when a user makes a note of their mood on a given health app each morning, lunch, and evening, as well as tracking their diet and level of physical activity, then healthcare providers (as well as the user themselves) can draw correlations between what the user does physically and how they feel mentally.

Online portals
It is important that digital lifestyle interventions are evidence-based and that they incorporate the latest advances in technology. Moorhead’s recent research includes the development and evaluation of online portals that incorporate several technological tools such as health apps and chatbots in one system as an online portal. For example, in the prevention and management of obesity, and mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. These sophisticated systems provide opportunities for interdisciplinary working, peer and family support, and remote communication between health professionals and patients.

Telehealth
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has provided ample time and reason to assess the feasibility and success of remote consultation and telehealth services. It has been well documented that there has been an accelerated shift in remote consultations between practices and their patients as a direct result of the pandemic. However, to ensure that this shift is effective for both patients and their healthcare providers, Moorhead argues that the recent evidence base accumulated during the pandemic must be used. Results of surveys and similar qualitative data collection methods show that patients feel it is important that they are offered the choice of mode of consultation and have access to something that meets their own and their family’s needs.

Notably, it is increasingly important that practitioners and healthcare staff have sufficient training and support when entering the relatively new terrain of remote consultation, to ensure that they have the skills and confidence in using the technology. This is essential in ensuring that effective, personal communication is achieved between healthcare providers and their patients. Moorhead argues the case for decision-making protocols to be put in place, to guide healthcare staff to offer either online, telephone, or face-to-face consultations, to ensure the needs of patients are met.

A balanced approach
Moorhead concludes, ‘the use of technology to enhance communication in healthcare has the potential to supplement and complement but not replace other methods to improve communication and interaction among members of the general public, patients, health professionals, and healthcare organisations.’ Ultimately, it is imperative that there is a continuing shift in the attitude of practitioners towards telehealth. It seems likely that this shift will continue towards a more balanced approach to online and face-to-face healthcare consultation in the future, with a focus on enhanced patient choice.

How can health professionals, patients, and the public be supported in the continued shift in mindset towards telehealth and online consultation, to achieve an appropriate balance of online and face-to-face consultations?

All partners in health communication including health professionals, patients, and the public needs to be supported in the continued shift in mindset towards telehealth and online consultation, to achieve an appropriate balance of online and face-to-face consultations. For this to be achieved, interdisciplinary and collaborative working with clear communication are essential at appropriate timing and pace. It is important that the balance of online and face-to-face consultations is appropriate for the individual and organisation. The use of technology to enhance communication in healthcare has the potential to supplement and complement but not replace other methods to improve communication and interaction.

References

Behind the Research

Dr Anne Moorhead MA, MSc, PhD, PgChep, RNutr, CSci, SFHEA, is a senior lecturer in health communication at Ulster University. She is a Registered Nutritionist, Public Health (RNutr), Chartered Scientist (CSci), and Accredited Healthcare Communicator.

Research Objectives

Anne’s research interest is in healthcare communication, in particular communication technologies in healthcare with a focus on mental health and obesity.

Funding

Safefood, InvestNI, Ulster University, ESRC, Horizon2020

Collaborators

Colleagues at Ulster University and all co-authors of the research publications.

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