Shcherbakova Natalia, Shepherd Marv
Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western New England University, 1215 Wilbraham Rd., Springfield, MA 01119, USA.
Center for Pharmacoeconomic Studies, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA.
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2014 Nov-Dec;10(6):e75-e85. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.11.007. Epub 2013 Dec 4.
Use of social media and Internet for health information sharing is expanding among patients, physicians, and other health care professionals. Research on professional use of social media by community pharmacists is limited.
A 25-item survey with questions addressing the objectives of the study as well as basic demographic questions (gender, age, and type of pharmacy degree) was mailed to a random sample of 1196 independent community pharmacists in Texas in January 2012.
The study response rate was 23.7%, with 284 usable questionnaires returned. The majority of respondents reported that Internet access is available at their pharmacies (98% (278)), and 91% (258) are familiar with the term 'social media'. To communicate with health care professionals, 56% (n = 160) of respondents use email, 34% (n = 97) use text messages and 5% (n = 14) use Facebook. To communicate with patients, 36% (n = 102) of respondents use email, 30% (n = 86) use text messages and 7% (n = 19) use Facebook. The perceptions of pharmacists who communicate with patients using electronic tools about information related to drug therapy once a month or more frequently were more positive than those of pharmacists who never or hardly ever communicate with patients via electronic tools about drug therapy (P < 0.05). Over 50% of independent pharmacists reported maintaining a pharmacy website.
This study is the first U.S. statewide assessment of the use of electronic communication and social media for professional pharmacist's communications and perceptions toward the use of social media in patient-pharmacist communications among independent community pharmacists in Texas. Future studies conducted in other states as well as nationwide will contribute to a better understanding of the use of electronic communication, Internet, and social media in the daily professional activities of independent community pharmacists.
患者、医生及其他医疗保健专业人员利用社交媒体和互联网分享健康信息的情况正在增多。关于社区药剂师专业使用社交媒体的研究有限。
1）确定得克萨斯州（美国一州）独立社区药剂师使用短信、电子邮件、脸书、推特和/或其他信息技术与患者及医疗保健专业人员进行专业交流的程度，并了解得克萨斯州独立社区药剂师对这种使用方式的看法；2）确定得克萨斯州独立社区药剂师开发和利用其药房网站提供药品信息及患者护理服务的程度。
2012年1月，向得克萨斯州1196名独立社区药剂师的随机样本邮寄了一份包含25个条目的调查问卷，问题涉及研究目的以及基本人口统计学问题（性别、年龄和药学学位类型）。
研究回复率为23.7%，共收回284份可用问卷。大多数受访者表示其药房可上网（98%（278人）），91%（258人）熟悉“社交媒体”一词。为与医疗保健专业人员交流，56%（n = 160）的受访者使用电子邮件，34%（n = 97）使用短信，5%（n = 14）使用脸书。为与患者交流，36%（n = 102）的受访者使用电子邮件，30%（n = 86）使用短信，7%（n = 19）使用脸书。每月或更频繁地使用电子工具与患者交流药物治疗相关信息的药剂师，其看法比从未或几乎从不通过电子工具与患者交流药物治疗的药剂师更积极（P < 0.05）。超过50%的独立药剂师报告称维护有药房网站。
本研究是美国首次对电子通信和社交媒体在专业药剂师交流中的使用情况以及得克萨斯州独立社区药剂师对社交媒体在患者 - 药剂师交流中使用的看法进行全州范围的评估。未来在其他州以及全国范围内开展的研究将有助于更好地了解电子通信、互联网和社交媒体在独立社区药剂师日常专业活动中的使用情况。
