The Role and Impact of Social Media in Cardio-oncology During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Curr Oncol Rep. 2021 Jul 14;23(8):99. doi: 10.1007/s11912-021-01081-3.

Abstract

Purpose of review: To give an overview of the role of social media (SoMe) in cardio-oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent findings: SoMe has been critical in fostering education, outreach, awareness, collaboration, dissemination of information, and advocacy in cardio-oncology. This has become increasingly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which SoMe has helped share best practices, community, and research focused on the impact of COVID-19 in cardiology and hematology/oncology, with cardio-oncology at the interface of these two subspecialty fields. A strength of SoMe is the ability to amplify a message in real-time, globally, with minimal investment of resources. This has been particularly beneficial for the emerging field of cardio-hematology/cardio-oncology, a field focused on the interplay of cancer and cardiovascular disease. SoMe field especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We illustrate how social media has supported innovation (including telemedicine), amplification of healthcare workers' voice, and illumination of pre-existing and continued health disparities within the field of cardio-oncology during the pandemic.

Keywords: Advocacy; COVID-19; Cardio-oncology; Health disparities; Pandemic; Social media.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / complications*
  • COVID-19 / transmission
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / therapy*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / virology
  • Humans
  • Information Dissemination
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Neoplasms / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
  • Social Media / statistics & numerical data*
  • Telemedicine*