Nowadays, the increasing attention paid to the dark side of social media (SM) in the field of healthcaremanagement has moved both researchers and practitioners to investigate the impact of Web 2.0 technologieswith reference to SM, because of continuous distortion created by these SM platforms for patientsand the real dark side they constitute, which affects both the patient sphere and its relativeempowerment.Based on previous theoretical and managerial contributions, the paper aims to investigate both thebright and dark side of the effects of SM in the healthcare field, which affect improvements in patientempowerment. Notwithstanding, the exploratory study was developed through a common theoreticaland conceptual framework to improve the understanding of emerging social and economic dynamicstowards the paradigm provided by many studies on the dark side of Web 2.0.So far, established on previous contributions to the healthcare management domain, the exploratorystudy identifies a set of variables related to the conceptualisations of patient empowerment and the darkside of SM, with reference to cases of digital users both with and without chronic illnesses.Moving deeper, matching qualitative and quantitative approaches, the impact of the dark side of SM onpatient empowerment was investigated using structural equation modelling through SPSS and R softwares,sampling about 650 individuals on the Italian population using computer-assisted webinterviewing.Finally, results highlight considerable correlations between many dimensions explaining patientempowerment and the dark side of SM, showing a positive effect on the improvement in patientengagement, but potential critical risks and concerns due to a misinterpretation of online informationhighlighting the dark side of SM.
The Shadows Know Me: Exploring The Dark Side Of Social Media In The Healthcare Field
Ippolito A;
2020-01-01
Abstract
Nowadays, the increasing attention paid to the dark side of social media (SM) in the field of healthcaremanagement has moved both researchers and practitioners to investigate the impact of Web 2.0 technologieswith reference to SM, because of continuous distortion created by these SM platforms for patientsand the real dark side they constitute, which affects both the patient sphere and its relativeempowerment.Based on previous theoretical and managerial contributions, the paper aims to investigate both thebright and dark side of the effects of SM in the healthcare field, which affect improvements in patientempowerment. Notwithstanding, the exploratory study was developed through a common theoreticaland conceptual framework to improve the understanding of emerging social and economic dynamicstowards the paradigm provided by many studies on the dark side of Web 2.0.So far, established on previous contributions to the healthcare management domain, the exploratorystudy identifies a set of variables related to the conceptualisations of patient empowerment and the darkside of SM, with reference to cases of digital users both with and without chronic illnesses.Moving deeper, matching qualitative and quantitative approaches, the impact of the dark side of SM onpatient empowerment was investigated using structural equation modelling through SPSS and R softwares,sampling about 650 individuals on the Italian population using computer-assisted webinterviewing.Finally, results highlight considerable correlations between many dimensions explaining patientempowerment and the dark side of SM, showing a positive effect on the improvement in patientengagement, but potential critical risks and concerns due to a misinterpretation of online informationhighlighting the dark side of SM.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
