ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This research aimed at investigating the general public perception of social media (SM), impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, and related misconceptions among the Pakistani population. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional study conducted during the peak of COVID-19 in Pakistan between May and June, 2020 comprised of 2307 Pakistani male and female participants. Subjects under 18 years of age and nationality other than Pakistani were excluded. An online questionnaire was administered via the Internet using various kinds of social media. RESULTS: The study was comprised of 2307 male and female participants; 2074 (89.90%) used SM for seeking COVID-19 information, 450 (20%) used both Facebook (FB) and WhatsApp (WA), and 267 (11.6%) used FB, WA, Twitter, and Instagram. Respondents' perceptions showed that: 529 (23%) believed in SM information and 1564 (67.8%) stated that COVID-19 affected their social and mental wellbeing. Respondents' knowledge revealed that: 1509 (65.40%) had poor knowledge (≤ 50% score), and 798 (34.6%) had good knowledge (> 50% score) (P < 0.001) about COVID-19. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that higher-earning positively correlated, while private jobs were negatively associated, with good knowledge. CONCLUSION: FB and WA were the 2 common social media used by study participants (a third had good knowledge). COVID-19 affected the social, mental, and psychological well-being of individuals. Good knowledge was greater in individuals with higher earning and less with private job involvements.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) symptoms improve through self-care, for which adherence remains low among patients despite the provision of education for these behaviours by clinical teams. Open Access Digital Community Promoting Self-Care, Peer Support and Health Literacy (ODYSSEE-vCHAT) combines automated digital counselling with social network support to improve mortality and morbidity, engagement with self-care materials, and health-related quality of life. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Use of ODYSSEE-vCHAT via Internet-connected personal computer by 162 HF patients will be compared with a control condition over 22 months. The primary outcome is a composite index score of all-cause mortality, all-cause emergency department visits, and HF-related hospitalisation at trial completion. Secondary outcomes include individual components of the composite index, engagement with self-care materials, and patient-reported measures of physical and psychosocial well-being, disease management, health literacy, and substance use. Patients are recruited from tertiary care hospitals in Toronto, Canada and randomised on a 1:1 ratio to both arms of the trial. Online assessments occur at baseline (t=0), months 4, 8 and 12, and trial completion. Ordinal logistic regression analyses and generalised linear models will evaluate primary and secondary outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial has been approved by the research ethics boards at the University Health Network (20-5960), Sunnybrook Hospital (5117), and Mount Sinai Hospital (21-022-E). Informed consent of eligible patients occurs in person or online. Findings will be shared with key stakeholders and the public. Results will allow for the preparation of a Canada-wide phase III trial to evaluate the efficacy of ODYSSEE-vCHAT in improving clinical outcomes and raising the standard of outpatient care. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04966104.