A Scoping Review of Communication on Social Media - Breast Cancer

Abstract

Communication on social media enables people to express their views freely and makes them a part of the larger community. Social media is a form of communication that has been adopted in the healthcare sector gradually. Similarly, breast cancer patients also use social media to gain information and support from their providers and fellow cancer survivors. This study presents a scoping review of qualitative and quantitative studies to show different communication themes. The scoping review identified 38 eligible articles. The review identified three themes from the selected articles: raising awareness, social support, and reliability. These themes show the general trends and concerns among breast cancer patients and the use of social media. Future research needs to address these themes to enhance the online patient experience and use social media for health-related activities.