Ethical Concerns in Accessing Healthcare Information from Social Media By Patients with Terminal Diseases, Opportunities and Challenges: Kenyan Experience

Abstract

This paper investigated the ethical concerns in in accessing healthcare information from social
media by patients with terminal diseases, opportunities and challenges: Kenyan experience. It
had 3 objectives to:a) determine ethical concerns in accessing healthcare information from
social media; b) evaluate the opportunities patients with terminal diseases have in accessing
healthcare information from the social media; c) investigate the challenges patients with
terminal diseases have when accessing healthcare information from the social media. The study
was desk review; that involved identifying and scanning relevant literature, analysis of the
secondary data; creation a reference list and organization of the documents. The study findings
were: all the articles 100% confirmed core ethical issues in accessing healthcare information:
patients’ anonymity, confidentiality, privacy, physicians’ professionalism, and data protection;
98% agreed on imperative response by physicians to patient concerns. Social media presents
opportunities to patients: 51% access, and shared (50%) healthcare information; 44% made
decisions; 46% were empowered and their capacity build; 51% accessed experts advise; 48%
joined social support-groups. There were challenges in accessing healthcare information:50%
accessing misinformation; 36% technological illiteracy, 48% personal data security. The study
concluded that social media enables accessing and sharing of healthcare information. However,
for effectiveness ethical concerns like: patients’ confidentiality and privacy, physicians’
professionalism, and protection of patients’ data. Stakeholders need to work together to
eliminate the ethical issues and challenges faced by patients using social media as a source of
healthcare information.
Keywords: social media, healthcare information, terminal diseases, e-health, technology