Executive Summary: The Effect of Social Media on Contraceptive Decision-Making

Abstract

Background: Historically, unintended pregnancies have been a persistent, costly problem for women, families, and the healthcare industry. Social media (SM) is a popular, accessible self-educational tool. Health professionals are encouraged to use SM as an education platform to combat misinformation. Local Problem: The teen birth rate in eastern North Carolina counties is above the national average. Methods: An educational intervention implemented over 12 weeks with three cycles of the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework. Data collection included SM activity, Likert-scale patient surveys, post-implementation Likert-scale provider surveys, and the number of contraceptive appointments. Interventions: Weekly posting of an educational series of contraceptives on Facebook (FB) and Instagram (IG). Results: SM educational series received 101 cumulative likes, 23 cumulative comments, and five cumulative shares of the posts. Both FB and IG had an increase following on both accounts. Most respondents agree to using SM for educational purposes. Eight respondents reported following the clinic’s SM and agreed that the content influenced them to either make an appointment or choose a form of contraceptive. 100% of providers reported a positive effect on their efficiency. Conclusion: SM is an easily accessible tool that may be a solution to receiving reliable health education asynchronously, especially for minorities who may face barriers to care.