In Journal of medical Internet research ; h5-index 88.0
BACKGROUND : Social media and digital technologies have played an essential role in disseminating information and promoting vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. It needs to summarize the applications and analytical techniques of social media and digital technologies in monitoring vaccine attitudes and administering COVID-19 vaccines.
OBJECTIVE : To synthesize the global evidence on the applications of social media and digital technologies in COVID-19 vaccination and to explore their avenues to promote COVID-19 vaccination.
METHODS : We searched six databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and IEEE Xplore) for English-language articles from December 2019 to August 2022. The search terms covered keywords relating to social media, digital technology, and COVID-19 vaccine. Articles were included if they provide original descriptions on applications of social media or digital health technologies/solutions in COVID-19 vaccination. Conference abstract, editorial, letter, commentary, correspondence, study protocol, and review were excluded. A modified version of the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies was used to evaluate the quality of social media-related studies. The review was undertaken with the guidance of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.
RESULTS : A total of 178 articles were included in our review, including 114 social media articles and 64 digital technology articles. Social media has been applied for sentiment/emotion analysis, topic analysis, behavioral analysis, dissemination and engagement analysis, and information quality analysis around COVID-19 vaccination. Of these, sentiment analysis and topic analysis were the most applied, with social media data being primarily analyzed by lexicon-based and machine learning techniques. The accuracy and reliability of information on social media seriously affect public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccine and misinformation often leads to vaccine hesitancy. Digital technologies have been applied to determine the COVID-19 vaccination strategy, predict the vaccination process, optimize vaccine distribution and delivery, provide safe and transparent vaccination certificates, and post-vaccination surveillance. The applied digital technologies included algorithms, blockchain, mHealth, IoT, and other technologies, although with some barriers to their popularization.
CONCLUSIONS : The application of social media and digital technologies in addressing COVID-19 vaccination-related issues represent an irreversible trend. Attention should be paid to the ethical issues and health inequities arising from the digital divide while applying and promoting these technologies.
CLINICALTRIAL : None.
Zang Shujie, Zhang Xu, Xing Yuting, Chen Jiaxian, Lin Leesa, Hou Zhiyuan
2023-Jan-13
