Strategic Question: How can the community expand upon the patient experience using technology to enhance access to healthcare resources?
Implementation Plan: Chester County Hospital will utilize social networking to engage and share health resources within the community.
The barriers to healthcare are numerous. They range from the systematic (a lack of health insurance) to the mundane (a lack of childcare or an inability to take time off of work) to a combination of both. As part of a larger initiative to make preventive healthcare more accessible, Chester County Hospital has taken to social media -- Facebook, specifically -- where it has launched a pair of private groups, one for expecting and new mothers and another for those living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, that are designed to serve as informal forums, educational resources, and direct lines to clinical experts within the hospital.
Preventive healthcare is vital to maintaining wellness and accessing treatment promptly when needed. It’s even more valuable for expecting mothers. Early and regular prenatal care has been found to help reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, as well as the risk of complications for the fetus and infant, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
And certain diseases, like diabetes, are easier to treat in the beginning and even preventable when they’re detected early enough. Yet nearly a quarter of those with diabetes in the United States have never even been diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Carving Out a Safe Place for Support
Amy C. Latyak, BSN, RN, CCE, CBC
The Mother and Baby Facebook group was introduced in June 2015. Amy C. Latyak, BSN, RN, CCE, CBC, the coordinator of the hospital’s Childbirth Education Program, serves as the group’s primary administrator, but she tends to let much of it occur organically among the group’s nearly 875 members.
"Sometimes the best advice you receive as a mom is from another mother," reads the group’s description.
All posts are first approved by Latyak or one of the group’s other administrators, which includes members of the hospital’s Marketing and Public Relations department. And she’ll intervene when she feels a concern warrants an individually tailored response or a member should consult their doctor.
The day-to-day dialogue is generally light—a new mom may post a photo of her newborn accompanied by a thank-you to her caregivers at the hospital -- "but the intention of this group", its description continues, "is for the mothers in our community to come together in a safe place to ask questions, solicit advice, share a story, and provide support for each other." To that end, Lynne Rudderow, MSN, CRNP, a nurse practitioner in the hospital’s Ob/Gyn Clinic and a former teacher in the Childbirth Education Program, also occasionally posts and fields questions. A number of staff nurses at the hospital are members too, and they’ll sometimes interact with other group members, according to Latyak.
The group isn't meant to replace the Childbirth Education classes offered at the hospital or checkups by an Ob/Gyn, but it may make the prospect of either feel a little less intimidating for someone. An added benefit is that it provides a means for a new or expecting mother to reach out for support when she otherwise feels alone and isolated.
Adapting to Meet a Growing Need
Last September, the hospital’s Nutrition and Diabetes Services department launched its own Facebook group. Like Mother and Baby, the Chester County Hospital Diabetes Online Support Group is meant to function as both a virtual support group and a continuing education resource, or an extension of the hospital’s four-week Diabetes Self-Management Program.
"I think most people, when it comes to diet and lifestyle, believe they should be able to better themselves on their own. But the reality is, it’s not that easy," says Maureen Boccella, MS, RD, CDE, LDN, the manager of the department and one of its four full-time educators who serves as the administrator for the group. "We recommend, to everyone that we work with, that they check in with us at least once a year. This Facebook group is another way we can keep in touch in the meantime."
Chester County Hospital Diabetes Online Support Group Administrators
The group's posts generally revolve around diet, exercise, and lifestyle tips. Though a new weekly series has drawn the most reaction from members so far. Each week, the "Motivational Monday" posts highlight a different person who's being treated by the department and the progress they’re making with their disease. "Maybe they’ve lowered their blood sugar or lost weight or both," Boccella says.
A brief profile usually accompanies before and after photos. It's a tried-and-true formula, and for good reason. "When you see other people making strides, it’s natural to think, If they can do it, so can I!" Boccella says.
The Nutrition and Diabetes Services department once held an in-person support group at the hospital for those diagnosed with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, but it disbanded when its organizer retired at the end of 2018.
Boccella says they always intended to fill the void, but since each monthly session only drew between 10 to 20 people, they took their time exploring other forms of outreach in an effort to boost interest and participation as both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes grow in prevalence.
While the Facebook group is still very much in the early days of its development, the response so far has been enough for Boccella and her colleagues to see that there’s a need for an in-person support group, too. The in-person group has plans to convene in 2020.