INVESTIGATING THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR HEALTH CARE ADVOCACY IN NIGERIA:  A DIGITAL MEDICAL HUMANITIES APPROACH

1. Abstract

This study applies computer-mediated communication models (Thorne, 2008; Herring, 2004) to investigate the role of digital technologies for health communication and person-centred care.   It relies on Kirsten Ostherr’s (2019) insight on digital health humanities “as an emerging research method that blends critical analysis with the use of computational tools to explore research questions related to digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) in health care.”

The study focuses on the use of WhatsApp for the broadcast of health-care information and wellness advocacy among citizens. It highlights how new media technologies are redefining health information and medical discursive engagement in Nigeria. It is suggested that technology will help to drive narrative medicine which will include the development of apps and patients online narratives to enable future patients benefit from shared data(Ostherr, ibid.)