Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

The nephrology medical community (especially nephrologists, but also other health professionals) is very active on social media, particularly on Twitter/X. This is well known and now integrated into international nephrology congresses. However, the optimal use of social media by people with lived experience of kidney failure seems less well known. Our overarching goal is to inform on the best strategies to engage with people living with chronic kidney disease (especially people on dialysis) on social media, as an opportunity for education and social support. Ultimately, we wish to use social media to address some of the inequities faced by people living with kidney failure. Before conducting a multi-center study across Canada, we want to complete some preliminary work to help us prepare the exact research questions and aims of the study. First, we wish to summarize the existing literature on the use of social media in nephrology (by both health professionals and patients), to better understand the various platforms, formats and intended purposes of the use of social media in nephrology, as well as the outcomes and/or relevance of such use. Second, we wish to assess the availability of Wifi connection (freely available and/or with fees), of electronic screens and/or of any other electronic devices allowing patients to access Internet-based resources during their dialysis treatment or visit to the dialysis clinic. To ensure equitable access to the eventual use of Internet-based platforms (such as social media) or materials to engage with people on dialysis, resources should also be made available to facilitate access for each and every person. Third, we will set up a people with lived experience committee (patient-partners) led by our patient-partner team member, to obtain input from people with lived experience on study design, methods, recruitment material and grant application for a multi-center study across Canada on the use of social media in dialysis.