Social Media and the Adolescent Transplant Recipient

Abstract

Introduction: Social media is interwoven into adolescents' daily lives. Many adolescents utilize digital technology in their healthcare journeys, as do their caregivers. Health systems increasingly seek ways to leverage these new tools toward supporting and caring for patients. These approaches may be of particular importance of adolescents, as well as healthcare systems, in providing care for chronic and serious illness including transplant patients.

Methods: This review article will begin with an overview of adolescent social media use. We will then consider ways in which social media may impact adolescents' healthcare experience including identity development and adherence.

Results: Caregivers may leverage social media for information seeking. Families may use social media to seek social support, as well as potential donors. For healthcare systems, social media may enhance research efforts as well as information delivery.

Discussion: Future directions include studies examining how social media can support adolescent transplant patients. incorporation of youth voice into these studies may enhance application of findings to clinical practice.

Keywords: adolescent; social media; transplant.