Exploring the use of WhatsApp in out-of-hours pharmacy services: A multi-site qualitative study.
Ethics
Health services
Professional communication
Social media
WhatsApp
Journal
Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP
ISSN: 1934-8150
Titre abrégé: Res Social Adm Pharm
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101231974
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
04 2020
04 2020
Historique:
received:
04
09
2018
revised:
25
06
2019
accepted:
28
06
2019
pubmed:
7
7
2019
medline:
15
7
2021
entrez:
7
7
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
WhatsApp is an instant messaging application that has grown in popularity over the last decade. The literature has focused on the use of WhatsApp in medical, surgical and nursing disciplines, with little work exploring pharmacists' experiences of using WhatsApp to provide services. The aim of this research was to explore pharmacists' experiences of using WhatsApp to support delivery of out-of-hours pharmacy services. A qualitative design was underpinned by a phenomenological philosophy. Focus groups and an extract of the WhatsApp transcript were thematically analysed using NVivo. Over three hundred communication events (1580 messages) were analysed in the WhatsApp transcript. Message type was classified as follows; handover (26%, n = 410), procedural queries (26%, n = 410), laptop location (18%, n = 284), whole staff communication (24%, n = 379), clinical queries (5%, n = 79), and administrative communications (1%, n = 16). A total of five focus groups were conducted between October and November 2017 with 27 participants that included pharmacists with different levels of experience. The findings suggest that WhatsApp improved communication between junior and senior pharmacists, particularly during the global cyber crisis, and provided an opportunity to share best practice. Concerns were raised regarding the encroachment of work activities into personal time. Additionally, the tacit approval by senior pharmacists to group information sharing and solution development, despite the potential for non-active participation, highlighted the issue of collective complicity. WhatsApp can be a useful platform to support the delivery of out-of-hours services through professional development, improving communication and supporting relationships. This paper demonstrates that service managers must consider multiple ethico-legal and social frameworks when developing or allowing the organic development of such communication methods within healthcare provider organisations.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
WhatsApp is an instant messaging application that has grown in popularity over the last decade. The literature has focused on the use of WhatsApp in medical, surgical and nursing disciplines, with little work exploring pharmacists' experiences of using WhatsApp to provide services.
OBJECTIVE(S)
The aim of this research was to explore pharmacists' experiences of using WhatsApp to support delivery of out-of-hours pharmacy services.
METHODS
A qualitative design was underpinned by a phenomenological philosophy. Focus groups and an extract of the WhatsApp transcript were thematically analysed using NVivo.
RESULTS
Over three hundred communication events (1580 messages) were analysed in the WhatsApp transcript. Message type was classified as follows; handover (26%, n = 410), procedural queries (26%, n = 410), laptop location (18%, n = 284), whole staff communication (24%, n = 379), clinical queries (5%, n = 79), and administrative communications (1%, n = 16). A total of five focus groups were conducted between October and November 2017 with 27 participants that included pharmacists with different levels of experience. The findings suggest that WhatsApp improved communication between junior and senior pharmacists, particularly during the global cyber crisis, and provided an opportunity to share best practice. Concerns were raised regarding the encroachment of work activities into personal time. Additionally, the tacit approval by senior pharmacists to group information sharing and solution development, despite the potential for non-active participation, highlighted the issue of collective complicity.
CONCLUSIONS
WhatsApp can be a useful platform to support the delivery of out-of-hours services through professional development, improving communication and supporting relationships. This paper demonstrates that service managers must consider multiple ethico-legal and social frameworks when developing or allowing the organic development of such communication methods within healthcare provider organisations.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31278013
pii: S1551-7411(18)30776-9
doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.06.019
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
503-510Informations de copyright
Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.