Online spaces and the control of communicable diseases: implications for nursing practice.

Wynn, Matthew

Abstract

The digital revolution has significantly altered healthcare, including communicable disease control, with online spaces emerging as vital tools in preventing, identifying and controlling the spread of diseases. However, healthcare professionals, including nurses, need to find a balance between harnessing the benefits of mass communication and mitigating the potentially harmful effects of online misinformation. This article explores the benefits and challenges of using online spaces such as social media platforms in the control of communicable diseases and discusses the potential use of telehealth in reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial resistance. The author also describes a framework that nurses can use to explore potential roles and practice in the context of communicable disease control in online spaces. [Abstract copyright: © 2024 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.]

Citation

Wynn, M. (in press). Online spaces and the control of communicable diseases: implications for nursing practice. Nursing Standard, https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2024.e12174

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 19, 2024
• Deposit Date: Apr 29, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 29, 2024
• Journal: Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
• Print ISSN: 0029-6570
• Publisher: RCN Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2024.e12174
• Keywords: telehealth, communicable diseases, patient education, public health, social media, clinical, infection, communication, health promotion, professional