Empowering Palliative Care Awareness via Social Media Influencers: A Thai Community Initiative

TY - JOUR

T1 - Empowering Palliative Care Awareness via Social Media Influencers

T2 - EAPC 2024

AU - Phenwan, Tharin

AU - Jarusomboon, Wanna

AU - Sittiwantana, Ekkapop

PY - 2024/3

Y1 - 2024/3

N2 - Background/aims: In 2014, palliative care was established as law and national policy in Thailand, augmenting the 2007 law that permits Thais to create legally-binding Advance Directives. Despite these legislative advancements, national awareness about palliative care and Advance Directives uptake has remained notably low. This abstract highlights the innovative approach undertaken by Peaceful Death, a community-driven organization, which leveraged social media influencers as a strategic medium to elevate public consciousness regarding palliative care and Advance Directives. Methods: From 2021 to 2023, Peaceful Death collaborated with 36 social media influencers and content creators, each with a focus on diverse topics including health, religion, social justice, and other nonhealth-related areas. The influencers participated in a two-day training session, utilizing palliative care education toolkits developed by Peaceful Death. The training incorporated the use of the Baojai book, a validated educational tool designed to facilitate Advance Directives creation through the use of jargon-free language. Following the training, influencers disseminated palliative care content across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, applying their distinctive stylistic approaches to content creation and dissemination. Results: Collectively, the influencers reached up to 269,000 audiences, enhancing public awareness regarding palliative care. More than 30,000 Advance Directives were subsequently created. Conclusions: The utilization of social media influencers suggested a promising impact in elevating public awareness regarding palliative and end-of-life care with high penetration rate. Future research should scrutinize the quality and content of the advance directives created through this approach as well as their concordance.

AB - Background/aims: In 2014, palliative care was established as law and national policy in Thailand, augmenting the 2007 law that permits Thais to create legally-binding Advance Directives. Despite these legislative advancements, national awareness about palliative care and Advance Directives uptake has remained notably low. This abstract highlights the innovative approach undertaken by Peaceful Death, a community-driven organization, which leveraged social media influencers as a strategic medium to elevate public consciousness regarding palliative care and Advance Directives. Methods: From 2021 to 2023, Peaceful Death collaborated with 36 social media influencers and content creators, each with a focus on diverse topics including health, religion, social justice, and other nonhealth-related areas. The influencers participated in a two-day training session, utilizing palliative care education toolkits developed by Peaceful Death. The training incorporated the use of the Baojai book, a validated educational tool designed to facilitate Advance Directives creation through the use of jargon-free language. Following the training, influencers disseminated palliative care content across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, applying their distinctive stylistic approaches to content creation and dissemination. Results: Collectively, the influencers reached up to 269,000 audiences, enhancing public awareness regarding palliative care. More than 30,000 Advance Directives were subsequently created. Conclusions: The utilization of social media influencers suggested a promising impact in elevating public awareness regarding palliative and end-of-life care with high penetration rate. Future research should scrutinize the quality and content of the advance directives created through this approach as well as their concordance.

UR - https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/pmja/38/1_suppl

M3 - Meeting abstract

SN - 0269-2163

VL - 38

SP - 141

JO - Palliative Medicine

JF - Palliative Medicine

IS - Supplement 1

M1 - 3.224

Y2 - 16 May 2024 through 18 May 2024

ER -