The Rural Family Medicine Cafe Project: A Social Media Strategy to Reduce Occupational Isolation and Improve Support for Rural Healthcare Professionals.

ABSTRACT: Background: Globally rural medicine is currently suffering from staff shortages. Social and professional isolation are identified as significant pressures on health professionals working in rural areas. Social media (SOME) has created new methods of social engagement where conventional forms have failed. The Rural Family Medicine Café (RFMC) is a SOME project created to engage and support those interested in rural family medicine thus decreasing occupational isolation. Methods: A quantitative analysis of SOME activity associated with the RFMC was done by measuring the frequency of #ruralcafe, #ruralwomenGP, #ruralGP, #ruralstories, and #ruralmedicine from October 2015 to October 2016 along with the number of Facebook page likes and YouTube views. A time series and regression

SUBMITTER: Wheatley A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7710660 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature