Implementing Social Media Strategies in Community-Partnered HIV Research: Practical Considerations From 3 Ongoing Studies.

Abstract

Background: In recent years, social media has emerged as a pivotal tool in implementation science efforts to address the HIV epidemic. Engaging community partners is essential to ensure the successful and equitable implementation of social media strategies. There is a notable lack of scholarship addressing the operational considerations for studies using social media strategies in community-partnered HIV research. This article seeks to bridge this gap by consolidating field notes and practical considerations derived from 3 ongoing NIH-supported studies focused on Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States.

Objective: This article aims to inform the design, planning, and implementation of operationally effective community-partnered social media strategies in HIV research, ultimately contributing to enhancements in HIV practice and improved outcomes across the HIV prevention and care continua.

Methods: Supported by the University of California, Los Angeles Rapid, Rigorous, Relevant (3R) Implementation Science Hub, the 3 Ending the HIV Epidemic projects convened to form the community-partnered social media campaigns working group. The working group used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to help identify and organize key barriers and facilitators of relevance to implementation of the projects' social media strategies. Given the high degree of interrelatedness across reported factors, the working group thematically synthesized the content into 5 practical considerations to inform use of community-partnered social media strategies in HIV research.

Results: The practical considerations identified by the community-partnered social media campaigns working group include the following: (1) the power and pitfalls of social media platforms (ie, opportunities and challenges inherent to social media platforms that may affect use of social media strategies in HIV research), (2) messengers and messages matter (ie, ensuring the appropriateness, acceptability, and quality of social media messengers and content), (3) the significance of the sociopolitical environment (ie, characterizing the sociopolitical environment surrounding HIV and its potential impact on implementing social media strategies to reach priority populations), (4) investing in academic-community partnerships (ie, cultivating positive and productive academic-community partnerships to support implementation of social media strategies in HIV research), and (5) the alignment of the institutional environment and research approach (ie, assessing and working to address features of institutional environments that may impact implementation of social media strategies in community-partnered HIV research).

Conclusions: As use of social media in HIV research and practice continues to grow, the practical considerations presented in this paper can help research teams anticipate factors that may impact implementation of community-partnered social media strategies and take early action to mitigate potential challenges. By understanding and addressing the unique challenges and opportunities of social media in community-partnered HIV research, we can leverage these platforms to accelerate progress toward ending the HIV epidemic.