Exploring the Role of Social Media in Healthcare: A Systematic Literature Review Using the TCCM Framework

Abstract

Social media has become a vital part of global communication, with increasing relevance in the healthcare sector. This study systematically examines the benefits, drawbacks, enablers and barriers of social media use in healthcare to inform best practices and policy development. Guided by the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and the TCCM framework, the review synthesizes findings across four dimensions: theory, context, characteristics and methods. Forty peer-reviewed articles were included, sourced from PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, ProQuest One Academic and ScienceDirect databases. The findings indicate that social media’s characteristics offer benefits such as information sharing, health promotion, user engagement and public health surveillance. However, misinformation and privacy concerns were identified as major challenges. Policies, guidelines, governance and trust emerged as both barriers and enablers, depending on their presence or absence. The review highlights a critical gap in theory, with most studies lacking a robust theoretical foundation. Methodologically, primary empirical methods, particularly surveys and secondary/review designs dominated, while qualitative and mixed methods remained rare, suggesting the need for a broader methodological base, including longitudinal designs, grounded theory and in-depth qualitative inquiry to capture the experiences of users and organizations. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating theory into future research and adopting a more diverse range of methodologies. Effective governance, digital literacy and strategic oversight are crucial for maximizing the benefits of social media in healthcare while addressing its challenges. The findings support the development of a guiding framework to ensure the ethical and effective use of social media in healthcare.