Introduction: Social media has become a crucial source of information for families, particularly during disasters when parents seek quick updates regarding loved ones and after a disaster for future planning. In response, Region V for Kids, a Pediatric Disaster Center of Excellence funded by the United States Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, formed a Communications Workgroup to disseminate disaster-related content via social media. This study evaluated whether the Region V for kids’ website user engagement with hospitals and families improved after leveraging social media for disaster content. Methods: This retrospective study, conducted from January to August 2024, analyzed user engagement metrics from the Region V for Kids website. Metrics included landing page views, active users, average engagement time, and bounce rates. These were compared against benchmarks from significant events, such as forming a dedicated communications team, hiring a communications specialist, and posting educational resources during disasters. Results: After establishing the Communications Workgroup and hiring a communications specialist, user engagement improved significantly. Average engagement time increased from 5 to 26 seconds, while bounce rates decreased from 49% to 15%, indicating greater user interest. Although overall views and active user counts showed variability, there were notable increases following the Ohio Tornado Outbreaks in May 2024, demonstrating responsive engagement during critical events. Targeted social media posts also positively impacted engagement. A May 2024 social media post on disaster preparedness for individuals with disabilities resulted in a six-fold increase in relevant webpage views. Similar trends were observed for family reunification, hazard vulnerability analysis, and pediatric medical operations coordination cell. Conclusion: Social media has emerged as a vital tool for efficiently disseminating critical information, particularly during disasters. Region V for kids successfully utilized these platforms to enhance engagement and promote pediatric disaster preparedness best practices among families and hospitals.
Jeong et al. (Sun,) studied this question.