Roundtable Discussion: Social Media As a Tool for Case and Outbreak Investigations

Key Objectives:

• Discuss current approaches to the use of social media in state and local health departments during case and outbreak investigations
• Share health department successes and challenges in using social media to gather information, identify cases, and share updates and otherwise interact with the public
• Identify CSTE members interested in the uses of social media during case and outbreak investigations for possible future collaborations or discussions

Brief Summary:
Last year, as public health scrambled to respond to thousands of reports of possible Ebola cases, we could watch the public’s reaction in real time through social media. In Las Vegas, Nevada, for example, airline passengers live-Tweeted information about a possible Ebola-related situation as it unfolded, starting before a team of investigators had even entered the airplane.  In another situation, hospital patients and staff alike shared the latest gossip about a possible Ebola patient from inside the emergency rooms on Facebook and Instagram. As more than just a stream of data to be mined with syndromic surveillance tools to identify outbreaks or track trends, social media can provide a new avenue to interact with ill populations and the general public during investigations. Attendees of this roundtable will be invited to share their experiences in the use of social media during case and outbreak investigations to gather information, identify cases, share updates and interact with the public, and will be able to share the challenges faced when conducting an investigation that is being widely discussed on social media.