| 1 Microcephaly as a determinant of focus on Zika. |
The focus was on Zika because of microcephaly, the crisis it was causing, the severity [of the disease]. Previously, the main content of arboviruses was Dengue. The communication was seasonal, following the epidemiology of the diseases. We reinforced more about arboviruses in the summer, in the rainy season. |
| 2 Prevention approach. |
The Ministry of Health focuses on prevention, rather than on treatment after the disease is already in place. Thus, it makes us also follow this path on social media. Preventing the individual from getting ill is more important than treating him/her, despite the fact that Brazilians do not usually take care of their health, going to the hospital only when they are dying.
Talking about treatment on social media raises controversy, because not every place will have a certain medication available. There are health professionals and Secretariats that have a different view from that of the technical area of the Ministry of Health, and as the SUS is decentralized, a [Brazilian] state treats an issue in a certain way and a municipality in another, and this yields numerous online bottlenecks. |
| 3 Content with women and children have greater engagement. |
Posts about pregnant women and children are extremely attractive. At that point, the relationship between Zika and microcephaly was confirmed, and everyone knows pregnant women and tag them in the comments to alert. |
| 4 Interaction in the comments with technical-scientific basis. |
The doubts that arouse about arboviruses were always the same. We always tried to answer them with the measures taken by the Ministry of Health, with data from a standard FAQ, or with content from the blog and booklets of the Ministry of Health, or even with the technical area itself. For direct complaints, such as “I was in line, but received no assistance,” we advised the person to use the SUS Hotline and the Health Department. There was no automatic response. When there were exacerbated complaints or cursing, they were hidden. |
| 5 Conflicts between the specialist’s language and the social media. |
The technical area wanted us to use technical terms; however, Facebook is for everyone. If I insert information on how to put sand in the little dish under the potted plant, it will have more impact than a scientific research. No matter how much we try to simplify it, it is not something accessible. Then, there was not much interest [from users]. |
| 6 Cards as an information transmission strategy. |
We use many cards with little written information to draw [the user’s] attention to health, clearly identifying the subject addressed, with a link to the blog. However, people do not read things correctly. If you write: “If you were vaccinated less than ten years ago, you don’t need to take it again,” the user will answer something like: “I was vaccinated seven years ago. Do I need to take it?” People don’t want general information. They need very specific assistance to talk about their case. |
| 7 A partnership with the technical area ensured the work quality. |
The technical area was very cooperative, giving suggestions and approving the material. We didn’t ask for approval just for the most basic tasks. We acted based on agenda meetings, release or briefing. |
| 8 Different timing between official communication for social media and for services. |
The complaint: “A health professional says something here, and you are saying something else.” The technical note to which we had access - from a meeting with the technical area, or from the Cabinet, in a decision agreed with the Minister - does not reach at the same time at the other end of the SUS, and that leads to divergence. It indicates a flow over which we have no control.
If the technical area decides with Fiocruz (for unknown reasons) to give a single dose vaccine, we comply with the rules and make a new communication. The government and researcher have no credibility in Brazil. It takes a long time for the health professional to receive updated information from the Ministry of Health, besides not knowing what is being conducted in terms of research. Therefore, there are management and communication gaps that hinder the service, and so users end up not having a good return when they seek the health service. |
| 9 Inform, educate and guide the population in a qualitative way, in addition to bringing people closer to issues that influence their lives. |
The fan page is a bridge, a safe source to educate, inform, clear up doubts and clarify, in accessible language, quality content and information based on the technical area, on specialists. We even dealt with basic things, and for many people this was not the role of the Ministry of Health. However, it was there, because that was related to people’s daily lives. It is not the role of social media to report on government announcements and where the Minister went or not, but to address issues involving people’s health. |
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Source: Facebook of the Ministry of Health (2018).
Source: the author (2019).
Source: Facebook @minsaude 2018.
Source: the author, based on the website WordArt (2018).
Source: the author, through the website WordArt (2018).