The use of blogs as health management supporting tool at the local level

Abstract

In public health, blogs as data communication and dissemination tools have been widely used since the mid-2010s. This study aimed to describe the implementation of the blog tool by the Family Health Teams (ESF) of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, which received the support of a Network of Local Observatories of the Municipal Health Secretariat, as a health communication and information vehicle for managers, health professionals and the population of Rio de Janeiro. We opted for a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory approach, with data and information collected directly from the media objects, as well as the literature review. Concerning total access to blogs of the Family Health Clinics and Municipal Health Centers, a total of almost seven million views were achieved. Finally, it should be emphasized that initiatives such as the ESF blogs’ network should increasingly be analyzed, disseminated and known to understand, among other factors, the propensity of users, workers, and managers regarding the availability of channels of interaction and communication between them, their scope and their significance. After all, the power of a network is directly related to how it is being used.

Health communication; Social network; Primary Health Care