What is it about?
In this article, I explore the treatment of evidence in vlogs by Egyptian doctor-influencers: how they present it and what they use instead of it. I answer the following questions: 1) How do doctor-influencers present evidence on social media? 2) If research is not the evidence, what the evidence is? The data was collected through in-depth interviews with 12 Egyptian doctor-influencers from different specializations; two focus groups; and a critical discourse analysis of 48 of the influencers’ most popular and most engaging videos.
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Why is it important?
While patient-centred communication (PCC) has long been endorsed as a key element of quality health care, it is inaccessible to many people in the Global South. This article explores the use of evidence in vlogging by Egyptian doctor-influencers, including its presentation and substitutes.
Perspectives
The participants’ justifications for not relying on research as evidence matches the circumstances of high illiteracy and low health literacy, which makes no point in referring to scholarship because it will not be clear to the majority of the audience. These findings highlight the challenges of science communication in societies with a low level of education. In these settings, communicators may need to move beyond mediating research studies on social media and instead focus on simplifying, translating, and connecting evidence-based information to the cultural context.
Dr Noha Atef
Simon Fraser University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: If the evidence is not research, what is it? Egyptian physicians’ explanations of the lack of research citations in their health vlogs, Health & New Media Research, December 2022, Health & New Media Research Institute,
DOI: 10.22720/hnmr.2022.6.2.299.
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