G422(P) The use of social media to improve diabetes related health literacy in parents of a type 1 diabetes clinic cohort

Background Social media use is becoming more common in people with chronic illness. Objective To determine if posts to a Facebook page can be used to increase the Health Literacy of parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes. Methods All parents of the 149 children served by a clinic in a district general hospital were invited to join a purpose created Facebook group. Specific health related information was posted regularly and the change in Health Literacy was measured pre and post-intervention using a validated questionnaire. Results Half of the 10 questions showed improvement in Health Literacy score post-intervention. Parents were more engaged with the posts relating to the topics that scored lowest in the pre-intervention assessment. The question that scored the lowest pre-intervention showed the most engagement on Facebook and biggest increase in score. Conclusion Posting health related information to a Facebook group is not a replacement for face to face education but may serve as an adjunct to good diabetes care.