title: Communication with the public in the health-care system: a descriptive study of the use of social media in local health authorities and public hospitals in Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2010 the Italian Ministry of Health set out recommendations for the use of social technology and Web 2.0, inviting organisations within the Italian national health service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, SSN) to equip themselves with instruments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  1. to ascertain how many local health authorities (Aziende Sanitarie Locali, ASL) and public hospitals have a presence on the most widely used social media websites in Italy: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; 2. to find out how well the Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages of ASLs and public hospitals are known among the general population; 3. to find out how ASLs and public hospitals engage with the general public on social media sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  The websites of all ASLs and public hospitals across the country were visited to look for the icons of the social media sites under examination. The data considered were publicly available upon access.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 245 websites were analysed. 7.34% ASLs and hospitals had social media accounts. 8 organisations had an account on all three of the social media sites considered in the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show a low presence of ASLs and hospitals on social media. Other studies are needed in this field.
authors: Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. E-mail: marina22@libero.it.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Vanzetta
authors: Ercole
authors: E
authors: Vellone
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Dal Molin
authors: Gennaro
authors: G
authors: Rocco
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: De Marinis
authors: Alvaro
authors: A
authors: Rosaria
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007558:Italy; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*