Use of Obstetric Practice Web Sites to Distribute Zika Virus Information to Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak

Lehnert, Jonathan D.; Ellingson, Mallory K.; Goryoka, Grace W.; Kasturi, Raghuraj; Maier, Emily; Chamberlain, Allison T.

Our results describe the current use of obstetric practice Web sites as a way to disseminate Zika virus information in the midst of a public health emergency directly and adversely affecting their patient populations. Our initial results found that just 25% of sampled practices were using their Web sites to disseminate Zika virus information. Even after the first case of domestic transmission of Zika virus was announced, only 36% of sampled practices were utilizing their Web sites to disseminate information, an increase of just 11% over a 7-month period when disease risks and knowledge of adverse outcomes were increasing. Between these 2 time points, the proportion of practices posting Zika virus information on their practice-sponsored social media accounts actually decreased by 6% and 4% in the case of Facebook and Twitter, respectively. None of these proportions or trends are particularly positive, suggesting a communications gap that public health professionals may want to work toward filling.