Social media as a content and information dissemination tool for coalitions working with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) communities

Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that disproportionally affects Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) as well as Africans—many of whom are Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals. Local organizations and grassroots coalitions have been established throughout the U.S. to raise awareness and increase knowledge for hepatitis B within API and African communities. To actively support local efforts, the Hep B United (HBU) national coalition was formed. Led by the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), the HBU leadership team facilitates communication and resource sharing among partners. Via social media, the HBU team has engaged local partners and increased their usage of sharable content to reach both English-speaking and LEP communities. Specifically, a creative contest involving fun Facebook and Twitter-based challenges was employed to improve local social media usage.  Social media events, such as Twitter Chats, were held to provide new HBV information and actively facilitate interactions among local, national, and federal partners. Routine posts on Facebook and Twitter provide news, event reminders, and disseminate content for local partners to replicate and tailor messages for their communities. Innovative practices that utilize new social media tools—such as Instagram, Vine, Tumblr, and Thunderclap—will be tested for their ability to build capacity and add value to local HBV campaigns. Limitations of the social media approach include partners’ limited capacity and time, which can lead to uneven or low participation in some cases.