The rate of breast cancer screening in the North Midlands, Lancashire, and other regions of the U.K. is on the rise thanks to social media.
National Health Service (NHS) Digital and the North Midlands Breast Screening Service in Stoke-on-Trent are giving credit to a Facebook page that provides information on screening to reduce anxiety about breast exams.
The page also lists community groups involved in breast screening and ways for women to ask questions about the process and make appointments.
"Going to where people go every day, in this case a Facebook community group, allows us to connect and engage with people in a way that's familiar and convenient for them," said Nicola Gill, director of the Westminster Drug Project (WDP), in a statement. "Pioneering models of health prevention and management like this are making a real difference in improving health outcomes for excluded communities."
The project is also working with Lancaster University to develop a chatbot to assist staff in answering questions sent through Messenger.
