196 - Evaluating Digital Advocacy to Promote Evidence-Based Pediatric Guidance

Publication Number: 4193.196

Heather M. Felton, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, United States

Background: Digital platforms are a primary source of health information for families, yet much pediatric content online is created by non-medical users and frequently contains misinformation. Although studies have quantified misinformation prevalence, few have evaluated pediatrician-led initiatives designed to serve as countermeasures.

Objective: To assess the feasibility, reach, and engagement of a pediatrician-led digital advocacy initiative promoting evidence-based child health content.

Design/Methods: All pediatric health-focused videos posted between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 were included. Videos were categorized by topic (e.g., vaccination, injury prevention, safe sleep, parenting). Non-health content was excluded. Analytics were extracted from platform dashboards, including views, likes, comments, reposts, and saves. Engagement rate was calculated as the sum of interactions divided by total views. Data were summarized descriptively by topic category.

Results: A total of 220 videos were analyzed, generating 2.7 million cumulative views. Median views per video were 799 (mean 12,397). The overall median engagement rate was 5.2% (mean 6.0%). High-performing topics included vaccine education and injury prevention, with several individual videos exceeding 200,000 views. Smaller-topic videos demonstrated higher engagement relative to reach, suggesting depth of interaction even when view counts were modest. Collaborations with advocacy organizations amplified dissemination through joint campaigns and traditional media interviews.

Conclusion(s): This initiative demonstrates the feasibility of clinician-led digital advocacy to achieve both broad dissemination and meaningful engagement. Even with a modest scale, pediatrician-created content reached nearly 3 million viewers in one year, countering misinformation and amplifying evidence-based messaging. Integrating digital advocacy into academic pediatrics offers a scalable model for enhancing health literacy and public trust.

Reach and Engagement of Pediatric Advocacy Videos
Each point represents a pediatric health video (N=220). Several videos exceeded 200,000 views (right of red line), demonstrating broad reach, while many smaller-topic videos achieved higher engagement rates, reflecting depth of interaction even with modest view counts.

Digital Advocacy Amplifies Pediatric Reach
64095B62-D33F-44EB-A1AE-C9060C776A63.jpegIn one year, clinic-based encounters (4,488 visits) equaled a single unit of reach, while social media content extended to nearly 2.7 million views. Over 600 times greater impact.