Use of WhatsApp to support health education actions

Abstract

The article aimed to analyze WhatsApp as a management tool for health education actions in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Exploratory study, with a quantitative approach, using an online questionnaire. The participants were the managers/responsible for Continuing Education actions. Quantitative data were treated statistically. Females predominated, age ranged between 34 and 68 years. The dominant link was the Municipal Effective Statutory. About the position/function being exclusively related to Continuing Education activities, it showed that there is no exclusivity of functions. The application is little used in planning, monitoring, follow-up, and evaluation activities. It was touted as a tool to receive/send messages, maintain group conversations, and share documents. The activities mediated by WhatsApp refer to the use for dissemination/registration in events, communication, and interaction channel between actors, planning/dissemination of participation in technical meetings. Difficulties in using the application related to the excess of messages were pointed out, which require availability of time to respond to them. There is a need for further studies to deepen the limits and possibilities of using the application in the management of these actions. As limitations, it is pointed out that the study was locoregional.