Emojis have completely transformed the way we communicate with each other digitally. According to Brand Watch, 95% of internet users have sent an emoji at some point and over 10 billion emojis are sent each day.
Emojis started as a way to solve what was a new problem in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s: misunderstandings on the internet. In the same way, our latest health study is researching if and how the emoji can enhance emotional expression between people who experience cancer and their healthcare teams.
Whether texting with friends and family or at work or in virtually any situation, emojis are becoming the go-to way to express emotions and enhance and aid communication. They are unique in that they overcome language barriers and have the ability to symbolize complex facial expressions in simple format, which would take many words to achieve.
Emojis as a tool in healthcare
Similarly, businesses around the world are adopting emojis to gather customer insights and feedback, digitally and physically. As of today, using emojis to improve communication between patients and their healthcare providers is less common, but has the potential to be an invaluable tool in describing feelings and health-related problems.
In our last Health Study in the War On Cancer app, over 70% of respondents reported a decline in mental health after being diagnosed with cancer. Describing emotions can prove to be a challenge for many people, especially when the emotions are complex or sensitive and can be misinterpreted, or when experiencing declined health (physical or mental).
Health Study: Enhancing Communication Through Emojis
Our new Health Study investigates how emoji language could simplify and enhance communication between patients and healthcare providers in order to prevent isolation, loneliness and other negative mental health effects when going through cancer.
How can we enhance communication between patients and healthcare by introducing emojis to the mix? Do you prefer using emojis to text to describe your emotions? How often do you communicate with your HCP via text? Which emojis best represent pain? Calm? Fatigue?
Your voice makes a difference in improving healthcare for the better. Besides being important, it’s actually a pretty fun study, too. Participate today, to be part of making healthcare more patient-centric.
This Health Study is being conducted by War On Cancer and in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company. By participating, your response will directly impact the way patients can express their experiences to their healthcare team and the efficacy of how healthcare responds to their patients’ needs. The results from the survey will be shared on our website and will also be used to inform and educate stakeholders in the healthcare sector.
