Table 3.

Characteristics and main outcomes of included studies that use social media or a platform to promote OHS programs or exchange information and good practices on OHS.

Authors (year) Country Methodological quality	Type of study	Study population (number of participants included)	Types of social media	Interventions tested	Study duration	Main findings on social media usage
Study on the use of social media to promote OHS program
Hudson and Hall (2013) USA Quality: N/A	Quantitative (pre-post study)	–	Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Pinterest and NIOSH Science Blog	Total Worker Health™ program	6 months	-The size of the TWH online community increased by 100% during the first 6 months of social media promotion
						-Researchers observed that stakeholder and employer participation in social media was slow.
						-Social media was an effective way of broadening reach, generating interest and gathering information on stakeholder awareness and perception of the TWH program.
						-It was also suggested that further research should be conducted to understand how organizations can use social media to adopt an OHS program for workers
Studies using a platform for the exchange of information and best practices on OSH
Rhebergen et al. (2010) Netherland Quality: LOW	Qualitative (non-participant observation) (semi-structured interviews)	Employees of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam (n = 12) and OHS experts (n = 8) with various computer and Internet experiences	Local collaborative platform	Local Q&A platform (ArboAntwoord)	NR	-The majority of the system components were deemed usable by employees and OHS experts
						-Users (employees/occupational health and safety experts) were generally satisfied with the platforms tested
						-Suggestions for improvement were made (asking questions, seeking answers by category, technical assistance by moderator/help function, registration as an expert)
						-Q&A was regarded as an applicable information tool by a majority of employees. However, some employees still prefer to consult a familiar expert in person
						-The employee found this tool relevant to finding expert answers in non-emergency situations.
Douyère D. (2011) France Quality: N/A	Qualitative (case study) (documentary analysis) (participant and non-participant observations) (semi-structured interviews)	–	Local collaborative platform	Collaborative intranet platform (Action-Prévention)		-Intranet developed after a series of organizational transformation that redefined the OHS function in this enterprise
						-Provides frameworks and methods for understanding OHS risks and a list of possible ways to interpret and address OHS risks in the organization
						-Allows for better transfer of OHS knowledge and the creation of new knowledge by giving OHS experts the opportunity to interact with their colleagues.

N/A: not applicable, NR; not reported, Q&A: Questions and Answers.