JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers initiated the #GetMePPE movement on Twitter to spread awareness of the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dwindling supplies, such as face masks, gowns and goggles, and inadequate production to meet increasing demands, has left healthcare workers and patients at risk. The momentum of this Twitter hashtag resulted in a petition to urge public officials to address the PPE shortage through increased funding and production. Simultaneously, GetUsPPE.org was launched by a collaborative of physicians and software engineers to develop a digital platform for the donation, request, and distribution of PPE. GetUsPPE.org and #GetMePPE merged in an attempt to combine public engagement and advocacy on social media with the coordination of PPE donation and distribution. Within ten days, over 1800 hospitals and PPE suppliers were registered in a database that allowed for the rapid coordination and distribution of scarce and in-demand materials. One month after its launch, the organization has distributed hundreds of thousands of items of PPand built a database of over 7,000 PPE requesters (https://getusppe.org/data) The call for action on social media and the rapid development of this digital tool created a productive channel for the public to contribute to the healthcare response to COVID-19 in meaningful ways. #GetMePPE and GetUsPPE.org were able to mobilize individuals and organizations outside of the healthcare system to address the unmet needs of the medical community. The success of GetUsPPE.org demonstrates the potential of digital tools as a platform for larger healthcare institutions to rapidly address urgent issues in healthcare. In this manuscript, we outline this process and discuss key factors determining success.