Using Facebook Live to Advocate Breast Cancer Screening

How TikTok Is Being Used to Help Individuals Cope With Breast Cancer: Cross-sectional Content Analysis

BACKGROUND

Acknowledging the popularity of TikTok, how quickly medical information can spread, and how users seek support on social media, there is a clear lack of research on breast cancer conversations on TikTok. There is a paucity of information on how these videos can advocate for those impacted by breast cancer as a means to provide support and information as well as raise awareness.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this cross-sectional content analysis was to describe the content of videos from the hashtag #breastcancer on TikTok. Content related to breast cancer support and coping, cancer education, and heightening the awareness of breast cancer early detection, prevention, and treatment was evaluated.

METHODS

This study included 100 of the most viewed TikTok videos related to breast cancer through June 30, 2022. Videos were excluded if they were not in the English language or relevant to the topic being studied. Content was deductively coded into categories related to video characteristics and content topics using a screener based on expert breast cancer information sheets. Univariable analyses were conducted to evaluate differences in video characteristics and content when stratified as advocating or not advocating for breast cancer (yes or no) support, education, and awareness.

RESULTS

The cumulative number of views of the videos included in this study was 369,504,590. The majority (n=81, 81%) of videos were created by patients and loved ones of individuals with breast cancer, and the most commonly discussed topic was breast cancer support (n=88, 88%), followed by coping with the myriad issues surrounding breast cancer (n=79, 79%). Overall, <50% of the videos addressed important issues such as body image (n=48, 48%), surgery (n=46, 46%), medication and therapy (n=41, 41%), or the stigma associated with a breast cancer diagnosis (n=44, 44%); however, in videos that were advocacy oriented, body image (40/62, 64% vs 8/38, 21%; P<.001), stigma associated with breast cancer (33/62, 53% vs 11/38, 29%; P=.02), and breast cancer surgery (36/62, 58% vs 10/38, 26%; P=.002) were discussed significantly more often than in videos that did not specifically advocate for breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of videos to display health journeys can facilitate engagement by patients, family members, and loved ones interested in information about challenging conditions. Collectively, these findings highlight the level of peer-to-peer involvement on TikTok and may provide insights for designing breast cancer educational campaigns.

Radiology on Instagram: Analysis of Public Accounts and Identified Areas for Content Creation

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Radiology social media research has focused on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, with minimal attention to Instagram, which may be a natural platform for engagement. We evaluated features of public radiology-related Instagram accounts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Instagram accounts were searched using the term "radiology." Two independent raters used a coding system developed through initial content review to categorize account user types and post aims over the study month (October 2019). Multivariate linear regressions were performed.

RESULTS

49 Instagram accounts and their 459 posts were retrieved. Users had median 117 total posts (interquartile range 43-203), 9 posts during the study month (1-16), 3079 followers (695-19,600), and 106 followed users (50-351). Most users were radiologists (41%, most commonly academic), radiology practices (12%, most commonly academic) and 10% radiology professional societies. The 459 posts had median 178 likes (interquartile range 51-353) and 2 comments (0-5); single videos had median 4693 views (2183-6080). 75% of posts were radiology images or videos (of these, 29% MRI, 28% CT). 65% of posts were clinical imaging cases (most commonly neuroradiology). Seven posts violated HIPAA regulations, all originating outside the U.S. When controlling for number of account followers, posts by radiology society (β = -130.6, p = 0.017) and practice accounts (β = -90.6, p = 0.049) had fewer post likes. An artwork post was the only significant predictor of greater post likes (β = +866.2, p < 0.001) and comments (β = +14.3, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Instagram is commonly used by academic radiologists to present clinical imaging cases. Radiologists should consider opportunities for greater application of this unique image-based social media platform.

Role of social and non-social online media: how to properly leverage your internet presence for professional development and research

The internet has become an integral component of daily life, with its content broadly grouped into social media and non-social online content. The use of social media, comprising interactive information sharing and networking tools, has proliferated in radiology, with as many as 85% of radiologists utilizing social media and adoption by both private and academic practices. In radiology, social media has been used to increase patient and public awareness of the specialty, establish a professional brand, share scholarly activity, aid in professional development and recruitment, improve communication, and increase engagement during scientific meetings. Organizations like the Society of Abdominal Radiology have increased the visibility of abdominal and pelvic radiology through their activity on social media; however, individual radiologists are integral to this function as well. In this article, we outline a stepwise approach to the individual use of social media, with practical tips for radiologists interested in effectively engaging the plethora of social media and non-social online content available. We also briefly discuss an approach to performing research using publicly available online media.