YouTube as a tool for pain management with informal caregivers of cancer patients: a systematic review

Social media for palliative and end-of-life care research: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Social media with real-time content and a wide-reaching user network opens up more possibilities for palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) researchers who have begun to embrace it as a complementary research tool. This review aims to identify the uses of social media in PEoLC studies and to examine the ethical considerations and data collection approaches raised by this research approach.

METHODS

Nine online databases were searched for PEoLC research using social media published before December 2022. Thematic analysis and narrative synthesis approach were used to categorise social media applications.

RESULTS

21 studies were included. 16 studies used social media to conduct secondary analysis and five studies used social media as a platform for information sharing. Ethical considerations relevant to social media studies varied while 15 studies discussed ethical considerations, only 6 studies obtained ethical approval and 5 studies confirmed participant consent. Among studies that used social media data, most of them manually collected social media data, and other studies relied on Twitter application programming interface or third-party analytical tools. A total of 1 520 329 posts, 325 videos and 33 articles related to PEoLC from 2008 to 2022 were collected and analysed.

CONCLUSIONS

Social media has emerged as a promising complementary research tool with demonstrated feasibility in various applications. However, we identified the absence of standardised ethical handling and data collection approaches which pose an ongoing challenge. We provided practical recommendations to bridge these pressing gaps for researchers wishing to use social media in future PEoLC-related studies.

Presurgical Infant Orthopedic Videos on YouTube™: A Thematic Analysis of Caregiver Narratives

OBJECTIVE

Information regarding how caregivers cope when using presurgical infant orthopedic (PSIO) appliances is sparse. This study aimed to understand caregivers' perspectives and experiences with contemporary PSIO treatment.

DESIGN

PSIO videos shared on the YouTube™ platform were used as the data source. Videos with caregivers were identified (n = 21) and portions with caregiver narratives were transcribed. This was followed by the application of a six-step thematic analysis as conceptualized by Braun and Clarke (2006, 2019).

RESULTS

Two themes were identified from the caregiver narratives in the PSIO videos. The Family Journey theme included reaction to diagnosis, choice of center, burden of care, care commitment, coping, and testimonials. The Information theme included PSIO techniques and PSIO benefits.

CONCLUSION

Multifaceted challenges and coping strategies were described by caregivers during the PSIO phase. Caregivers remained committed to treatment despite the burden of care, were motivated by an understanding of the benefits of PSIO, and customized care based on their individual strengths and needs. Study results can help providers gain an understanding of what caregivers experience outside the clinical environment.

Radionuclide Therapy Videos on YouTube as An Educational Material: Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed the Quality, Usefulness, and Interaction Features

Introduction

Current treatment approach aims to achieve greater efficacy with fewer side effects, by targeted cancer therapy as much as possible. Radionuclide therapy is a modality that uses cancer theranostics and is increasingly applied for various cancers as a targeted therapy. YouTube is a preferred tool for obtaining medical information from the internet. This study aims to determine the content quality, level of interaction and usefulness as education material of radionuclide therapy YouTube videos and to reveal the impact of the COVID-19 process on these parameters.

Materials and Methods

The keywords were searched on YouTube on August 25, 2018, and May 10, 2021. After removing duplicate and excluded videos, all remaining videos were scored and coded.

Results

Majority of the videos were useful educational material. Most of them were high quality. Popularity markers were unrelated to quality level. After COVID, the power index of videos with high JAMA scores increased. The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a negative effect on video features; the quality of the content increased even more after the pandemic.

Conclusion

Radionuclide therapy YouTube videos have high-quality content and provide useful education material. The popularity is independent of the content quality. During the pandemic, video quality and usefulness characteristics did not change, while the visibility is increased. We consider YouTube to be an appropriate educational material for patients and healthcare professionals to gain basic knowledge of radionuclide therapy. The Covıd-19 pandemic highlighted the power of radionuclide therapy YouTube videos as an educational material.

Development and validation of an educational video on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal suctioning

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop and validate an educational video on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal suctioning.

BACKGROUND

The use of videos in nursing education can improve students' skills in performing procedures.

DESIGN

This was a methodological study.

METHODS

This study was performed in five steps: (1) development of the script for an educational video on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal suctioning; (2) content validation of the script by 10 nurse specialists; (3) development of the video; (4) content validation of the video by six nurse specialists; (5) cognitive testing by 51 nursing students regarding the understanding of the items, until the following requirements were met: (1) mean and median scores ≥4, with significant inter-rater agreement, according to the Wilcoxon test; (2) 95% confidence intervals >80 for the proportion of maximum scores, according to the binomial distribution. p values <0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

After four rounds of evaluation by the specialists, the script was considered validated. The video was considered validated after two rounds of evaluation by specialists and students (p < 0.001). The video addressed the following topics: concept, indications, contraindications, required materials, appropriate technique, nursing notes and complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The video script was created by using the Storyboard technique and validated by specialist nurses using the Delphi technique. Nursing students watched, analyzed and understood the video which may support them to improve their technical skills of this procedure.

Informal caregivers' quality of life and management strategies following the transformation of their cancer caregiving role: A qualitative systematic review

Objectives

Globally, informal caregivers caring for cancer patients meet challenges within their caregiving role, which significantly influence their quality of life. This qualitative systematic review aimed to analyze how cancer caregiving influence the quality of life of informal caregivers and the management strategies of informal caregivers for their role as cancer caregivers.

Methods

Following the enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) statement, Wanfang database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO, and grey literature in English and Chinese from 1 May 2009 to 31 December 2019 were searched. Quality of included studies was assessed by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2018) Qualitative Checklist and thematic synthesis was conducted.

Results

Of the 8,945 studies identified, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. One analytical theme relating to the QoL of informal caregivers following cancer caregiving was identified: "challenges of caregiving". In terms of the management strategies to the role of cancer caregivers, two analytical themes were identified: "self-adjustment" and "seeking for formal and informal support".

Conclusions

Cancer caregiving influences informal caregivers' QoL significantly and informal caregivers develop diverse coping strategies to deal with the difficulties occurred while balancing the relationship between their own lives and caregiving. However, professional and policy support remain inadequate for informal caregivers that require the need for improvement in terms of health care professionals and policymakers.

Plausibility of Using a Checklist With YouTube to Facilitate the Discovery of Acute Low Back Pain Self-Management Content: Exploratory Study

Background

Access to guideline-consistent effective care for acute low back pain (ALBP) is generally regarded as limited. Researchers have recognized the potential of YouTube as a clinical and patient education resource that may improve access to appropriate care. However, the heterogeneity of evaluation approaches and variable quality of health information have generally limited the potential of YouTube as a self-management intervention.

Objective

This study aims to increase the understanding of ALBP content available on YouTube in 2020 and to establish the plausibility of using a simple checklist to facilitate the discovery of YouTube content consistent with current guidelines. We examined the following 4 research questions: how was the data set defined, what are the metadata characteristics of the videos in the data set, what is the information quality of ALBP YouTube videos, and what are the characteristics of the YouTube data set based on an ALBP self-management checklist?

Methods

This was an exploratory, qualitative infodemiology study. We identified videos in our data set through YouTube search based on popular ALBP-relevant search terms identified through Google Trends for YouTube. We accessed YouTube metadata using the YouTube data tools developed by the University of Amsterdam. We used a modified Brief DISCERN checklist to examine the information quality. We developed a checklist based on the 2018 Lancet Low Back Pain guidelines to examine self-management content.

Results

We analyzed a data set of 202 YouTube videos authored by chiropractors, physicians, physiotherapists, and instructors of yoga and other disciplines. We identified clear differences in the ALBP videos in our data set based on the authors’ disciplines. We found that the videos authored by each discipline strongly featured a specific intervention domain, that is, education, treatment, or exercise. We also found that videos authored by physicians were consistently coded with the highest ALBP self-management content scores than all other disciplines.

Conclusions

The results returned by YouTube in response to a search for back pain–related content were highly variable. We suggest that a simple checklist may facilitate the discovery of guideline-concordant ALBP self-management content on YouTube. Further research may identify the clinical contexts in which the use of an ALBP checklist with YouTube is feasible.

The evidence supporting educational videos for patients and caregivers receiving hospice and palliative care: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to explore the evidence surrounding educational videos for patients and family caregivers in hospice and palliative care. We ask three research questions: 1. What is the evidence for video interventions? 2. What is the quality of the evidence behind video interventions? 3. What are the outcomes of video interventions?

METHODS

The study is a systematic review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Researchers systematically searched five databases for experimental and observational studies on the evidence supporting video education for hospice and palliative care patients and caregivers, published in 1969-2019.

RESULTS

The review identified 31 relevant articles with moderate-high quality of evidence. Most studies were experimental (74 %), came from the United States (84 %) and had a mean sample size of 139 participants. Studies showed that video interventions positively affect preferences of care and advance care planning, provide emotional support, and serve as decision and information aids.

CONCLUSION

A strong body of evidence has emerged for video education interventions in hospice and palliative care. Additional research assessing video interventions' impact on clinical outcomes is needed.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Videos are a promising tool for patient and family education in hospice and palliative care.

The Effectiveness of a Dyadic Pain Management Program for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Chronic pain is a major health problem among older adults and their informal caregivers, which has negative effects on their physical and psychological status. The dyadic pain management program (DPMP) is provided to community-dwelling older adults and informal caregivers to help the dyads reduce pain symptoms, improve the quality of life, develop good exercise habits, as well as cope and break the vicious circle of pain. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was designed and all the dyads were randomly divided into two groups: the DPMP group and control group. Dyads in the DPMP group participated in an 8-week DPMP (4-week face-to-face program and 4-week home-based program), whereas dyads in the control group received one page of simple pain-related information. Results: In total, 64 dyads participated in this study. For baseline comparisons, no significant differences were found between the two groups. After the interventions, the pain score was significantly reduced from 4.25 to 2.57 in the experimental group, respectively. In the repeated measures ANOVA, the differences in pain score (F = 107.787, p < 0.001, d = 0.777) was statistically significant for the group-by-time interaction. After the interventions, the experimental group participants demonstrated significantly higher pain self-efficacy compared with the control group (F = 80.535, p < 0.001, d = 0.722). Furthermore, the elderly increased exercise time significantly (F = 111.212, p < 0.001, d = 0.782) and reported developing good exercise habits. Conclusions: These results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of a DPMP for relieving the symptoms of chronic pain among the elderly.

Pain neuroscience education on YouTube

OBJECTIVES

The Internet in general, and YouTube in particular, is now one of the most popular sources of health-related information. Pain neuroscience education has become a primary tool for managing persistent pain, based in part on the discovery that information about pain can change pain. Our objective was to examine the availability, characteristics, and content of YouTube videos that address the neuroscience of pain.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of videos on YouTube using the search terms "pain education", "what is pain", and "pain brain" in January 2018. Videos were included if they were in English, were under 10 minutes long, and included information on the neuroscience of pain. Videos were coded for (i) descriptive characteristics (e.g., number of views, duration on YouTube), (ii) source and style, (iii) whether or not they addressed seven pre-determined target concepts of pain neuroscience education (e.g., 'Pain is not an accurate marker of tissue state'), and (iv) how engaging they were.

RESULTS

We found 106 unique videos that met the inclusion criteria. The videos ranged from having four views to over five million views (Mdn = 1,163 views), with the three most highly viewed videos accounting for 75% of the total views. Animated videos were much more highly viewed than non-animated videos. Only a small number of videos had been posted by a clearly-identifiable reputable source such as an academic or medical institution (10%), although a number of videos were posted by healthcare professionals and professional medical societies. For a small number of videos (7%), the source was unclear. We found 17 videos that addressed at least one target concept of pain neuroscience science education, only nine of which were considered to be at least somewhat engaging. The target concept 'Pain is a brain output' was considered to be well addressed by the most videos (N = 11), followed by 'Pain is a protector' (N = 10). We found only one video that adequately addressed all seven target concepts of pain neuroscience education.

DISCUSSION

YouTube contains a variety of videos that practitioners, patients, and families may view to access pain neuroscience education information. A small portion of these videos addressed one or more target concepts of pain neuroscience education in an engaging manner. It is yet to be determined to what extent patients are able to learn information from these videos, to what extent the videos promote behavior change, and thus to what extent the videos may be useful for clinical practice.

Supporting Caregivers of Patients With Cancer: A Summary of Technology-Mediated Interventions and Future Directions

This paper aims to review literature published on the support of cancer caregivers with health technology. Eighteen articles were reviewed to better understand cancer caregiving and categorized into four different themes: (1) design guidelines, (2) information facilitation, (3) social support, and (4) multicomponent interventions. Analysis of the current articles revealed that there are substantial gaps in knowledge regarding a range of health technologies that facilitate family caregiver support and its distribution to health institutions. Further research is needed in this area, as family caregivers are primary providers of essential elements of care to patients. Future studies should unpack existing barriers that interfere with the development of health technology interventions in cancer care.

Supporting the Supporters: What Family Caregivers Need to Care for a Loved One With Cancer

Patients with cancer who live at home often require help with activities of daily living, basic medical care (eg, injections), social needs, and patient advocacy. Most of that support comes from intimate caregivers, typically members of the patient’s family. These family caregivers themselves require support so that they can be effective and maintain their own well-being while caring for the patient with cancer. Research shows that support for caregivers contributes to achieving these goals. We propose a four-part framework for supporting family caregivers: (1) assess caregivers’ needs using formal measures, just as the cancer patient’s own needs are assessed, (2) educate caregivers for their caregiving roles, most notably, with training in the low-level medical support that cancer patients require at home, (3) empower caregivers to become full-fledged members of the patient’s cancer team, all working toward common goals, and (4) assist caregivers proactively in their duties, so that they retain a sense of control and self-efficacy rather than having to react to imminent medical crises without sufficient resources at their disposal. Funding support for family caregivers requires refocusing on the overall well-being of the patient-caregiver dyad rather than just on the patient. It will necessitate a paradigm shift in reimbursement that recognizes the need for holistic cancer care.

'There is a dependent patient in our home': designing and disseminating a family caregiving program through YouTube

BACKGROUND

Family members play a major role in providing care for older people and long-term dependent patients, especially in developing countries where there is a lack of specialized nursing homes and specialized home-visiting programs. Family members are rarely provided with sufficient information or training to provide home care for their dependent relatives. There are inadequate home caregiving educational resources directed to Arabic-speaking caregivers, either in written or in audiovisual presentations.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the present study were (i) to present the process of designing a caregiving educational program entitled 'there is a dependent patient in our home', with an intention to be culturally and linguistically appropriate for a specific Arab-speaking population, and (ii) to present the experience of disseminating the program through YouTube, to be accessible for a wide range of caregivers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The program was a product of a process involving seven phases, starting with a review of the literature and ending with disseminating 17 short 'caregiving' videos on YouTube, the most popular video-sharing website. The program presented necessary skills, instructions, and information that enabled caregivers to provide safe and competent daily caring activities for their functionally dependent relative or older adults at home.

RESULTS

The program was registered in the Jordan National Library. After 2 months of broadcasting it on YouTube, the number of views exceeded 6800. Many constructive comments were received from caregivers. Language, simplicity, and attractiveness of the program were judged as the areas of satisfaction by the viewers, whereas lack of a few topics such as verbal communication with patients and dealing with daily caregivers' burden and stressors were the main reasons of dissatisfaction.

CONCLUSION

This program was an endeavor to provide the Arabic library with a home caregiving resource. Adequate advertisement of the program would encourage health providers to search for and use the currently available social media as means of delivering educational services to family caregivers.

Maintaining the Social Flow of Evidence-Informed Palliative Care: Use and Misuse of YouTube

This review article is aimed to explore the use of the social media website YouTube (www.youtube.com) as an evidence resource in palliative care, for patients and caregivers, students and professionals, and providers and policy-makers in developing countries’ settings. The reviewed evidence reiterated the role of this social media website in palliative care practice, education and research in the area of cancer. Efficacy studies on impact of such media on palliative care delivery in developing countries are still lacking.

Publicly available online educational videos regarding pediatric needle pain: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this scoping review were to: (1) identify publicly available educational videos on needle pain management; and (2) evaluate the content of these videos.

METHODS

Reviewers screened publicly available educational videos on pediatric needle pain management available on YouTube and Google using a broad-based search strategy. Videos were categorized using the CRAAP Test: Current, Relevant, from a trustworthy source (Authority), Accurate and evidence-based, and for what Purpose does the source exist.

RESULTS

Twenty-five relevant, educational videos were identified. The intended audience for most videos was parents (n=16, 64%), followed by clinicians (n=6, 24%) and children (n=3, 12%). Common examples of needle pain included immunizations or IV insertion, with interventions appropriate for infants through school-aged children. The most frequently described techniques were parent-guided distraction and behavioral factors such as comfort holds and parent demeanor. Most videos were Current (96%), Relevant (100%), created by a trustworthy source: Authority (76%), and all were Accurate, with Purpose relating to needle pain management. None of the videos addressed the unique needs of children with a preexisting diagnosis of needle phobia.

DISCUSSION

Publicly available educational videos offer clinicians, parents, and children evidence-based techniques to manage pediatric needle pain. Further evaluation is needed to determine whether this form of education meets the needs of target audiences and whether this type of content can lead to improved management of pediatric needle pain.