Social media use in healthcare: A systematic review of effects on patients and on their relationship with healthcare professionals

Social Media Posts About Carpal Tunnel Release: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Patient and Surgeon Perspectives

BACKGROUND

Social media provides an increasingly popular, unfiltered source of perspectives on healthcare. The objective of this study is to characterize the landscape of social media posts regarding carpal tunnel release (CTR).

METHODS

Content was queried from Instagram between February 2, 2019 to August 12, 2021 using the hashtags #carpaltunnelrelease and #carpaltunnelsurgery. The 1500 most-liked posts were analyzed. Poster demographics including age, gender, region, and symptom qualities and post characteristics including type, number, timing relative to surgery, tone, and satisfaction were collected. Categorical variables were compared utilizing chi-squared test. Univariate and multivariate regression were performed.

RESULTS

The most popular post types included single photo (55.2%), multiple photos (18.8%), or single video (18.2%). Of all, 70.6% posts had fewer than 50 "likes." Patients accounted for 51.8% of posts, followed by surgeons (13.3%), other health care providers (11.7%), and physical therapists (8.8%). Women (66.7%) outnumbered men (33.3%). Fifty-five percent of posts were domestic. Posts mostly depicted postoperative care (85.6%). The most frequently mentioned symptoms were pain, burning, numbness, and tingling. Of all posts, 45.1% had a positive tone, 49.1% neutral, and 5.7% negative. Univariate analysis revealed that posters who were patients, underwent open CTR, and were female were more likely to post negative sentiments.

CONCLUSIONS

Most posts regarding CTR are from patients, are postoperative, and are positive or neutral. Although rare, negative posts were more likely to originate from posters who are patients, female, or underwent open CTR. With this information, surgeons will be better prepared to address patient concerns, set patient expectations, and enter the social media themselves.

A qualitative non-participant observational study of non-prescription counseling in community pharmacies

Background

The global rise in self-care and non-prescription product sales allows more people to self-treat minor ailments, and pharmacies have a key role in guiding this use. However, discrepancies between counseling standards and practice suggest a gap in ensuring safe and informed self-medication, necessitating exploration and understanding.

Objectives

This study investigates counseling on all non-prescription products in pharmacies, with the following objectives: 1) assess compliance with The Norwegian OTC Counseling Standard (the Standard), 2) identify factors predicting standard compliance, and 3) describe the content of non-prescription counseling.

Methods

A non-participant observation study (n = 275) was conducted in the self-care section of Norwegian pharmacies (n = 7) from September 2022 to March 2023. During the encounters, 494 products were purchased. Notes from the observations were transformed into transcripts. The transcripts were analyzed using Content Analysis, where codes were quantified and compiled into a spreadsheet. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square tests and Logistic regression to evaluate standard compliance and predictive factors.

Results

Full compliance with the standard was 14.6 %; however, ∼40 % of product inquiries did not meet the requirements. Busier pharmacies showed higher standard compliance compared to quieter, and counseling starting at the shelves was more comprehensive. Moreover, pharmacists were likelier than pharmacy technicians to provide information about OTC products (p-value = 0.01). Standard compliance was higher for other non-prescription products than for OTC products. Assessment of the customer's product needs typically revolved around previous use, the intended user, and symptoms, with less emphasis on patient-specific factors (e.g., contraindications, interactions). Information was usually practical, for example, instructions on use and dosage, while discussions on effects and adverse drug reactions depended on customer prompts.

Conclusion

The study found infrequent compliance with the standard, with information often being generic and not tailored to customer needs. OTCs have lower standard compliance than other products sold in pharmacies. Further efforts need to be made to improve counseling, including revising the standard focusing on communication skill promotion and expanding to consider all health-related products in the self-care section. This could improve self-treatment and reduce the burden on other healthcare providers.

Characteristics and correlates of the use of social media for nutrition among young adults in the United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND

The utilization of social media (SM) is widespread among young adults; nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding their use for obtaining nutrition information. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and determinants of using SM for nutrition information amongst young adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

METHODS

A multicomponent questionnaire was emailed to all students attending the largest university in the country. The questionnaire addressed, in addition to sociodemographic information, the characteristics of SM use for nutrition information such as the various platforms, frequency, type, features, sharing information with family/friends and healthcare professionals, as well as the reasons for use. Descriptives and logistic regressions were used in data analysis. Within the regression models, the outcome variable was whether participants used SM to obtain nutrition information.

RESULTS

Among a sample of 400 respondents, 261 (65.2%) reported utilizing social media (SM) to access nutrition information. The predominant platform for this purpose was Instagram, followed by Snapchat. When participants were queried about the most critical feature of SM for obtaining nutrition information, 63.6% indicated a preference for ease of use, whereas only 12.6% emphasized the importance of information being supported by scientific evidence. A large majority of respondents (93%) disclosed that they shared nutritional information obtained from SM with their friends and family; however, 60% reported that they never shared such information with healthcare providers. Interestingly, over 90% of participants expressed an interest in leveraging SM platforms to communicate with healthcare providers. The leading motivations for using SM for nutrition-related purposes included seeking "healthy eating and recipes" as well as "body weight management." Additionally, females and individuals actively attempting to lose weight exhibited a higher propensity to engage with SM for nutrition insights (OR:1.94,CI:1.13-3.31; OR:1.62,CI:1.05-2.52, respectively), while those with any health condition were less likely (OR: 0.41,CI: 0.18-0.9).

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings showed that the use of SM to access nutritional information is common among young adults. It further highlighted some concerns related to the validity and safe use of the acquired information with little attention to the robustness of the scientific evidence or willingness to discuss the information with healthcare providers. The study presents an opportunity to formulate evidence-based public health interventions to utilize various SM platforms in the promotion of healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits among young adults.

The Effects of Patients' Health Information Behaviors on Shared Decision-Making: Evaluating the Role of Patients' Trust in Physicians

Background/Objectives: The availability of accessible health information outside of traditional healthcare settings has transformed patient engagement in shared decision-making (SDM) with healthcare providers. However, the challenge of navigating misinformation complicates SDM, highlighting the critical role of trust, especially when patient-achieved information conflicts with professional advice. This study examines the association between patients' health information behavior (HIB) and SDM, emphasizing the role of patients' trust in healthcare providers. Methods: Utilizing data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), this research explores how trust mediates the relationship between HIB and SDM. We conducted factor analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis to assess our hypotheses. Results: Factor analysis identified two main HIB dimensions: emotional responses and utilization of social media. Emotional responses positively influenced SDM, enhancing trust and decision-making involvement. In contrast, utilization of social media negatively influenced SDM through decreased trust. Mediation analysis confirmed trust in physicians as a crucial mediator, particularly when emotional responses foster trust and engagement. Moderated mediation showed that high healthcare quality amplified the positive mediation effects of trust, underscoring its role in effective SDM. Conclusions: This study highlights the significant role of trust in enhancing patient engagement in SDM through HIB. High perceived healthcare quality also strengthens trust, improving SDM outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between HIB, trust, and SDM, suggesting that enhancing patient-centered care requires fostering trusted patient-physician relationships.

Patient Voices in Dialysis Care: Sentiment Analysis and Topic Modeling Study of Social Media Discourse

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing dialysis face significant physical, psychological, and social challenges that impact their quality of life. Social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) have become important outlets for these patients to share experiences and exchange information.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to uncover key themes, emotions, and challenges expressed by the dialysis community on X from April 2006 to August 2024 by leveraging natural language processing techniques, specifically sentiment analysis and topic modeling.

METHODS

We collected 12,976 publicly available X posts related to dialysis using the platform's application programming interface version 2 and Python's Tweepy library. After rigorous preprocessing, 58.13% (7543/12,976) of the posts were retained for analysis. Sentiment analysis using the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER) model, which is a rule-based sentiment analyzer specifically attuned to social media content, classified the emotional tone of posts. VADER uses a human-curated lexicon that maps lexical features to sentiment scores, considering punctuation, capitalization, and modifiers. For topic modeling, posts with <50 tokens were removed, leaving 53.81% (4059/7543) of the posts, which were analyzed using latent Dirichlet allocation with coherence score optimization to identify the optimal number of topics (k=8). The analysis pipeline was implemented using Python's Natural Language Toolkit, Gensim, and scikit-learn libraries, with hyperparameter tuning to maximize model performance.

RESULTS

Sentiment analysis revealed 49.2% (3711/7543) positive, 26.2% (1976/7543) negative, and 24.7% (1863/7543) neutral sentiment posts. Latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling identified 8 key thematic clusters: medical procedures and outcomes (722/4059, 17.8% prevalence), daily life impact (666/4059, 16.4%), risks and complications (621/4059, 15.3%), patient education and support (544/4059, 13.4%), health care access and costs (499/4059, 12.3%), symptoms and side effects (442/4059, 10.9%), patient experiences and socioeconomic challenges (406/4059, 10%), and diet and fluid management (162/4059, 4%). Cross-analysis of topics and sentiment revealed that negative sentiment was highest for daily life impact (580/666, 87.1%) and socioeconomic challenges (145/406, 35.8%), whereas the education and support topic exhibited more positive sentiment (250/544, 46%). Topic coherence scores ranged from 0.38 to 0.52, with the medical procedures topic showing the highest semantic coherence. Intertopic distance mapping via multidimensional scaling revealed conceptual relationships between identified themes, with lifestyle impact and socioeconomic challenges clustering closely. Our longitudinal analysis demonstrated evolving discourse patterns, with technology-related discussions increasing by 24% in recent years, whereas financial concerns remained consistently prominent.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of the complex lived experiences of patients undergoing dialysis shared on social media. The findings underscore the need for more holistic, patient-centered care models and policies that address the multidimensional challenges illuminated by patients' voices.

"Thank you for sharing!": A thematic analysis of comments on an endocrinologist-moderated facebook page

INTRODUCTION

Thyroid diseases are a global health concern. The thyroid gland functions for homeostasis and metabolism, implying its disorders significantly affect quality of life. Effective long-term management is essential, with social support playing a critical role. Online communication has expanded social support options, enhancing patient self-management.

OBJECTIVES

This study qualitatively explores the dynamics of social support exchanged among patients seeking information on thyroid diseases in an endocrinologist-moderated Facebook page. It aims to identify and classify the prevailing themes of Facebook comments for social support on thyroid disease-related posts on a physician-moderated Facebook page, and explore the meaning of these experiences.

METHODS

This qualitative study used reflexive thematic analysis on posts related to thyroid diseases on the Endocrine Witch Facebook page from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2023. The analysis followed Braun and Clarke's six steps: familiarization, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and discussing the implications.

RESULTS

A total of 4327 comments were analyzed, revealing three major themes: healthcare-related, personal experiences, and page moderator-directed comments. The healthcare-related theme included sub-themes of health information on thyroid diseases, clinic hours, and diagnostic and treatment clarifications related to the management of thyroid disorders and the general work-up done. The personal theme involved reactions towards the information shared and other patients' stories, anecdotes of patient's stories and encounters with thyroid diseases, and referrals to peers for information sharing. The page moderator-directed theme included comments of gratitude for sharing information and clarifying common public health concerns. These findings further reinforces the growing significance of social media's role in healthcare, particularly in augmenting peer and social support, especially for patients with chronic conditions such as thyroid diseases.

CONCLUSION

Online social support environments provide valuable information and emotional encouragement for patients, especially for highly prevalent chronic diseases, where long-term outcomes are typically shaped over time. Further exploration of online thyroid patient interactions and the role of healthcare professionals is essential to enhance healthcare strategies and overall care quality.

Development and Effectiveness of Dietary Self-care Promotion Program Using Online Community for Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a dietary self-care promotion program for hemodialysis patients based on Hurley's self-efficacy model, utilizing an online community to enhance the dietary self-care behavior of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

METHODS

The needs of hemodialysis patients were identified, and an online community-based dietary self-care promotion program was developed with expert evaluations. Forty-four hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 22). The program was applied to the experimental group for four weeks. Before and after the intervention, as well as four weeks after the intervention, dietary self-efficacy, dietary self-care behavior, interdialytic weight gain, serum phosphorus, and serum potassium were assessed in both groups.

RESULTS

Significant differences over time and between groups were observed in dietary self-efficacy, interdialytic weight gain, serum phosphorus, and serum potassium. The interaction between time and group was also significant. While no significant differences were found over time in dietary self-care behavior, significant group differences, and interaction effects between time and group were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the dietary self-care promotion program using an online community for hemodialysis patients is more effective in enhancing dietary self-efficacy and dietary self-care behavior compared to conventional treatment. This suggests the clinical applicability of the proposed dietary self-care promotion program.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was registered in the Clinical Research Information Service system (No: KCT0007920).

Analyzing social media conversations to gain insights into the experiences of patients with hereditary angioedema

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease characterized by recurrent, unpredictable, painful, and potentially life-threatening angioedema attacks, which substantially impair patients' quality of life. Gathering patients' perspectives is important to understand lived experiences, the patient journey, and preferences to determine optimal HAE management. Social media platforms have become important mediums through which patient and carer groups share experiences and advice. Objective: We conducted the first social media listening (SML) study in an HAE setting to identify and characterize the experiences of patients with HAE to better understand disease and treatment burden and their unmet needs. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of social media content that relates to the experience of individuals with HAE from January 2018 to October 2023. We used keyword-based searches of social media platforms to identify posts that relate to burdens, unmet needs, and other themes shared by patients, caregivers, or health-care professionals. After anonymization and removal of duplicates, content was extracted and categorized by subject matter experts for qualitative and quantitative analysis according to themes. Results: Of 6,012 posts collected, 892 were identified as relevant patient-mentioned posts. Of these, 459 posts related to burden; the most common topic was disease burden and discussed symptoms such as persistent swelling, painful attacks, and frequent attacks. Other burden-related topics included health service, medication, and injections. Unmet needs were discussed in 270 posts; the most common were treatment-related needs such as insurance denials, inadequate medication availability, and treatment costs. Other unmet needs related to education, health service, and diagnosis. Conclusion: Evaluation of the lived experience of patients with HAE and their caregivers via SML can be a valuable tool to aid optimizing HAE management. Our findings add to existing evidence that the disease burden is still a considerable issue for patients with HAE, who continue to have unmet treatment needs.

Publication activity trends in the field of social media in rheumatology: a Web of Science-based bibliometric analysis

Social media (SoMe) is crucial in disseminating information and raising awareness about health conditions. In recent years, rheumatology specialists have increasingly utilized social networks to support and promote scientific research. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of global social media and rheumatology trends, identifying leading authors, citation patterns, and emerging research areas. The analysis used data exported from Web of Science (WoS) from 2015 to 2024. The search used MeSH-derived keywords, specifically "social media rheumatology," without applying filters, covering January 2015 to December 2024 timeframe. A comprehensive search resulted in retrieving 251 publications. After ranking these publications and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 152 articles were included in the final analysis. A total of 152 publications were analyzed, revealing a significant positive trend in the number of publications over time (p = 0.001). The leading countries in terms of publication activity were the US (35.53%), the United Kingdom (32.24%), Australia (11.18%), Germany (9.87%), and France (9.21%). The research originated from 66 countries, but only 18 demonstrated substantial activity. The US led in scientific contributions relative to population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Regarding publication types, 137 (90.13%) were original research articles, while the remainder were review articles. The median citation count for original articles was 5 (range: 0-116), while review articles had a higher median citation count of 28 (range: 0-156), indicating that reviews were cited more frequently than original studies (p = 0.001). The median citation count for publications indexed in SCIE, SSCI, and ESCI was 5.5 (range: 0-116) and 6 (range: 0-116), respectively. Most publications were published in the following journals: Clinical Rheumatology (n = 25), Rheumatology Advances in Practice (n = 25), Rheumatology International (n = 16), BMJ Open (n = 12) and Journal of Medical Internet Research (n = 8). High-income countries, such as the US, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have significantly contributed to the field of social medicine in rheumatology, underscoring disparities in scientific research capacity across different regions.

A systematic review of the quality and engagement of TikTok videos of resistance exercises for the management of lateral elbow tendinopathy

BACKGROUND

Resistance exercise is considered first-line management for lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET). TikTok enables sharing of short-form videos with algorithms distributing videos with higher engagement (e.g., views/likes).

PURPOSE

To assess resistance exercise video quality for LET on TikTok between general users and self-identified health care professionals and explore associations between engagement and video quality.

STUDY DESIGN

Social media review using a systematic review framework.

METHODS

TikTok was searched using five hashtags. Included videos were in English and focused on resisted exercise. Creator and video engagement metrics were extracted, with viewing index and engagement rate calculated. The DISCERN and Tennis Elbow Exercise Education Score (TEEES) were used to assess video quality. A Kruskal-Wallis test examined differences between general users and self-identified health care professionals and Spearman's rho (rs) correlations explored associations between video quality and engagement metrics. Median (interquartile range) were reported.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight videos were included with no significant differences in engagement between general users and self-identified health care professionals. Overall, resistance exercise video quality was poor with no significant differences between general users (DISCERN 26 [22-29] out of 75, TEEES 8 [5-10] out of 25) and self-identified health care professionals (DISCERN 25 [21-27], TEEES 7 [5-9]; p = 0.37 and p = 0.35, respectively). Video quality was weakly correlated with video likes, favourites, and viewing index (rs = 0.23, p = 0.03; rs = 0.23, p = 0.02; rs = 0.21, p = 0.04, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of resistance-based exercise videos for LET on TikTok was poor, regardless of user profile. While some engagement metrics were associated with video quality, viewers should not rely on these metrics to indicate video quality.

Social media and internet use among orthopedic patients in Germany-a multicenter survey

Background

Social media (SM) is increasingly used in the healthcare system and offers various benefits for patients such as accessible health information and communication with other patients and healthcare professionals. However, SM also poses risks, including the dissemination of medical misinformation and privacy concerns. This in turn can influence patients' health-related decision-making and the patient-physician relationship. There is limited data regarding which SM orthopedic patients use and what benefits and risks of SM they perceive.

Methods

An online survey was conducted from April to December 2023 among orthopedic and trauma patients in five German orthopedic clinics. The questionnaire with 32 variables was designed to assess internet and SM usage patterns, platform preferences, and perceived benefits and risks. Statistical analysis was performed, including subgroup analyses.

Results

A total of 267 patients participated, with 82.0% reporting regular SM use. In total 45.9% of the patients used SM for general health questions and 51.3% for orthopedic-related questions. The most used information platforms were conventional websites, YouTube, Instagram, and messenger apps. A total of 45.9% used SM infrequently for general health questions, and 51.3% for orthopedic-related queries. Only 13.7% of patients agreed that SM helped in medical decision-making, and 31.1% felt confident in assessing the credibility of SM content. Additionally, 58.6% of patients were unsure about allowing physicians to present their cases on SM, and 62.3% were uncertain about posting their medical images.

Conclusion

Among German orthopedic patients, the use of SM for health-related and gain of orthopedic information was low in the given study. While SM may offer valuable health information, their role in medical decision-making remains limited due to concerns over content credibility and privacy. Video-based content seems to achieve the best reach. Future research should explore these aspects longitudinally and across diverse populations to better understand and address the challenges and benefits of SM in healthcare.

Summarizing Online Patient Conversations Using Generative Language Models: Experimental and Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

Social media is acknowledged by regulatory bodies (eg, the Food and Drug Administration) as an important source of patient experience data to learn about patients' unmet needs, priorities, and preferences. However, current methods rely either on manual analysis and do not scale, or on automatic processing, yielding mainly quantitative insights. Methods that can automatically summarize texts and yield qualitative insights at scale are missing.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate to what extent state-of-the-art large language models can appropriately summarize posts shared by patients in web-based forums and health communities. Specifically, the goal was to compare the performance of different language models and prompting strategies on the task of summarizing documents reflecting the experiences of individual patients.

METHODS

In our experimental and comparative study, we applied 3 different language models (Flan-T5, Generative Pretrained Transformer [GPT], GPT-3, and GPT-3.5) in combination with various prompting strategies to the task of summarizing posts from patients in online communities. The generated summaries were evaluated with respect to 124 manually created summaries as a ground-truth reference. As evaluation metrics, we used 2 standard metrics from the field of text generation, namely, Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation (ROUGE) and BERTScore, to compare the automatically generated summaries to the manually created reference summaries.

RESULTS

Among the zero-shot prompting-based large language models investigated, GPT-3.5 performed better than the other models with respect to the ROUGE metrics, as well as with respect to BERTScore. While zero-shot prompting seems to be a good prompting strategy, overall GPT-3.5 in combination with directional stimulus prompting in a 3-shot setting had the best results with respect to the aforementioned metrics. A manual investigation of the summarization of the best-performing method showed that the generated summaries were accurate and plausible compared to the manual summaries.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our results suggest that state-of-the-art pretrained language models are a valuable tool to provide qualitative insights about the patient experience to better understand unmet needs, patient priorities, and how a disease impacts daily functioning and quality of life to inform processes aimed at improving health care delivery and ensure that drug development focuses more on the actual priorities and unmet needs of patients. The key limitations of our work are the small data sample as well as the fact that the manual summaries were created by 1 annotator only. Furthermore, the results hold only for the examined models and prompting strategies, potentially not generalizing to other models and strategies.

A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD

We aimed to assess the psychoeducational quality of TikTok content about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the perspective of both mental health professionals and young adults across two pre-registered studies. In Study 1, two clinical psychologists with expertise in ADHD evaluated the claims (accuracy, nuance, overall quality as psychoeducation material) made in the top 100 #ADHD TikTok videos. Despite the videos' immense popularity (collectively amassing nearly half a billion views), fewer than 50% of the claims about ADHD symptoms were judged to align with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In Study 2, 843 undergraduate students (no ADHD =  224, ADHD self-diagnosis =  421, ADHD formal diagnosis =  198) were asked about their typical frequency of viewing #ADHD content on TikTok and their perceptions of ADHD and were shown the top 5 and bottom 5 psychologist-rated videos from Study 1. A greater typical frequency of watching ADHD-related TikToks was linked to a greater willingness to recommend both the top and bottom-rated videos from Study 1, after controlling for demographics and ADHD diagnostic status. It was also linked to estimating a higher prevalence of ADHD in the general population and greater challenges faced by those with ADHD. Our findings highlight a discrepancy between mental health professionals and young adults regarding the psychoeducational value of #ADHD content on TikTok. Addressing this is crucial to improving access to treatment and enhancing support for those with ADHD.

Living With and Managing Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection: Mixed Methods Analysis of Patient Insights From Social Media

BACKGROUND

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs) affect more than half of women in their lifetime and can impact on quality of life. We analyzed social media posts discussing uUTIs to gather insights into the patient experience, including aspects of their disease management journey and associated opinions and concerns.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to gather patient experience insights by analyzing social media posts that discussed uUTI.

METHODS

A search string ("urinary tract infection" [UTI] or "bladder infection" or "cystitis" or "UTI" not "interstitial cystitis") was used to identify posts from public blogs and patient forums (June 2021 to June 2023). Posts were excluded if they were not written in English or discussed complicated UTI (posts that mentioned "pregnancy" or "pregnant" or "trimester" or "catheter" or "interstitial"). Posts were limited to publicly available sources and anonymized. The primary objective was to gather patient perspectives on key elements of the uUTI experience, including health care professional (HCP) interactions, diagnosis, treatment, and recurrence.

RESULTS

In total, more than 42,000 unique posts were identified (mostly from reddit.com; 29,506/42,265, 70%) and >3600 posts were analyzed. Posts were most commonly from users in the United States (6707/11,180, 60%), the United Kingdom (2261/11,180, 20%), Canada (509/11,180, 5%), Germany (356/11,180, 3%), or India (320/11,180, 3%). Six main themes were identified: symptom awareness and information seeking, HCP interactions, diagnosis and management challenges, management with antibiotics, self-management, and challenges with recurrent UTI. Most posts highlighted the importance of seeking professional medical advice, while some patients raised concerns regarding their HCP interactions and lack of shared decision-making. Patients searched for advice and guidance on the web prior to consulting an HCP, described their symptoms, and discussed lifestyle adjustments. Most patients tried self-management and shared their experiences with nonprescribed treatment options. There was general agreement among posts that antibiotics are necessary to cure UTIs and prevent associated complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Social media posts provide valuable insight into the experiences and opinions of patients with uUTIs in Canada, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The insights from this study provide a more complete picture of patient behaviors and highlight the potential for HCP and patient education, as well as better communication through shared decision-making to improve care.

A physical activity counseling intervention to promote health among pregnant women: a study protocol of randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy may result in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), discomfort, pregnancy-related musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, and decreased quality of life in pregnant women. Physical activity during pregnancy can lower the odds ratio of developing GDM and offer numerous health benefits for mothers and infants. However, the prevalence of physical inactivity among pregnant women worldwide is high. The Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) can be used to develop interventions to enhance physical activity. However, no research has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity interventions among Chinese pregnant women using the BCW framework.

METHODS/DESIGN

We will conduct a single-center, parallel, randomized controlled trial at a maternal-child health care center. A total of 244 pregnant women at high risk for GDM will be randomly allocated to either a study group receiving a physical activity counseling intervention or a control group receiving standard care. The intervention will comprise one face-to-face individual counseling session combined with three weekly online group counseling sessions based on Motivational Interviewing, supplemented by four biweekly counseling before 24 gestation weeks, and WeChat group support (Tencent, Shenzhen, China). Educational materials will also be available on the WeChat Official Account. The program will begin before 12+6 gestational weeks, the counseling sessions will end before 24 gestation weeks and WeChat group support will end before delivery. The primary outcomes will include physical activity, the incidence of GDM and glucose level. The secondary outcomes will include gestational weight gain, sleep quality, quality of life, low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, physical activity-related variables, and maternal and newborns health outcomes.

DISCUSSION

This research will contribute to understanding the effects of a physical activity counseling intervention, including physical activity, incidence of GDM, glucose levels, gestational weight gain, sleep quality, quality of life, low back and pelvic girdle pain, and maternal and newborn health outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (CHiCTR) ChiCTR2400081364, on February 29, 2024.

Orthodontic YouTube™ videos made by patients for patients: What are they about and are they accurate?

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the characteristics and content of YouTube™ videos created by patients undergoing orthodontic fixed appliance treatment and to assess the content accuracy of these videos.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods quantitative and qualitative study.

DATA SOURCE

YouTube™ webpage.

METHODS

The term 'braces' was used to search for relevant videos on the YouTube™ webpage between 18 August and 30 August 2020, with no limits imposed regarding how long the video had been available on YouTube™. Videos were included if they were made by patients and were predominantly about patients' experiences during treatment with labial fixed appliances. The main themes/subthemes of the included videos were identified. A checklist was then developed to assess accuracy of the video content for two of the main themes and the videos were assessed against the checklist.

RESULTS

The video search identified 350 videos, of which 64 were selected as potentially eligible; 41 were subsequently excluded as they related primarily to the bond up/debond experience or had minimal information about orthodontics. This meant that 23 videos were ultimately included for analysis. Six main themes were identified in the videos: problems with fixed appliances, effects of fixed appliances, oral hygiene maintenance, dietary advice, treatment duration/appointment frequency and auxiliaries used with fixed appliances. From the 23 videos, 20 were assessed against the checklist for content accuracy related to two selected themes: oral hygiene maintenance and dietary advice. The majority of videos had low content accuracy scores, indicating that important and relevant content was generally missing.

CONCLUSION

Several included videos focused on oral hygiene maintenance and dietary advice associated with fixed appliances; however, the content was incomplete and not always accurate. This is concerning to the profession, and it is therefore recommended that clinicians consider collaborating with patients to produce videos that are patient-centred and that also contain accurate information.

Comparative Quality Analysis of Bullous Pemphigoid Information Across Six Social Media Platforms

Social media has changed the digital health landscape, altering how the public consumes medical information and sparking concerns about the reliability of medical information. This study aims to assess the quality of online health information related to bullous pemphigoid by evaluating content type, information reliability, and user engagement across different social media platforms, using the Quality Evaluation Scoring Tool (QUEST) and Discerning the Quality of Written Consumer Health Information (DISCERN) questionnaires, quantitative tools designed to measure health information quality. Among the six social media platforms analyzed, educational content was most prevalent on YouTube (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States) (90.0%, n=10) and Threads (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, California, United States) (100.0%, n=3), while TikTok (ByteDance Ltd., Beijing, China) (n=20) featured 60.0% educational and 30.0% patient experience content. X (X Corp., Bastrop, Texas, United States) (n=18) demonstrated the highest reliability, with a mean QUEST score of 16.8 (SD: 4.5) and a mean DISCERN score of 28.9 (SD: 6.7). In contrast, TikTok had the lowest reliability, with a mean QUEST score of 9.0 (SD: 3.0) and a mean DISCERN score of 20.1 (SD: 3.0). Dunn's test with Bonferroni correction revealed that TikTok scored significantly lower than X in both QUEST (Mean Difference: -7.83, p < 0.0001) and DISCERN scores (Mean Difference: -8.83, p <0.001). Instagram (n=9) outperformed TikTok in QUEST scores (Mean Difference: 6.66, p <0.001. These findings indicate that X offers the most reliable health information, whereas TikTok consistently ranks lower in reliability.

Reddit users' perspectives on radiofrequency ablation: A data analysis

Objectives

Patients suffering from chronic pain use online platforms, such as Reddit, to engage in personal exchanges while maintaining anonymity. Analysis of comments and questions posted on these online forums provide unique insight into conversations that patients may be having outside of the physician's office regarding pain-relief procedures, specifically radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Materials and methods

Using the Python Reddit Application Programming Interface Wrapper, we identified and screened Reddit users' posts. Analyzed data was organized in a spreadsheet from relevant threads.

Results

A comprehensive analysis was conducted on a total of 142 threads, encompassing 1676 comments and sub-comments from four forums. The authors claimed to be patients in most threads (n = 137), with more negative (n = 32) than positive (n = 7) threads due to pain improvement expectations and insurance issues. Categorically, eleven users would recommend RFA against nine who wouldn't. Out of 577 relevant comments, the majority addressed pain (n = 405). Among them, 187 comments mentioned pain improvement after RFA, while 130 reported no improvement, in a few cases, patients blamed their physicians (n = 4). Twenty-nine comments referred to medial branch block, with five expressing negative opinions. Ninety-six comments centered around duration of pain relief, varying from 4 days to 36 months, and it was shorter than expected in fifteen cases. Adverse events (n = 36) such as arachnoiditis, headaches, itching, and worsening pain were mentioned. Additionally, some comments discussed pain experienced during the procedure (n = 21). Other comments included inquiries regarding local atrophy, its potential impact on spinal balance, and whether RFA could potentially exacerbate a degenerative process despite providing pain relief.

Conclusions

This Reddit analysis offered valuable insights into the patients' perspective on RFA for chronic pain relief, including unusual concerns. Our findings are limited by the platform's anonymous nature, selection bias towards negative experiences and vulnerability to external manipulation. Despite these constraints, by understanding what patients may be reading about the experiences of others undergoing these procedures, physicians may engage in a more informed discussion with patients about RFA.

"Can Anyone Tell Me…". Online Health Communities in Diabetes Self-Management in Poland and Italy

This paper contributes to the debate about the role of Online Health Communities (OHCs) in the healthcare system by concentrating on the kind of information sought and shared by their members. The paper focuses on OHCs for diabetes and discusses the main findings of a qualitative study conducted in Italy and Poland. The Uses and Gratifications approach informed the study, while content analysis was used to perform the analysis. The findings show that OHCs' role goes beyond information and emotional support, which relies on expertise by experience. Indeed, the lack of basic knowledge constituting the essential diabetes literacy for self-management was partially compensated by peer exchange in the OHCs. This raises at least two problems: quality and reliability of the information shared online, and consequences in terms of the equity that a healthcare system provides.

Social Media Engagement Among Oculoplastic Surgeons in India: Patterns and Perceptions

AIM

Social media engagement in the form of sharing before and after photographs following surgery and posting surgical videos and patient testimonials has become a popular form of promotion and marketing for clinicians. A significant proportion of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery are influenced by the results or before/after photos. Different geographical regions, though, have variations both among surgeons posting content and the viewers being influenced by them. The aim of the survey was to assess the patterns of social media use for professional promotion and patient outreach and the self-reported perceived impact of social media among oculoplastic surgeons in India.

METHODS

An online survey was sent to members of the Oculoplastics Association of India (OPAI) in early 2023.

RESULTS

This was an anonymized survey and had a response rate of 36% (252/702). Of the 252 responses, 66% were women. In all, 28.6% of the respondents had their own professional website. When asked if they felt social media engagement was an important part of practice building, 73% agreed, 9% disagreed, and 19% were unsure. However, only 34% of the respondents had a social media presence related to their practice/professional account. Of those with a social media presence, the most popular platform was Facebook (77%), followed by Instagram (72%) and YouTube (48%). In all, 52/86 (61%) surgeons reported that social media posts had translated into patient visits. Posts on ptosis and blepharoplasty resulted in maximum engagement and patient visits. Of those who did not have a social media presence, constant pressure to post content regularly and unfamiliarity with the platform were the most common reasons cited. Also, 65% of the respondents under the age of 40 reported having a professional practice-related social media profile as compared to 31% of those above 40 (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Members of OPAI largely see social media engagement as an important part of practice building, but unfamiliarity with the platform and constant pressure to post content are challenges faced by them. Social media presence appears to benefit some surgeons by way of an increase in clinic visits and improved visibility. Facebook and Instagram remain the most popular platforms favored by the OPAI members. The proportion of oculoplastic surgeons below 40 years of age who are active on social media is significantly higher than those aged over 40 (p<0.0001).

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict information- and support-seeking on Facebook in people with endometriosis

BACKGROUND

Many people with endometriosis want to learn more about their condition and connect with others for support. Frequently they turn to social media site Facebook to do so. This study aimed to explore the drivers of endometriosis consumers' intentions and use of Facebook for health-related information and support, as outlined in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

METHOD

Participants were 99 Australian adults with laparoscopically diagnosed endometriosis. An online cross-sectional survey collected data on demographics, TPB variables (attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control), past behavior and Facebook use. Sixty participants completed a follow-up survey two weeks later to measure subsequent behavior. Predictors of intentions and behavior were investigated using two-step regression analyses.

RESULTS

Significant predictors of intention to gather information on Facebook were attitudes, subjective norms and past behavior, accounting for 45% of the variance. For support-seeking intention, attitudes and past behavior were predictors and together explained 51% of the variance. At follow-up, intention and past behavior predicted support-seeking, accounting for 39.1% of the variance. Intention was the only predictor of information-seeking and explained 43.3% of the variance.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants were more likely to have intentions to use Facebook for endometriosis support and information if they held favorable attitudes and had done so in the past. Intentions and past behavior also predicted subsequent behavior. Health providers wanting to facilitate education and peer support on Facebook for people with endometriosis might consider targeting those already on the platform and encouraging positive views towards its use for this purpose.

#Who: Investigation of Who Creates Laryngology Content Posted on Instagram

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to examine the types of accounts that create posts related to laryngology on Instagram, using hashtags derived from common diagnoses and procedures within the field, in order to assess the source and ownership of laryngology social media discussions.

METHODS

Fellowship-trained laryngologists were surveyed to determine the most common diagnoses treated and procedures performed in laryngology. These terms were then queried as hashtags on Instagram. The top 15 posts found per hashtag were classified by the category of individual who shared the content. The categories included laryngologists/otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists (SLP), vocalists, other physicians, and "other individuals."

RESULTS

After surveying 20 fellowship-trained laryngologists, 25 different hashtags related to common diagnoses and procedures in laryngology were created and queried for the top 15 posts on Instagram. 260 posts on Instagram were identified, out of which 30.8% were posted by laryngologists/otolaryngologists, 19.2% by SLPs, 3.1% by vocalists, 6.1% by other physicians, and 40.8% by "other individuals."

CONCLUSIONS

A significant portion of top resulted posts on Instagram sharing laryngology-related content is not posted by laryngologists. This raises an issue of the reliability of health information available on social media to patients regarding laryngological conditions.

Patient Information Needs and Decision-Making Before a Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Social Media Data

The decision to receive a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) represents a challenging experience for patients. However, the majority of previous research has only considered retrospective accounts of patient experiences. This study aimed to use social media data to characterize the information sought by people anticipating or considering CIED implantation and factors that influence their decision-making experiences. A Python-based script was used to collect posts made to a community intended for discussions concerning CIEDs on the social media platform Reddit. Reflexive content analysis was used to analyze the collected data. From 799 posts collected, 101 made by 86 participants were analyzed. The reported median (range) age of participants was 34 (16-67), and most were anticipating or considering a pacemaker. Three overarching categories classified the data: "Use of social media to meet informational and other needs"; "Factors influencing acceptance of the need for implantation"; and "Specific concerns considered during decision-making." Participants anticipating or considering a CIED predominantly sought experiential information. Among asymptomatic participants, doubts were prevalent, with acceptance being an influential factor in decision-making. Healthcare professionals should recognize the informational and emotional needs of prospective CIED patients and tailor support mechanisms to better facilitate their decision-making.

Social Media Use and Oral Health-Related Misconceptions in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Social media has become a central tool in health communication, offering both opportunities and challenges. In Saudi Arabia, where platforms like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram are widely used, the quality and credibility of oral health information shared digitally remain critical issues. Misconceptions about oral health can negatively influence individuals' behaviors and oral health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe the patterns of social media use and estimate the prevalence of oral health-related misconceptions among adults in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, it assessed the associations between engagement with oral health information, self-reported oral health, and the presence and count of these misconceptions.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted over 10 weeks, targeting adults aged 15 years and older in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from a total sample size (n=387) via a questionnaire distributed through targeted advertisements on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X (Twitter). The prevalence of oral health-related misconceptions was estimated using descriptive statistics, including counts and percentages. Chi-square tests described sociodemographic, social media engagement, and self-reported oral health. Logistic and Poisson regression analyses were used to assess associations between engagement and self-reported oral health with misconceptions. Logistic regression models provided odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI to assess the presence of oral health misconceptions. Poisson regression was used to calculate mean ratios and adjusted mean ratios (AMRs) for the count of misconceptions.

RESULTS

WhatsApp (n=344, 89.8%) and Instagram (n=304, 78.9%) were the most frequently used social media platforms daily. Common oral health misconceptions included beliefs that "Pregnancy causes calcium loss in teeth" (n=337, 87%) and "Dental treatment should be avoided during pregnancy" (n=245, 63.3%). Following dental-specific accounts was significantly associated with lower odds of having any misconceptions (adjusted odds ratio 0.41, 95% CI 0.22-0.78) and a lower count of misconceptions (AMR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.98). Conversely, trust in social media as a source of oral health information was associated with a higher count of misconceptions (AMR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.31).

CONCLUSIONS

Social media platforms are essential yet double-edged tools for oral health information dissemination in Saudi Arabia. Participants who followed dental-specific accounts had significantly lower misconceptions, while trust in social media as a source of information was linked to higher counts of misconceptions. These findings highlight the importance of promoting credible content from verified sources to combat misconceptions. Strategic collaborations with dental professionals are necessary to enhance the dissemination of accurate oral health information and public awareness and reduce the prevalence of oral health-related misconceptions.

Examining healthcare workers' engagement with social media-based health education: Influencing factors, challenges, and future directions

BACKGROUND

Social Media-based Health Education (SMHE) provides an effective way to address health disparities and improve public health literacy. Despite its inherent advantages, Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in China have showed limited and transient interest in engaging with SMHE initiatives.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine healthcare workers' perceptions of SMHE, identifying current influencing factors, challenges, and proposing future directions for development.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted from October 2021 to January 2022, involving healthcare workers (i.e., physicians, nurses, and hospital administrators) engaged in SMHE. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were undertaken with 30 HCWs, which were subsequently analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis yielded 165 initial codes, organized into 12 subcategories spanning three main themes: (1) HCWs' perceptions of SMHE, (2) drivers and barriers to HCWs' engagement with SMHE, and (3) strategies to overcome current challenges.

CONCLUSION

This study yielded three main conclusions. First, HCWs in China exhibit a noticeable optimism toward SMHE, but most of them still have certain concerns. Second, HCWs engagement with SMHE is motivated or requested by their organizations, rather than their own initiatives. The main barriers for HCWs engagement with SMHE include: lack of time, risk of reputational loss, conflicts of interest, patient welfare, and concerns about legal issues. Third, healthcare organizations, social media platforms, and governmental bodies, must collaboratively address these issues to ensure protection for health workers engaged with SMHE.

PRACTICAL VALUE

This study finds that Chinese HCWs are willing to engage in SMHE provided they are moderately rewarded and assured of a secure environment.

Mapping the terrain of social media misinformation: A scientometric exploration of global research

The rise of social media has enabled unrestricted information sharing, regardless of its accuracy. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in the widespread dissemination of misinformation. This study aims to provide a comprehensive scientometric analysis under the PRISMA paradigm to clarify the repetitive trajectory of misinformation on social media in the current digital age. In this study, 3724 publications on social media misinformation from the Web of Science between January 2010 and February 2024 were analyzed scientifically and metrically using CiteSpace software. The findings reveal a sharp increase in annual publication output starting from 2015. The United States of America and China have made more significant contributions in publication volume and global collaborations than other nations. The top five keywords with high frequency are social media, fake news, information, misinformation, and news. In contrast to a brief review of existing articles, this study provides an exhaustive review of annual scientific research output, journals, countries, institutions, contributors, highly cited papers, and keywords in social media misinformation research. The developmental stages of social media misinformation research are charted, current hot topics are discussed, and avenues for future research are suggested.

Assessing the accuracy and usefulness of YouTube videos on small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery for patients and healthcare professionals

To evaluate the quality, usefulness, and reliability of videos about Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) surgery on the YouTube platform. On January 19, 2022, a search was performed on YouTube ( www.youtube.com ) with the keywords 'small incision lenticule extraction', 'SMILE refractive surgery', and 'ReLex SMILE Surgery'. The default search option was "sort videos by relevance". The duration of videos (seconds), the number of views, the source of videos (surgeons/medical organizations-health channels/patients-others), the number of subscribers, the number of likes and dislikes, like ratio (like × 100/[like + dislike]), the number of comments, the time since upload date (days), the video content (surgery/theoretical information), the content of surgical videos (real surgery/animation), mode of expression (verbal narration/subtitle), and the presence of a conflict of interest (yes/no) were recorded. The videos were blindly evaluated by two refractive surgeons (SA and AK) using DISCERN, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the Global Quality Score (GQS). A total of 101 videos were analyzed, 38 (37.6%) of which were uploaded by surgeons. The mean DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS were 37.73 ± 7.49; 1.90 ± 0.57; and 2.20 ± 0.73, respectively. The JAMA score, GQS, and video duration were all significantly correlated with the DISCERN score. The GQS was significantly correlated with all parameters except the JAMA score. Overall, SMILE surgery videos on the YouTube platform may provide cursory information to non-ophthalmologists; however, when the videos are evaluated using tools such as DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS, they are of low quality in terms of refractive surgery education for ophthalmologists. Experts should evaluate and review content uploaded to websites such as YouTube.

Artificial intelligence in dentistry: Assessing the informational quality of YouTube videos

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The most widely used social media platform for video content is YouTubeTM. The present study evaluated the quality of information on YouTubeTM on artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used YouTubeTM (https://www.youtube.com) for searching videos. The terms used for the search were "artificial intelligence in dentistry," "machine learning in dental care," and "deep learning in dentistry." The accuracy and reliability of the information source were assessed using the DISCERN score. The quality of the videos was evaluated using the modified Global Quality Score (mGQS) and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score.

RESULTS

The analysis of 91 YouTube™ videos on AI in dentistry revealed insights into video characteristics, content, and quality. On average, videos were 22.45 minutes and received 1715.58 views and 23.79 likes. The topics were mainly centered on general dentistry (66%), with radiology (18%), orthodontics (9%), prosthodontics (4%), and implants (3%). DISCERN and mGQS scores were higher for videos uploaded by healthcare professionals and educational content videos(P<0.05). DISCERN exhibited a strong correlation (0.75) with the video source and with JAMA (0.77). The correlation of the video's content and mGQS, was 0.66 indicated moderate correlation.

CONCLUSION

YouTube™ has informative and moderately reliable videos on AI in dentistry. Dental students, dentists and patients can use these videos to learn and educate about artificial intelligence in dentistry. Professionals should upload more videos to enhance the reliability of the content.

Can large language models address unmet patient information needs and reduce provider burnout in the management of thyroid disease?

BACKGROUND

Patient electronic messaging has increased clinician workload contributing to burnout. Large language models can respond to these patient queries, but no studies exist on large language model responses in thyroid disease.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study randomly selected 33 of 52 patient questions found on Reddit/askdocs. Questions were found through a "thyroid + cancer" or "thyroid + disease" search and had verified-physician responses. Additional responses were generated using ChatGPT-3.5 and GPT-4. Questions and responses were anonymized and graded for accuracy, quality, and empathy using a 4-point Likert scale by blinded providers, including 4 surgeons, 1 endocrinologist, and 2 physician assistants (n = 7). Results were analyzed using a single-factor analysis of variance.

RESULTS

For accuracy, the results averaged 2.71/4 (standard deviation 1.04), 3.49/4 (0.391), and 3.66/4 (0.286) for physicians, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4, respectively (P < .01), where 4 = completely true information, 3 = greater than 50% true information, and 2 = less than 50% true information. For quality, the results were 2.37/4 (standard deviation 0.661), 2.98/4 (0.352), and 3.81/4 (0.36) for physicians, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4, respectively (P < .01), where 4 = provided information beyond what was asked, 3 = completely answers the question, and 2 = partially answers the question. For empathy, the mean scores were 2.37/4 (standard deviation 0.661), 2.80/4 (0.582), and 3.14/4 (0.578) for physicians, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4, respectively (P < .01), where 4 = anticipates and infers patient feelings from the expressed question, 3 = mirrors the patient's feelings, and 2 = contains no dismissive comments. Responses by GPT were ranked first 95% of the time.

CONCLUSIONS

Large language model responses to patient queries about thyroid disease have the potential to be more accurate, complete, empathetic, and consistent than physician responses.

Exploring the Efficacy of Artificial Intelligence: A Comprehensive Analysis of CHAT-GPT's Accuracy and Completeness in Addressing Urinary Incontinence Queries

BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence models are increasingly gaining popularity among patients and healthcare professionals. While it is impossible to restrict patient's access to different sources of information on the Internet, healthcare professional needs to be aware of the content-quality available across different platforms.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the accuracy and completeness of Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) in addressing frequently asked questions related to the management and treatment of female urinary incontinence (UI), compared to recommendations from guidelines.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. Two researchers developed 14 frequently asked questions related to UI. Then, they were inserted into the ChatGPT platform on September 16, 2023. The accuracy (scores from 1 to 5) and completeness (score from 1 to 3) of ChatGPT's answers were assessed individually by two experienced researchers in the Women's Health field, following the recommendations proposed by the guidelines for UI.

RESULTS

Most of the answers were classified as "more correct than incorrect" (n = 6), followed by "incorrect information than correct" (n = 3), "approximately equal correct and incorrect" (n = 2), "near all correct" (n = 2, and "correct" (n = 1). Regarding the appropriateness, most of the answers were classified as adequate, as they provided the minimum information expected to be classified as correct.

CONCLUSION

These results showed an inconsistency when evaluating the accuracy of answers generated by ChatGPT compared by scientific guidelines. Almost all the answers did not bring the complete content expected or reported in previous guidelines, which highlights to healthcare professionals and scientific community a concern about using artificial intelligence in patient counseling.

Like and share: A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey of social media use during monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies

PROBLEM

Monochorionic-diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies are high-risk, requiring specialized monitoring and procedures to screen for and treat potential complications.

AIM

This study examined decisions to use social media among those who have experienced MCDA pregnancies and how these groups influenced treatment and management decisions for these rare, complicated pregnancies.

METHODS

An online mixed-methods, retrospective survey, was completed in 2021 by 624 participants who experienced MCDA pregnancies within 5 years of the study; participants were recruited from online MCDA pregnancy groups on Facebook and Twitter. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Sixty-nine percent of participants used social media to communicate during their MCDA pregnancies, an 18 increase from before pregnancy, and most (74.2 %) used online support groups during pregnancy. Thematic analysis revealed participants used social media primarily to find others with similar experiences, learn more about MCDA pregnancies, and obtain guidance. Most would also recommend joining social media during a similar pregnancy. Nearly half indicated that social media influenced MCDA pregnancy management and treatment decisions - like decisions regarding birth plans, providers, and MCDA-related complications. Several participants cautioned that support groups can be triggering when negative stories are shared.

CONCLUSION

Social media can provide information, support, and improve advocacy for those experiencing MCDA pregnancies. Providers may consider online groups as another source of support for pregnant people and be prepared to address questions that may arise. This study also reveals opportunities for increased and/or improved patient educational materials and patient-provider communication related to MCDA pregnancies.

Is Social Media a Boon or Bane for Orthodontics in the Current Digital Age: A Cross-Sectional Electronic Survey

BACKGROUND

 Social media is an online platform where people share their experiences, perspectives, and opinions individually or in groups. There has been a rapid increase in internet users after the introduction of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Other than primary means of communication, social media aids in distributing healthcare information among professionals and patients. It enhances the knowledge of health care to the patients, but on the contrary, patients can be misguided by false information influenced by unauthorized professionals as it is readily available. With the same objective in mind, the study was undertaken to investigate the perspective of Indian orthodontists on social media use and to assess the potential benefits and disadvantages of social media along with its role in health care education.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was designed to consist of 42 questions related to the perspectives of Indian orthodontic professionals on the use of social media in orthodontic practice. The questionnaire was sent to 800 registered Indian orthodontists through electronic mail.

RESULTS

A total of only 173 orthodontists responded to the online survey. The electronic survey showed that the phone was the most preferred communication tool in the practice with the patients (87.2%). The most common social media platform for sharing patient information was Instagram (82.5%). The survey showed that none of the orthodontists have received formal training or certification on using social media (85.7%). The reliability of social media platforms is very low (34.9%). Social media would affect the patient's choice of healthcare provider (87.3%). The majority of orthodontists have agreed that there should be regulations for quality control on social media to share patient information (90.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings offer valuable insights into the current landscape of social media usage among Indian orthodontists. While social media presents numerous opportunities for communication, education, and practice promotion, it also poses challenges related to training, misinformation, patient privacy, and regulatory oversight. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort from orthodontists, regulatory bodies, and digital platforms to develop and implement guidelines that promote responsible social media usage while upholding professional standards and patient welfare. By leveraging social media effectively and ethically, orthodontists can enhance patient engagement, education, and practice visibility in the digital age.

Digital Health Interventions for Adolescents with Long-Term Health Conditions in South Africa: A Scoping Review

Adolescents with long-term health conditions may benefit from digital health interventions (DHIs) to support self-management. The study aimed to map the current research on DHIs for adolescents with long-term conditions in South Africa, focusing on the types of interventions, targeted chronic conditions, and reported outcomes. The scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Searches were conducted in electronic databases such as EBSCOHost (CINAHL, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate, and APA PSycArticles), Wiley Online Library, and PubMed for articles published between 2014 and 2024. Studies that (1) involved adolescents with a long-term health condition (aged 15-24) residing in South Africa, (2) reported on the use of digital health technology, and (3) provided empirical evidence were included. Nine studies were included in the analysis, focusing primarily on HIV, depression/anxiety, and diabetes. Most interventions utilized WhatsApp, SMS, or social media to provide peer or healthcare worker support. Process outcomes like acceptability and feasibility dominated, with limited data on effectiveness. DHIs show potential for supporting adolescent health but cover a limited number of long-term health conditions and face barriers to effective implementation. Affordable, context-specific solutions co-designed with adolescents are crucial to enhance engagement and ensure scalability in the South African context. Registration: The protocol was registered on Open Science Framework.

Public Interest in Online Information on Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Is Greatest for Information with the Poorest Publication Quality

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most prevalent bacterial infections. With many patients turning to the Internet as a health resource, this study seeks to understand public engagement with online resources concerning recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), assess their reliability, and identify common questions/concerns about rUTIs. Methods: Social media analysis tool BuzzSumo was used to calculate online engagement (likes, shares, comments, views) with information on rUTIs. The reliability of highly engaged articles was evaluated using the DISCERN questionnaire. Highly engaged categories were entered as keywords in Google Trends to quantify search interest. To categorize patient-specific concerns, a database containing anonymously collected patient questions about rUTIs was created. Results: BuzzSumo revealed four search categories: general information, treatment, causes, and herbal remedies. DISCERN scores indicated moderate reliability overall; however, the "herbal remedies" category demonstrated poor reliability despite high engagement. Google Trends analysis highlighted "causes" and "treatment" searches as highest in relative interest. The 10 most popular categories of concern were antibiotics, microbiome, vaccines, prevention, pelvic pain, sex, testing, symptoms, diet/lifestyle, and hormones. Conclusions: People living with rUTIs demonstrate key concerns and often seek information online, yet articles with high engagement often contain unreliable information. Healthcare professionals may consider counteracting misinformation by providing evidence-based information online about rUTIs.

Mapping the AIDS Week Health Campaign on Social Media in China: A Mixed-Method Study

This study aimed to explore the dissemination of HIV/AIDS-related information and risk factors on social media during AIDS Weeks, helping policymakers and public health organizations understand how the public utilizes social media to formulate strategies for AIDS health campaigns better. This study used Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and sentiment analysis to investigate the distribution of themes and people's reactions during AIDS Weeks. Additionally, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was employed to further examine the social structures, cultural contexts, and power dynamics underlying the discourse. From 2018 to 2021, 48437 posts were analyzed, revealing 21 topics coded and categorized into six main themes: Response Methods, Specific Topics, Promotion, Virus Status, Specific Groups, and Positive Feedback. Critical discourse analysis uncovered a parallel trend of demonstrating both threat and efficacy in AIDS Week promotion in China. However, the lack of actionable prevention information may reduce behavioral intentions. The top-down implementation approach ensures efficient execution at all levels but also results in formalism during AIDS Week. Text themes vary annually based on slogans and social contexts, requiring localization for effective implementation and overcoming cultural barriers detrimental to health promotion. Cultural context and social structures contribute to issues such as formalism and stigmatization of marginalized groups. We suggest enhancing user engagement and interaction through social platforms during AIDS Week activities. Collaboration between public health organizations and social media companies can further increase public awareness of the disease, mitigate societal biases, and provide accurate and practical prevention guidance.

[Information and support needs of women planning an abortion according to counselling regulations in Germany - A qualitative study]

BACKGROUND

For women seeking legal abortion care, access to information and care options is not transparent in Germany. This can affect health and complicate the decision-making process. In its guideline, the WHO recommends the use of evidence-based information to enable women to make informed decisions. This qualitative study aims to assess preferences and decisional needs of women in Germany.

METHOD

For the needs assessment, a qualitative study based on semi-structured guided interviews was conducted with pregnancy conflict counsellors and women who terminated a pregnancy in the past five years in Germany. These data were supplemented with social media group postings of women with pregnancy conflict experiences. All data were analysed using content-structuring analysis according to Kuckartz.

RESULTS

Three women who had undergone an abortion and two pregnancy conflict counsellors were interviewed. In addition, 89 posts from a closed social media group were analysed. Three main categories were identified: women's categorisation in value systems, factors influencing the experience of the care process and information needs of women facing conflict situations in connection with their pregnancy ("pregnancy conflict"). Abortion is considered to be stigmatised, so women rarely use existing counselling services. Overall, there is a high need for information and support among those seeking care. Concerns exist, especially with regard to the methods of abortion. The results of the study also indicate a burden caused by fragmented care, which requires a high degree of self-organisation of women.

DISCUSSION

The care situation in Germany does not meet the recommendations of the WHO guideline on safe abortion. The results indicate that care close to home and with an abortion procedure that meets women's individual preferences and thus complies with their self-determination has not yet been achieved in Germany.

CONCLUSION

Neutral and evidence-based information could be helpful to enable women to make informed decisions and reduce anxiety. It would also be desirable to increase the opportunities for women to talk about their experiences in a protected environment.

BCG therapy for bladder cancer: Exploring patient experiences and concerns through artificial intelligence-based social media analysis

Background

There is a notable disparity between the guidelines for BCG therapy in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Reddit has emerged as a popular online platform for individuals seeking information and exchanging their experiences related to bladder cancer.

Objective

To investigate and classify public opinions about intravesical BCG therapy as shared on Reddit, a popular social media platform.

Methods

This study employed an artificial intelligence-based approach to examine discussions related to intravesical BCG therapy on a social media platform over the past ten years. An artificial intelligence framework was developed to categorize these conversations into distinct topics and thematic categories. This framework included a partially supervised model for processing natural language (using BERT [Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers]), a method for reducing data complexity, and an algorithm for clustering. Additionally, each conversation was assessed for sentiment.

Results

A total of 1223 unique discussions related to BCG therapy were analyzed, comprising 110 unique posts and 1113 comments from 268 distinct authors. We identified four overarching thematic groups: 1) BCG administration procedures, (2) hesitancy in initiating or maintaining BCG treatment, (3) issues related to BCG shortage and alternative treatments, and (4) side effects of BCG treatment. Sentiment analysis of the 1223 discussions revealed that 25.2% (308) exhibited a negative sentiment, 58.3% (713) were neutral, and 16.5% (202) showed a positive sentiment.

Conclusion

Online social media often contains detailed personal experiences with BCG therapy, not commonly found in medical literature. Understanding these experiences can help medical professionals improve care and treatment adherence in NMIBC.

Social media provides support and education for pregnant people when healthcare does not

Introduction

The use of social media for health-related reasons is growing, but there is a dearth of research on the mechanisms of support provided. Understanding how social media groups work could improve communications between providers and patients. Preeclampsia (PreE) is a hypertensive disease of pregnancy that has short- and long-term physical and psychosocial effects. The Preeclampsia, Eclampsia & HELLP Syndrome Survivors Global Support Network (PEHSS) Facebook group is an online, international, moderated support group that provides evidence-based information and community support. Our study aimed to (1) characterize the forms of social support and types of information sought and provided from the perspective of the group moderators and members, and (2) describe group members' experiences of patient care. We triangulated interview and survey findings to identify gaps in care, ultimately to inform in improvements in care delivery.

Methods

We began with 30-45-minute semi-structured interviews with PEHSS moderators exploring experiences and perceptions of membership; preliminary findings were member-checked with additional moderators. Interviews were analyzed using template and matrix analysis. Based on emergent themes, we conducted an online, validated patient experience survey with PEHSS members that was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results

Emotional and social support, mental health, resources and education, and personal health advocacy emerged as major themes in the 12 interviews. 1,148 PEHSS members responded to the survey. 68% of survey participants wanted to be more involved in the decisions about their care and treatment and over 30% felt they were not informed about danger signals post discharge while approximately half reported always feeling treated with respect and dignity while in the hospital. Geographic analysis showed differences in experiences of communication with providers within and outside the US.

Discussion

The triangulated results from interviews and surveys indicated a need for better communication with providers and the ability for patients to have more input on their care. The survey results indicate a global issue in providing support for people with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy during their hospitalization. The needs currently supported through communities on social media highlight opportunities to address critical gaps in care.

Perceived unmet needs and impact on quality of life of patients living with advanced bladder cancer and their caregivers: results of a social media listening study conducted in five European countries

BACKGROUND

Advanced bladder cancer (aBC) is a significant health concern in Europe and has a poor prognosis. Patients with aBC face numerous unmet needs and challenges that significantly impact their quality of life (QoL). This study aims to analyze social media data from five European countries to address gaps in our understanding of the unmet needs, challenges, and impact on QoL in European patients with aBC and their caregivers.

METHODS

This retrospective, real-world study includes public social media posts geolocated in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK, posted between October 2017 and January 2022. To enhance the filtering process, natural language processing methods and specific algorithms were used to remove irrelevant content and retain posts from patients and caregivers. QoL impacts were identified using a deep-learning algorithm, followed by qualitative analysis. Unmet needs were analyzed via annotation of messages and the saturation method.

RESULTS

A total of 1670 posts from 1396 users (699 posts from 546 patients and 971 posts from 850 caregivers) discussing aBC in 91 publicly available online sources were identified. Half of patients were male (n = 272, 49.8%) while more caregivers were female (n = 474, 55.8%), with an average age of 58.2 and 35.2 years, respectively. Patients and caregivers expressed an impact on QoL, wherein 40.0% (558/1396) of users mentioned at least an impact on one aspect of QoL. Among those, 56.8% (317/558) and 48.6% (271/558) of users expressed physical and psychological challenges, respectively. Most unmet needs identified belonged to two main categories: transversal, i.e., arising throughout the patient's care pathway (307/1092 [28.1%]), and disease specific (295/1092 [27.0%]). Main challenges included worsening of the disease (n = 141, 12.9%), psychological impact (n = 112, 10.3%), and need to share experiences and seek support (n = 94, 8.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

This social media listening study demonstrated the profound emotional and physical burden on patients with aBC and their caregivers, and a genuine need for support and an outlet to discuss their challenges, particularly in terms of managing the illness. These results underscore the importance of enhancing education for both patients and caregivers and the necessity for more effective systemic cancer therapies and better palliative care alternatives.

Role of online health communities in patient compliance: a social support perspective

Purpose

Online health communities (OHC) can transform the healthcare industry, particularly in developing economies. Technology advancement and increased health literacy pave the way for these communities to become powerful tools for empowering patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically validate the linkages between social support and how it overarchingly influences patient compliance. Following social support theory, this study delineates how support from the community affects the patient–physician relationship (PERP) and consequently patient compliance regarding the treatment plan. This study also invents the role of patient trust in an OHC in moderating the relationship between PERP and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on social support and empowerment theories to investigate the importance of social support in improving patients’ health behaviours and health outcomes via patient empowerment, patient engagement and patient compliance. The authors surveyed users from three Facebook cancer communities in India to collect data. The authors used partial least squares structured equation modelling and necessary condition analysis (NCA) with 265 participants to support the proposed model.

Findings

The result demonstrates that PERP is a crucial factor for patient engagement in OHC, and patient engagement has a significant effect on patient compliance. The results also showed that trust was a significant moderator between PERP and engagement. The NCA analysis shows all the relationships are significant; however, emotional support is not a necessary condition for PERP.

Research limitations/implications

By empowering cancer patients and enabling them to meet their emotional and informational needs through OHCs, the study model can aid in the development of solutions that will improve compliance with their treatment in an emerging economic context. The findings indicate the potential chain reaction of social support and PERP in online cancer health communities. This study also contributes to quantifying the social impacts of online healthcare services and how to enhance the healthcare compliance framework.

Originality/value

This study combines social support and empowerment theory with patient, physician, and technology to provide a fine-grained picture of PERP in OHC. It explains how social support in OHC promotes self-care behaviour. This linkage validation enables readers and the community at large to gain a more nuanced understanding of how social support – through PERP, engagement and trust – enables patient compliance using primary data.

Social Media Behavior Guidelines for Healthcare Professionals: An American Society of Pain and Neuroscience NEURON Project

Purpose

The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) identified a significant gap in resources and guidelines that aim to educate healthcare providers for best practices when engaging on social media. As part of the broader initiatives on Spine and Nerve practice, the executive board of ASPN has decided it would be beneficial to include comprehensive guidance for healthcare providers when engaging on social media.

Methods

A panel of experts was chosen based on expertise, publications, diversity, and their social media presence. Along with expert guidance, the committee conducted an extensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature in communication and medical journals to determine best practices for healthcare practitioners on social media.

Results

Social media messages significantly impact patients' and colleagues' perceptions and actions regarding medical issues. As such, providers and their teams must be aware of legal and ethical considerations in healthcare while maintaining a consistent, educational, and digestible persona online.

Conclusion

The advancement of communication and medical technologies and systems necessitates continued education and resources to adapt to our rapidly changing media and medical landscape.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Mental Illness: A Topic Modeling Approach to Online Mental Health Communities

PURPOSE

This study aimed to provide foundational data to enhance integrated interventions by gaining an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of patients experiencing both mental illness and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which carry a high risk of comorbidity and potential mutual exacerbation.

METHODS

Data were collected from a large online mental health community in South Korea, active among individuals with mental illness and their families (as of October 21, 2024: 113,060 members and 368,352 posts). Posts containing the keywords 'pee' or 'urine' (a total of 986 posts) were analyzed including their titles, content, and categories. Analyses included word cloud, latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling, category frequency analysis, and qualitative analysis.

RESULTS

The findings indicate that among individuals with mental illness, LUTS are perceived as side effects of psychiatric medications and regarded as inevitable. Many patients attempted self-regulation or discontinuation of medication instead of seeking urological treatment, but these attempts often led to failure. The study revealed that participants used the community to explore the relationship between LUTS and mental illness. LUTS had negative impacts on family and social life, and urinary incontinence exacerbated emotional distress such as self-blame and despair.

CONCLUSION

Patients with mental illness experiencing LUTS often engage in self-regulation or discontinuation of medication. It underscores the need for accurate information and warnings about risks. As these patients endure discomfort and frustration in daily life, symptom deterioration is likely and necessitates proactive urological intervention to improve their quality of life. This study enhances understanding of the impact of co-occurring mental illness and LUTS and highlights the need for proper information and guidance. However, it has limitations including reliance on self-reported data and limited sample representativeness. Future research can address these issues by linking medical diagnoses with objective data and expanding the sample size.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Acceptance of Health Science Information among WeChat Public Account Users: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of WeChat users towards health-related public accounts.

METHODS

The study included 567 participants who completed the questionnaire. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation among the 3 dimensions. Multivariate analysis identified independent factors associated with KAP scores.

RESULTS

The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 6.12 ± 2.29 (61.2% of the total), 55.83 ± 7.33 (69.8% of the total), and 14.07 ± 3.72 (70.4% of the total), respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed between knowledge and practice (r = 0.392, P < 0.001) as well as between attitude and practice (r = 0.319, P < 0.001). Age [OR = 0.29 (0.09, 0.91), P = 0.034], marital status [OR = 2.11 (1.04, 4.29), P = 0.038], income [OR = 2.42 (1.23, 4.75), P = 0.010], and physical condition [OR = 0.45 (0.24, 0.85), P = 0.014] were independent factors associated with KAP scores.

CONCLUSIONS

WeChat users in China had relatively adequate knowledge and positive attitudes towards health-related public accounts. The findings highlight the potential of WeChat in enhancing health information dissemination in China.

Social media has become a mainstream source of medical information for patients with rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional survey of patients

This study analyzed the status of medical information acquisition through social media (SM) and its impact on healthcare utilization among patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs) who visited the rheumatology department of a tertiary hospital. We consecutively evaluated 102 patients with RDs in this single-center cross-sectional survey. Using a face-to-face survey, patients were asked about the sources they used to acquire medical information, factors influencing their visits to tertiary hospitals, and the potential impact of acquiring medical information on RDs through SM. SM refers to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Kakao Channel, Naver Band, and X. The mean age was 42.3 years and 39% were female. The most common disease was ankylosing spondylitis (45.1%), followed by rheumatoid arthritis (20.6%). The most frequent method for acquiring medical information regarding RDs, except for rheumatologists, was internet portal sites (47.8%), followed by SM (40.2%). The most important factor influencing the decision to visit a tertiary hospital was medical doctors (51%); only 1% of the patients responded that SM was the most crucial factor in determining their visit. Most patients (77.5%) responded that acquiring medical information through SM would help them manage their diseases. Our data revealed that a substantial proportion of patients with RDs obtained medical information through SM. However, the impact of SM on visiting a tertiary hospital was minimal, suggesting that SM has become a mainstream source of medical information, yet the reliability of SM remains relatively low. Rheumatology societies should establish SM platforms capable of providing high-quality medical information.

Social media stethoscope: unraveling how doctors' social media behavior affects patient adherence and treatment outcome

Objective

The exposure of the content posted by doctors on social media has the potential to influence how patients perceive and judge doctors. It is necessary to further investigate whether and how the content posted by doctors affects patients' health behaviors and outcomes, as well as to identify the factors that may influence this mechanism.

Methods

Multi-respondent survey data was collected from 35 doctors and 322 patients in China, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis model.

Results

The findings revealed that doctors posting professional knowledge content on social media positively impacted patient adherence and treatment effectiveness. Conversely, doctors sharing personal life-related content on social media were associated with lower patient adherence and poorer treatment outcome. Moreover, doctor gender and doctor humor moderate the relationship between social media behavior of doctors and patient adherence.

Conclusion

Doctors sharing professional knowledge on social media not only fosters trust in physicians but also closely correlates with patient adherence and treatment effectiveness.

Mediating Effects of Information Access on Internet Use and Multidimensional Health Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

With the exacerbation of population aging, the health issues of middle-aged and older adults have increasingly become a focus of attention. The widespread use of the internet has created conditions for promoting the health of this demographic. However, little is known about the effects of information access in promoting the relationship between internet use and the health of middle-aged and older adults.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the relationship between internet use and multidimensional health in middle-aged and older adults, as well as the mediating effect of information access. Moreover, this study will explore the relationship between other dimensions of internet use (purposes and frequency) and health.

METHODS

Data were sourced from the China General Social Survey conducted in 2018. Health outcomes, including self-rated, physical, and mental health, were assessed using the 5-level self-rated health scale, the 5-level basic activities of daily living scale, and the 5-level depression scale, respectively. The ordinal logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship between internet use and health among middle-aged and older adults. Additionally, the Karlson-Holm-Breen decomposition method was used to examine the mediation effect of information access. To address endogeneity issues, the two-stage least squares approach was applied.

RESULTS

In our sample, nearly half (n=3036, 46.3%) of the respondents use the internet. Regression analyses revealed that internet use was positively associated with self-rated health (odds ratio [OR] 1.55, 95% CI 1.39-1.74; P<.001), physical health (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.25-1.56; P<.001), and mental health (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.19-1.49; P<.001) of middle-aged and older adults. Various dimensions of internet use positively contribute to health. In addition, information access significantly mediated the relationship between internet use and self-rated health (β=.28, 95% CI 0.23-0.32), physical health (β=.40, 95% CI 0.35-0.45), and mental health (β=.16, 95% CI 0.11-0.20). Furthermore, there were significant differences in the relationship between internet use and health among advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that different dimensions of internet use are associated with better self-rated health, better physical health, and better mental health in middle-aged and older adults. Information access mediates the relationship between internet use and health. This result emphasizes the significance of promoting internet access as a means to enhance the health of middle-aged and older adults in China.

Health Information Processing and Symptom Management in a Cross-Cultural Setting: Insights from IBD Patients

The affordances of social media, have significantly transformed how patients seek and process health information online, including those with chronic diseases like irritable bowel disease (IBD). Few studies have explored how information processing may impact symptom management. Guided by social cognitive theory, this study investigates how Chinese and U.S. patients (N = 838) process health information in a cross-cultural setting and the impact on symptom management. It finds that efficient information processing improves treatment understanding and symptom management for IBD patients, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. It also reveals a U-shaped quadratic relationship between IBD severity and emotional and peer support, indicating varying support needs at different IBD stages. These findings provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers in designing interventions for chronic diseases. The study underscores the importance of recognizing the dynamics of health information processing and the need for a more nuanced approach to patient support and care.

Strategies and bottlenecks to tackle infodemic in public health: a scoping review

Background

The World Health Organization defines "infodemic" as the phenomenon of an uncontrolled spread of information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak, causing confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can harm health. The aim of this scoping review is to examine international evidence and identify strategies and bottlenecks to tackle health-related fake news.

Methods

We performed a scoping review of the literature from 1 January 2018 to 26 January 2023 on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus electronic databases. We also performed a search of grey literature on institutional websites. The research question has been defined according to the PCC (population, concept, and context) mnemonic for constructing research questions in scoping reviews.

Results

The overall research in the scientific databases yielded a total of 5,516 records. After removing duplicates, and screening the titles, abstracts, and full texts, we included 21 articles from scientific literature. Moreover, 5 documents were retrieved from institutional websites. Based on their content, we decided to group recommendations and bottlenecks into five different and well-defined areas of intervention, which we called strategies: "foster proper communication through the collaboration between science and social media companies and users," "institutional and regulatory interventions," "check and debunking," "increase health literacy," and "surveillance and monitoring through new digital tools."

Conclusion

The multidisciplinary creation of standardized toolkits that collect recommendations from the literature and institutions can provide a valid solution to limit the infodemic, increasing the health education of both citizens and health professionals, providing the knowledge to recognize fake news, as well as supporting the creation and validation of AI tools aimed at prebunking and debunking.