TikTok and adolescent vision health: Content and information quality assessment of the top short videos related to myopia

Social media in ophthalmology: A comprehensive literature review

We examine the role of social media in ophthalmology, focusing on its impact on patient education, professional networking, and practice promotion. An English language, PubMed search from 2019 to 2024 was performed using the search terms: "social media" and "ophthalmology" on PubMed. An analysis based on the existing usage patterns and impact/effect of social media platforms in ophthalmology was performed and is described. Fifty-five papers were included in the review. Social media enhance patient engagement and education with varying content quality. Platforms like X and YouTube have the potential to offer valuable educational content, while Instagram and TikTok foster interactive user engagement. Despite these benefits, misinformation, patient confidentiality, and time commitment remain a considerable issue. Social media provide substantial advantages for ophthalmologists, but requires careful management to address the spread of inaccurate information and ensure content quality.

Neuroanatomical and functional substrates of the short video addiction and its association with brain transcriptomic and cellular architecture

Short video addiction (SVA) has emerged as a growing behavioral and social issue, driven by the widespread use of digital platforms that provide highly engaging, personalized, and brief video content. We investigated the neuroanatomical and functional substrates of SVA symptoms, alongside brain transcriptomic and cellular characteristics, using Inter-Subject Representational Similarity Analysis (IS-RSA) and transcriptomic approaches. Behaviorally, we found that dispositional envy was associated with SVA. Structurally, SVA was positively correlated with increased morphological volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral cerebellum. Functionally, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), cerebellum, and temporal pole (TP) exhibited heightened spontaneous activity, which was positively correlated with SVA severity. Transcriptomic and cellular analyses also showed specific genes linked to gray matter volume (GMV) associated with SVA, with predominant expression in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. These genes showed distinct spatiotemporal expression patterns in the cerebellum during adolescence. This study offers a comprehensive framework integrating structural, functional, and neurochemical evidence to highlight the neural-transcriptomic underpinnings of SVA symptoms in a non-clinical population.

Knowledge, attitudes and practice toward refractive errors management among left-behind children of migrant workers

Background

This study aimed to access knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) regarding refractive errors (RE) management among the left-behind children of migrant workers.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed by the Ophthalmology Department of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between July and August, 2023. The KAP scores were assessed using a self-designed questionnaire.

Results

Analysis of 350 questionnaires showed mean KAP scores of 9.21 ± 3.00 (possible range 0-14), 33.23 ± 3.57 (possible range 9-45), and 50.19 ± 5.31 (possible range 14-70), respectively. Pearson's correlation analysis showed positive correlation was found between knowledge and practice (r = 0.286, p < 0.001), negative correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = -0.150, p = 0.005), and positive correlation between attitude and practice (r = 0.141, p = 0.008). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that children's age (OR = 0.748, 95%CI: 0.632-0.885, p = 0.001), duration away from parents (OR = 0.345, 95%CI: 0.172-0.691, p = 0.003) and RE in parents (OR = 0.405, 95%CI: 0.218-0.753, p = 0.004) were independently associated with knowledge. Relationship to the child other than grandparent (OR = 0.252, 95%CI: 0.064-0.999, p = 0.050), as well as child's gender (female, OR = 1.671, 95%CI: 1.006-2.777, p = 0.047) and duration of sleep per day (OR = 8.401, 95%CI: 1.473-47.923, p = 0.017) were independently associated with practice. In addition, structural equation modeling also showed positive impact of knowledge on practice (β = 1.251, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Left-behind children of migrant workers have mostly sufficient knowledge, positive attitude and proactive practice toward RE management, significantly influenced by child's age, relationship with the child, and duration of living without parents.

The reliability and quality of short videos as health information of guidance for lymphedema: a cross-sectional study

Background

The prevalence of lymphedema is rising, necessitating accurate diagnostic and treatment information for affected patients. Short video-sharing platforms facilitate access to such information but require validation regarding the reliability and quality of the content presented. This study aimed to assess the reliability and quality of lymphedema-related information on Chinese short video-sharing platforms.

Methods

We collected 111 video samples addressing the diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema from four platforms: TikTok, Bilibili, WeChat, and Microblog. Two independent surgeons evaluated each video for content comprehensiveness, quality (using the Global Quality Score), and reliability (using the modified DISCERN tool). The videos from different sources were subsequently compared and analyzed.

Results

Out of 111 videos analyzed, 66 (59.46%) were uploaded by medical professionals, including breast surgeons, vascular surgeons, plastic surgeons, physical therapists, and gynecologists, while 45 (40.54%) were shared by non-medical professionals such as science bloggers, medical institutions, and lymphedema patients. Patient-uploaded videos received the highest engagement, with median likes of 2,257 (IQR: 246.25-10998.25) and favorites of 399 (IQR: 94.5-1794.75). 13 videos (11.71%) contained inaccuracies. Medical professionals' videos generally showed higher content comprehensiveness, particularly those by plastic surgeons, compared to non-medical professionals. The GQS and modified DISCERN tool were used to assess video quality and reliability respectively, with medical professionals scoring higher on both metrics (z = 3.127, p = 0.002; z = 2.010, p = 0.044). The quality and reliability of recommendations provided by plastic surgeons surpassed that of other medical professionals (χ 2 = 16.196, p = 0.003; χ 2 = 9.700, p = 0.046). No significant differences in video quality and reliability were found among the three categories of non-medical professionals (χ 2 = 3.491, p = 0.175; χ 2 = 2.098, p = 0.350).

Conclusion

Our study shows that lymphedema-related videos on short video platforms vary widely in quality. Videos by medical professionals are generally more accurate and of higher quality than those by non-professionals. However, patient-uploaded videos often get more engagement due to their relatability. To ensure public access to reliable information, establishing basic standards for this content is essential.

Adolescent short video addiction in China: unveiling key growth stages and driving factors behind behavioral patterns

The proliferation of short video apps has brought to the forefront the issue of adolescent addiction, a challenge that resonates across Chinese society. Despite growing attention, a comprehensive understanding of the factors propelling addiction at various adolescent stages and its impact on academic performance remains scarce. This study aims to fill this void by identifying key growth stages and crafting targeted intervention strategies. Our investigation engaged 1,896 Chinese students, averaging 15 years old, at pivotal educational junctures. Employing a mixed-method approach, we utilized interviews and surveys, enhanced by fixed effects models and instrumental variables, to discern patterns in short video addiction. The study revealed stage-specific catalysts for addiction: social identity in junior high, academic stress in senior high, and personality traits in university students. A concerning trend was the double and triple rate of severe addiction among senior high students compared to their junior high and university counterparts, respectively, with a peak of 52.7% mild addiction in university. Our predictive model provides a holistic perspective on the drivers of addiction. This groundbreaking analysis delineates the complex interplay of adolescent short video addiction in China, under-scoring its profound implications for academic progression in senior high. The findings under-score the urgent need for tailored interventions to counteract the adverse effects of addiction.

Oral Diabetes Medication Videos on Douyin: Analysis of Information Quality and User Comment Attitudes

BACKGROUND

Oral diabetes medications are important for glucose management in people with diabetes. Although there are many health-related videos on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), the quality of information and the effects on user comment attitudes are unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to analyze the quality of information and user comment attitudes related to oral diabetes medication videos on Douyin.

METHODS

The key phrase "oral diabetes medications" was used to search Douyin on July 24, 2023, and the final samples included 138 videos. The basic information in the videos and the content of user comments were captured using Python. Each video was assigned a sentiment category based on the predominant positive, neutral, or negative attitude, as analyzed using the Weiciyun website. Two independent raters assessed the video content and information quality using the DISCERN (a tool for assessing health information quality) and PEMAT-A/V (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials) instruments.

RESULTS

Doctors were the main source of the videos (136/138, 98.6%). The overall information quality of the videos was acceptable (median 3, IQR 1). Videos on Douyin showed relatively high understandability (median 75%, IQR 16.6%) but poor actionability (median 66.7%, IQR 48%). Most content on oral diabetes medications on Douyin related to the mechanism of action (75/138, 54.3%), precautions (70/138, 50.7%), and advantages (68/138, 49.3%), with limited content on indications (19/138, 13.8%) and contraindications (14/138, 10.1%). It was found that 10.1% (14/138) of the videos contained misinformation, of which 50% (7/14) were about the method of administration. Regarding user comment attitudes, the majority of videos garnered positive comments (81/138, 58.7%), followed by neutral comments (46/138, 33.3%) and negative comments (11/138, 8%). Multinomial logistic regression revealed 2 factors influencing a positive attitude: user comment count (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.00, 95% CI 1.00-1.00; P=.02) and information quality of treatment choices (adjusted OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.09-2.04; P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite most videos on Douyin being posted by doctors, with generally acceptable information quality and positive user comment attitudes, some content inaccuracies and poor actionability remain. Users show more positive attitudes toward videos with high-quality information about treatment choices. This study suggests that health care providers should ensure the accuracy and actionability of video content, enhance the information quality of treatment choices of oral diabetes medications to foster positive user attitudes, help users access accurate health information, and promote medication adherence.

How do health content creators perform well? An integration research of short video and livestream behaviors

Introduction

Short-video platforms have demonstrated vast potential for health education. To meet diverse user requirements, many short-video platforms have integrated livestreaming functionalities. This integration presents challenges for health content creators in formulating effective performance strategies, including decisions about which format to use (short video or livestream) and what type of content to produce. This study utilizes panel data from a prominent short-video platform in China to empirically investigate the impact of different forms and content characteristics on the performance of health content creators.

Methods

We conducted an empirical analysis using panel data obtained from a leading short-video platform in China. Our analysis focused on understanding how the behaviors associated with short videos and livestreaming impact the performance of health content creators. We examined form-level differences, analyzing the distinct roles of short video and livestreaming behaviors. Additionally, we explored content-level characteristics, investigating the effects of content coverage, health knowledge content, and advertising content on both short-term and long-term performance. The moderation effects of the creator's occupation and certification type were also analyzed.

Results

Our form-level analysis revealed that health creators' behaviors in short videos and livestreaming play distinct roles in their performance. Livestreaming behaviors resulted in short-term economic returns, while short video behaviors had a more significant effect on follow-ups, which are often viewed as long-term, more sustainable performance indicators. Content-level analysis showed that content coverage and health knowledge content enhance long-term performance but do not increase short-term performance. Conversely, advertising content was found to be essential for securing short-term financial income. The study also identified that the creator's occupation and certification type moderate the impact of content on performance.

Conclusion

This study integrates two media forms (short video and livestream), providing direct insights into the performance of health content creators in the realm of health education. Health content creators need to strategically balance their use of short videos and livestreaming to optimize both short-term and long-term performance outcomes. Specifically, increasing content coverage and health knowledge can enhance long-term engagement, while incorporating advertising content is crucial for immediate financial gains.

COVID-19 Vaccines #ForYou: Analyzing COVID-19 Vaccine Videos on TikTok During the Early Phase of the Vaccine Rollout in the U.S

This study examined COVID-19 vaccine videos on TikTok (n = 216 collected in March 2021) during the early days of the vaccine rollout in the U.S., including video source, overall stance toward COVID-19 vaccines, Health Belief Model (HBM)-related content, message features (i.e. humor, video type, message sensation value, on-screen text, and unoriginal sound), and user engagement indices (number of views, shares, comments, and likes). Regarding source, health professionals and general users were two of the main sources, which varied depending on video stance. Pro-vaccine videos occurred the most often from health professionals whereas anti-vaccine videos occurred the most often from general users. Health professionals (vs. general users) generated more views, shares, comments, and likes. Regarding stance, we found more pro- than anti-vaccine videos (57.9% vs. 37.5%). Stance was not related with any user engagement index. Though many videos were pro-vaccine, the content corresponding to HBM-specified factors, which likely facilitate a positive behavioral change, was largely lacking, such as mentions of COVID-19 severity (5.6%), susceptibility (2.8%) and information boosting vaccination self-efficacy (3.7%). Mentions of side effects (34%) emerged as the major vaccination barrier. HBM-related mentions were not related with any user engagement index. COVID-19 vaccine videos used several features, which varied across stance. Pro-vaccine videos featured more musical performance, while anti-vaccine videos used more humor, playacting, sound effects, and unoriginal sound. Several message features (e.g. humor and on-screen text) were positively associated with users' engagement with a video. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Myopia information on TikTok: analysis factors that impact video quality and audience engagement

BACKGROUND

TikTok is emerging as a vital platform for health information dissemination. Despite myopia being a global public health issue, the high-quality myopia information shared by health educators often fails to go viral. It is imperative to analyze the factors influencing video quality and popularity, especially from diverse perspectives of researchers, health educators, and audiences.

METHODS

TikTok myopia-related videos were retrieved using TikTok's default comprehensive search (DCS) and most liked search (MLS) strategies. Venn diagrams were employed to illustrate the relationships and commonalities between the two strategies across four sample sizes (top 200, 150, 100, and 50). Video metadata, including details such as creator information, production properties, upload time, video duration, and viewer engagement, were collected. Video quality was assessed using the DISCERN tool. Video content covering six aspects of myopia were evaluated. The impact of search strategies, video sample sizes, production properties, and myopia content on video quality and audience engagement was analyzed through single-factor or multi-factor analysis.

RESULTS

DCS and MLS retrieval strategies, as well as varying sample sizes, resulted in differences in audience engagement for myopia videos (P < 0.039), while The DISCERN quality scores remained comparable (P > 0.221). Videos published by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and non-profit organizations (NPOs) were associated with high-quality (P ≤ 0.014) but comparatively lower popularity (P < 0.033). Videos that reported contents of risk factors, management, and outcomes showed high popularity (P < 0.018), while longer video duration (> 60s) exhibited the opposite trend (P < 0.032). Content on myopia evaluation (P ≤ 0.001) and management (P ≤ 0.022) and video duration were positively correlated with higher DISCERN quality.

CONCLUSION

Videos created by HCPs and NPOs deserve greater attention. Rather than pursuing entertaining effects, professional educators should emphasize producing concise, and high-quality myopia content that readily resonates with the audience and has the potential to go viral on the platform.

An Emerging Ophthalmology Challenge: A Narrative Review of TikTok Trends Impacting Eye Health Among Children and Adolescents

In today's digital age, children and teenagers are deeply entrenched in the world of personal electronic devices including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. These serve as gateways to captivate online content. With children as young as 4 years old having access to these gadgets, the potential benefits of technology coexist with many possible risks. One such risk is the growing global issue of myopia. TikTok, a mobile application that gained immense popularity since its inception in 2016, has garnered 1.7 billion active monthly users in 2023 and is expected to reach two billion in 2024. A significant portion of TikTok's user base consists of adolescents, with approximately 41% falling in the 16-24 age group and a third aged 14 or younger. This social media platform has given rise to the phenomenon of "internet challenges," where users complete and share various tasks through videos. While most of these challenges are harmless, some pose serious risks to teenagers who eagerly seek validation and attention from their peers. This manuscript sheds light on a specific subset of TikTok challenges, namely those related to ophthalmological risks. These challenges include "rubbing castor oil trend," "bleach/bright eye challenge," "mucus fishing challenge," "eggsplosions", "beezin challenge", "Orbeez challenge", "blow-drying eyelashes", "sun gazing," and "popping styes". The manuscript emphasizes the importance of monitoring and regulating potentially dangerous content on social media platforms like TikTok. While these platforms offer educational opportunities, they can also promote life-threatening actions, necessitating efforts to protect vulnerable young users and promote safe online engagement.

An Analysis of Pediatric Ophthalmology Content on TikTok

PURPOSE

To assess pediatric ophthalmology-related information on TikTok (ByteDance).

METHODS

The 12 most commonly searched terms from the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus website were queried as TikTok hashtags. The top 20 videos for each hashtag were analyzed for views, likes, comments, saves, shares, author status and gender, content, and engagement level ratio (ELR). Subanalysis of the educational videos for quality, understandability and actionability, and medical accuracy using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), and modified Medical Information and Content Index (mMICI) was performed.

RESULTS

Analysis of 222 videos revealed a cumulative 191,337,973 views. Patients/families created the most videos (60.4%), followed by optometrists (14.4%), other (laypeople/unknown) (9.0%), ophthalmologists (7.7%), non-ophthalmology physicians (4.5%), and nurses (4.1%). Content was predominantly patient experience (56.8%), followed by educational (25.2%), humor (11.7%), self-promotional (3.6%), procedures (0.9%), other (0.9%), advertisements (0.5%), and career (0.5%). Educational videos had a lower ELR than humorous (3.3 vs 8.2, P < .001) and patient experience (3.3 vs 5.3, P < .001) videos, but more saves than patient experience videos (74 vs 25, P = .009). The mDISCERN scores were greater for videos authored by ophthalmologists (3, P < .001) and optometrists (2.5, P < .001) compared to lay-people (1.5). Ophthalmologist PEMAT understandability scores were greater than non-ophthalmology providers' (95.5% vs 67.4%, P = .002). There was no difference in PEMAT actionability (P = .743) or mMICI scores among the author subgroups (P = .206).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric ophthalmology content on Tik-Tok ranges in quality and understandability. Additional research is needed to help promote posts created by eyecare providers to ensure evidence-based medical content reaches pediatric patients and their families. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2024;61(2):90-97.].

The status quo of short videos as a health information source of Helicobacter pylori: a cross-sectional study

Background

Health education about Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most effective methods to prevent H. pylori infection and standardize H. pylori eradication treatment. Short videos enable people to absorb and remember information more easily and are an important source of health education. This study aimed to assess the information quality of H. pylori-related videos on Chinese short video-sharing platforms.

Methods

A total of 242 H. pylori-related videos from three Chinese short video-sharing platforms with the most users, TikTok, Bilibili, and Kwai, were retrieved. The Global Quality Score (GQS) and the modified DISCERN tool were used to assess the quality and content of videos, respectively. Additionally, comparative analyzes of videos based on different sources and common H. pylori issues were also conducted.

Results

The median GQS score and DISCERN score was 2 for H. pylori-related videos analyzed in this study. Non-gastroenterologists posted the most H. pylori-related videos (136/242, 56.2%). Videos from gastroenterologists (51/242, 21.0%) had the highest GQS and DISCERN scores, with a median of 3. Few videos had content on family-based H. pylori infection control and management (5.8%), whether all H. pylori-positive patients need to undergo eradication treatment (27.7%), and the adverse effects of H. pylori eradication therapy (16.1%).

Conclusion

Generally, the content and quality of the information in H. pylori-related videos were unsatisfactory, and the quality of the video correlated with the source of the video. Videos from gastroenterologists provided more correct guidance with higher-quality information on the prevention and treatment of H. pylori infection.

TikTok as a potential patient educational tool for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: A cross-sectional study

Objective

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a prevalent orbital disease significantly affecting patients' daily lives. Nowadays, TikTok acts as a novel tool for healthcare but involved videos need to be further assessed. Many individuals search for disease information on TikTok before professional consultation. This study aimed to assess the quality of TAO-related TikTok videos and correlations between video variables and quality.

Methods

The top 150 TikTok videos were collected using the keyword TAO. Duplicate, too-short, irrelevant videos and similar videos from the same source were excluded. Two raters evaluated the included videos' overall quality, reliability, understandability, and actionability on different sources and content focuses.

Results

Ninety videos had received nearly 15,000 likes and 2000 shares. Ophthalmologists and treatment focus were two primary parts among categorized groups, whose quality scores were much higher than others. The average Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials scores, Global Quality Scores, and DISCERN scores indicated that these videos were easy to understand (87.6%), actionable (74.5%), and fair in quality (44.97). The number of added hashtags was an essential variable positively correlated with video understandability. Additionally, popularity showed negative correlations with the overall quality, while video length positively correlated with its reliability and negatively correlated with the uploaded days.

Conclusion

Certified healthcare professionals uploaded most TAO videos, resulting in acceptable quality with minimal misinformation. To serve as a qualified source of patient educational materials, TikTok is supposed to promote longer disease-related videos and enhance reliability and understandability simultaneously.

Education and Misinformation: Exploring Ophthalmology Content on TikTok

INTRODUCTION

With the continuous rise of social media usage, more patients are looking online for health-related information. TikTok is one of the fastest-growing video-based social media platforms, but the quality of its ophthalmologic content, at a comprehensive level, has not been previously analyzed. We aim to explore and characterize popular ophthalmology content on TikTok, including the presence of misinformation.

METHODS

Between April 16 and May 22, 2023, 37 different ophthalmology-relevant hashtags were queried on TikTok, and the top 20 most-liked videos per hashtag were analyzed. The quality of educational videos was graded on understandability and actionability using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V). Trends in creator identity, content type, engagement metrics, misinformation presence, and TikTok verification status were also assessed.

RESULTS

The 37 ophthalmology-related hashtags yielded 723 videos comprising 3.806 billion views. A minority of videos were created by ophthalmologists (16.9%) and eyecare providers (35.1%), while the majority were created by non-healthcare providers (55.0%). The most common types of videos identified were primarily related to personal experiences (35.8%) and education (38.0%). Amongst educational videos, mean PEMAT-A/V understandability and actionability scores were 88.1% and 50.6%, respectively. Misinformation was found in 5.4% of all videos, comprising 4.8% of all likes, 4.7% of all comments, and 11.7% of all bookmarks. Its presence was significantly correlated with content created by non-healthcare providers (p < 0.001) and received a disproportionately higher percentage of bookmarks.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the largest, most comprehensive evaluation of ophthalmologic content on TikTok. A significant portion of popular ophthalmologic content on TikTok is created by non-eyecare providers and contains misinformation. Our findings confirm the need for ophthalmologists to create more engaging, actionable, and factual educational content to combat misinformation adoption.

Psychometric Testing of the Turkish Version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool

AIM

The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool METHODS: The study was carried out with intern nurses receiving education at a Nursing Faculty in Turkey between July 2019 and June 2020. 248 intern nurses participated in PEMAT-P and 223 in PEMAT-A/V in this study. Five audio-visual and five printed materials were used. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool User's Guide were translated into Turkish and culturally adapted using standard guidelines. Content and construct validity analyses were performed for the validity of the Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool, and internal consistency, invariability, and external consistency analyses were performed for its reliability.

RESULTS

The content validity index was 1.00 for all the scale items. At the conclusion of the factor analyses, the scale has composed a twodimension construct of understandability and actionability. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were observed to be 0.901 of the Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials and 0.897 of the Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (rxy) was high (Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials rxy=0.815, Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials rxy=0.804). Cohen's kappa coefficients were obtained as 0.736 of the Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials and 0.781 of the Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials.

CONCLUSION

The Turkish version of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool is a valid and reliable measurement tool in the evaluation of both printed and audiovisual patient education materials.

What learning strategies are commonly used by hospital pharmacists in the process of self-directed learning? A multicentre qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

As lifelong learners, hospital pharmacists must continually improve their self-directed learning skills. Reasonable learning strategies have been proven to enhance self-directed learning (SDL) significantly. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the SDL strategies used by hospital pharmacists in depth to provide them with a reference for the development of their SDL skills.

SETTING

The study was conducted in three tertiary hospitals in Henan, China.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

This study employed a multicentre qualitative design and lasted 12 months. One-on-one interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the interview data were analysed using the thematic analysis method. Purposive sampling was used to select interviewees (n=17) from three tertiary hospitals in Henan province in central China.

RESULTS

After conducting data analysis, we summarised 12 learning strategies related to SDL, which were grouped into four themes: use of information resources, application of cognitive strategies, development of learning plans and use of learning platforms.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that classic learning strategies, such as cognitive strategies and the development of learning plans, remain the cornerstones of hospital pharmacists' SDL abilities, while contemporary advances in information technology and changes in learning concepts have enriched the learning resources and learning platforms that are available to hospital pharmacists and have confronted contemporary hospital pharmacists with certain challenges.