Social media use in patients with acne vulgaris: What do patients expect from social media?
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the social media usage habits of patients with Acne vulgaris concerning their diseases, and their recommendations for dermatologists related to social media use, and found that patients frequently resort to online media to seek information about AV.
Abstract: Background Acne vulgaris (AV) may affect external appearance and significantly deteriorate the quality of life of patients. Therefore, patients make various inquiries about their disease and seek treatment options. Aims To investigate the social media usage habits of patients with AV concerning their diseases, and their recommendations for dermatologists related to social media use. Methods A total of 1609 patients with AV completed the survey prepared by the authors and the Cardiff Acne Disability Index questionnaire. The Food and Drug Administration severity scores and clinical information of the patients were noted by their physicians. Results Of the 1,489 patients who stated that they used social media, 46.31% regularly and 28.77% sometimes referred to these sources to make inquiries about AV. Social media usage for AV was statistically significantly higher in women, participants with short term and severe disease, those with a moderate income level, and those using topical treatment and cosmetics. They mostly used Google (67%), Instagram (54%), and YouTube (49%). While 76% of the participants stated that they did not share what they saw on the Internet with their doctor. Of the respondents, 18.5% were trying to contact their dermatologists through the Internet, and 69.73% would prefer experts such as dermatologists to post-AV-related content. Conclusions Our study shows that patients frequently resort to social media to seek information about AV. In the changing digital world order, it is observed that there is a need for dermatologists to use social media more actively to share accurate information about AV.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: Adequate patient education is urgently needed to counteract patients' long-held beliefs in diet and acne myths and draw attention to the existence of an information gap regarding the topic of acne and nutrition.
Abstract: Background There is increasing evidence that certain dietary factors affect the course of acne vulgaris. Objectives The primary aim of this exploratory survey was to reveal patients' perceptions of a possible link between acne and diet. Secondary, patients' perceptions of the quality of nutritional communication, sources of dietary information, and a dietary information gap, have been investigated. Methods An online survey is conducted on Instagram using a structured questionnaire in German. Data is analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, and chi-square tests are performed. Results Most of the 1,040 participants believe that there is a connection between acne and diet (75%). However, due to a frequent lack of nutritional consultation by dermatologists (87%), participants' nutritional information needs are not met. Therefore, they seek additional sources of information, mainly Instagram(63%), online forums(54%), and textbooks (46%). However, the participants feel that their nutritional interventions are unsuccessful and believe that an information gap exists. Conclusion This study draws attention to the existence of an information gap regarding the topic of acne and nutrition. Adequate patient education on currently available data and its limitations is urgently needed to counteract patients' long-held beliefs in diet and acne myths.
1 citations
TL;DR: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published articles were carried out following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines as mentioned in this paper .
Abstract: Acne vulgaris usually affects the dermal layer of the skin and is revealed frequently in young adulthood and adolescence. It has serious psychosocial comorbidities. We conducted the present systematic review and meta-analysis to elucidate the association of acne vulgaris with psychiatric comorbidities and quality of life as well as the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published articles were carried out following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We investigated diverse databases: Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL to search for articles reporting the prevalence of psychosocial comorbidities among patients with acne vulgaris from database inception through June 2022. The outcomes were depression, anxiety, symptom checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), quality of life, self-esteem, stress, loneliness, and BDNF concentrations. Of 3647 articles identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Patients with acne vulgaris have a significantly higher level of anxiety, depression, and stress (P<0.05). Yet, the reported findings of the SCL-90-R, self-esteem, loneliness, and BDNF scores among patients suffering from acne vulgaris were variable and did not differ significantly compared to healthy participants (P>0.05), hampering any conclusive findings on absolute prevalence. Subgroup analysis and comparison showed that heterogeneity between studies was likely due to factors, including country, study design, and assessment tools. This comprehensive review and meta-analysis revealed that anxiety, depression, and stress are significantly more frequent among patients suffering from acne vulgaris. These findings confirm that acne vulgaris has both psychiatric and medical characteristics and requires a multidisciplinary approach.
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that 50% of the participants were aware social media could be used to find a doctor or seek medical advice, with Facebook being the dominant platform, and Medicare insurance identifying patients who may most use social media in this manner.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE
To determine factors associated with social media usage for finding a doctor or seeking medical advice among otolaryngology patients.
METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 361 patients visiting our clinics. All participants were asked if they were aware social media may be used to find doctors and if they had ever done so, and also if they were aware social media could be used to get advice about a medical condition or its treatment and if they had ever done so. Demographic characteristics were examined for association with affirmative answers to these questions.
RESULTS
Facebook was the most used social media platform with 50.7% using Facebook daily. Over 50% of participants were aware social media could be used to find a doctor or seek medical advice. Daily use of Facebook was associated with using social media for finding a doctor (OR = 2.57, 95%CI: 1.41-4.67, p = 0.002) and seeking medical advice (OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.09-2.71, p = 0.020). Having Medicare was associated with using social media to find a doctor (OR = 2.20, 95%CI: 1.15-4.21, p = 0.017), whereas Medicaid was associated with using social media for medical advice (OR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.08-3.67, p = 0.027).
CONCLUSION
A majority of otolaryngology patients may be aware of health care applications of social media, with Facebook being the dominant platform, and Medicare insurance identifying patients who may most use social media in this manner. There is also an indication that social determinants of health, as reflected by Medicaid insurance, may be associated with using social media to seek medical advice.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
NA Laryngoscope, 2022.
TL;DR: Social media has an influence on acne treatment, with many advice not recommended by established guidelines, and findings imply that dermatologists should pinpoint inaccuracies resulting from advice found on social media.
Abstract: Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social media on acne treatment among the Saudi Arabian population. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted from January 2021 to August 2021. A self-administered survey was distributed through social media to different regions of Saudi Arabia. The survey obtained participants’ sociodemographic information and details on whether people used social media for advice on acne treatment. It also asked whether they noticed any change in their acne based on social media recommendations. Results Of the 5,539 respondents, 4,227 experienced acne, of which 1,793 were influenced by social media. Most respondents were women. The majority of social media users were between 18 and 25 years old and chose social media as their first approach for acne advice. The most commonly used platform was Instagram (34%). The most frequent social media recommendation chosen was to increase water intake. Many noticed a slight change in their acne (64%), and 14.9% had side effects. There was a significant association between the use of social media for advice and gender (p-value < 0.001), education level (p-value = 0.002), and severity of acne (p-value < 0.001). Conclusion Social media has an influence on acne treatment, with many advice not recommended by established guidelines. These findings imply that dermatologists should pinpoint inaccuracies resulting from advice found on social media.
References
More filters
TL;DR: Prevalence and severity of health loss were weakly correlated and age-specific prevalence of YLDs increased with age in all regions and has decreased slightly from 1990 to 2010, but population growth and ageing have increased YLD numbers and crude rates over the past two decades.
7,021 citations
TL;DR: Recent growth of social media is not uniformly distributed across age groups; therefore, health communication programs utilizing social media must first consider the age of the targeted population to help ensure that messages reach the intended audience.
Abstract: Background: Given the rapid changes in the communication landscape brought about by participative Internet use and social media, it is important to develop a better understanding of these technologies and their impact on health communication. The first step in this effort is to identify the characteristics of current social media users. Up-to-date reporting of current social media use will help monitor the growth of social media and inform health promotion/communication efforts aiming to effectively utilize social media. Objective: The purpose of the study is to identify the sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with current adult social media users in the United States. Methods: Data came from the 2007 iteration of the Health Information National Trends Study (HINTS, N = 7674). HINTS is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey on health-related communication trends and practices. Survey respondents who reported having accessed the Internet (N = 5078) were asked whether, over the past year, they had (1) participated in an online support group, (2) written in a blog, (3) visited a social networking site. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of each type of social media use. Results: Approximately 69% of US adults reported having access to the Internet in 2007. Among Internet users, 5% participated in an online support group, 7% reported blogging, and 23% used a social networking site. Multivariate analysis found that younger age was the only significant predictor of blogging and social networking site participation; a statistically significant linear relationship was observed, with younger categories reporting more frequent use. Younger age, poorer subjective health, and a personal cancer experience predicted support group participation. In general, social media are penetrating the US population independent of education, race/ethnicity, or health care access. Conclusions: Recent growth of social media is not uniformly distributed across age groups; therefore, health communication programs utilizing social media must first consider the age of the targeted population to help ensure that messages reach the intended audience. While racial/ethnic and health status–related disparities exist in Internet access, among those with Internet access, these characteristics do not affect social media use. This finding suggests that the new technologies, represented by social media, may be changing the communication pattern throughout the United States. [J Med Internet Res 2009;11(4):e48]
964 citations
TL;DR: By following the guidelines presented, professionals have a starting point to engage with social media in a safe and ethical manner and will understand the synergies between social media and evidence-based practice, as well as develop institutional policies that benefit patients, clinicians, public health practitioners, and industry alike.
Abstract: Background: Social media are dynamic and interactive computer-mediated communication tools that have high penetration rates in the general population in high-income and middle-income countries. However, in medicine and health care, a large number of stakeholders (eg, clinicians, administrators, professional colleges, academic institutions, ministries of health, among others) are unaware of social media’s relevance, potential applications in their day-to-day activities, as well as the inherent risks and how these may be attenuated and mitigated. Objective: We conducted a narrative review with the aim to present case studies that illustrate how, where, and why social media are being used in the medical and health care sectors. Methods: Using a critical-interpretivist framework, we used qualitative methods to synthesize the impact and illustrate, explain, and provide contextual knowledge of the applications and potential implementations of social media in medicine and health care. Both traditional (eg, peer-reviewed) and nontraditional (eg, policies, case studies, and social media content) sources were used, in addition to an environmental scan (using Google and Bing Web searches) of resources. Results: We reviewed, evaluated, and synthesized 76 articles, 44 websites, and 11 policies/reports. Results and case studies are presented according to 10 different categories of social media: (1) blogs (eg, WordPress), (2) microblogs (eg, Twitter), (3) social networking sites (eg, Facebook), (4) professional networking sites (eg, LinkedIn, Sermo), (5) thematic networking sites (eg, 23andMe), (6) wikis (eg, Wikipedia), (7) mashups (eg, HealthMap), (8) collaborative filtering sites (eg, Digg), (9) media sharing sites (eg, YouTube, Slideshare), and others (eg, SecondLife). Four recommendations are provided and explained for stakeholders wishing to engage with social media while attenuating risk: (1) maintain professionalism at all times, (2) be authentic, have fun, and do not be afraid, (3) ask for help, and (4) focus, grab attention, and engage. Conclusions: The role of social media in the medical and health care sectors is far reaching, and many questions in terms of governance, ethics, professionalism, privacy, confidentiality, and information quality remain unanswered. By following the guidelines presented, professionals have a starting point to engage with social media in a safe and ethical manner. Future research will be required to understand the synergies between social media and evidence-based practice, as well as develop institutional policies that benefit patients, clinicians, public health practitioners, and industry alike. [J Med Internet Res 2014;16(2):e13]
539 citations
TL;DR: A brief questionnaire designed to assess the disability caused by acne is described, which adds a patient‐orientated dimension to medical records, highlights patients with unusually high levels of disability, and increases the relevant information on which therapeutic decisions are based.
Abstract: We describe a brief questionnaire designed to assess the disability caused by acne. The questionnaire adds a patient-orientated dimension to medical records, high-lights patients with unusually high levels of disability, and increases the relevant information on which we base therapeutic decisions.
219 citations
TL;DR: Orthopedic surgeons and hospital networks must be aware of these online patient portals as they provide important feedback on the patient opinion and experience that can have a major impact on future patient volume, patient opinion, and perceived quality of care.
Abstract: Social media is increasingly utilized by patients to educate themselves on a disease process and to find hospital, physicians, and physician networks most capable of treating their condition. However, little is known about quality of the content of the multiple online platforms patients have to communicate with other potential patients and their potential benefits and drawbacks. Patients are not passive consumers of health information anymore but are playing an active role in the delivery of health services through an online environment. The control and the regulation of the sources of information are very difficult. The overall quality of the information was poor. Bad or misleading information can be detrimental for patients as well as influence their confidence on physicians and their mutual relationship. Orthopedic surgeons and hospital networks must be aware of these online patient portals as they provide important feedback on the patient opinion and experience that can have a major impact on future patient volume, patient opinion, and perceived quality of care.
97 citations