Back pain, ankylosing spondylitis and social media usage; a descriptive analysis of current activity

Discussions about AS increased threefold between 2016 and 2019. More discussions took place online at the start of the week, and in the afternoons. Pregnancy, baby and mens’ health resources were the most popular sites for BP chats. People posting about AS were mainly female (80%) and predominantly had an established diagnosis, with health forums hosting more of these discussions than for BP. Exercise was more commonly mentioned in the context of BP, whereas medications were more common in the AS conversations. Analysing online discussions about BP and AS helps to identify themes amongst patients. Some are seeking a diagnosis, support, or treatment information. Understanding the massive scale of online conversations could help clinicians adopt targeted approaches to increase patient identification, meet patient concerns better, and optimise engagement.
Source: Rheumatology International - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research