Social media and vision therapy: Perspectives of providers and patients on Instagram
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Published on: February 16, 2011
Austin Johnson1, Suleman Khan1, Euna B Koo2
1Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California.
Purpose:
To formally assess the content, intent, and authorship of the most popular Instagram hashtags related to pediatric ophthalmology.
Methods:
Public Instagram posts with over 20 likes, using one or more of 6 vision therapy (VT) hashtags and containing English content were identified. A categorical classification system was used to analyze each post for the target audience: post owner, primary intent of post, diagnosis addressed, whether advice was provided, and whether references to studies were provided.
Results:
A total of 1,766 Instagram posts were analyzed. Half were made by VT clinics or therapists (50%), and only 14 posts were made by physicians (0.8%). The majority were self-promotional. Statistically significant relationships between post owner and intent, post owner and diagnosis, and the provision of advice and diagnosis were found.
Conclusions:
Although VT Instagram posts are dominated by self-promotion and advertisements, social media provides an outlet for patients and parents to seek support and information. Ophthalmologists have yet to discuss VT on Instagram.
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