Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2025
13:35
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
3.0K
Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Google Trends Analysis
Aishu Ramamurthi1, Harsh Patel2, Dhivya R Srinivasa2
1Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Wauwatosa, WI, 53226, USA. airamamurthi@mcw.edu.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
|April 20, 2022
Summary
Patients seeking health information online often encounter misinformation. A Google Trends analysis revealed that news media, not official sources like the FDA, dominate public searches for terms like Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL).
Area of Science:
- Health communication
- Medical information dissemination
- Public health informatics
Background:
- The internet provides vast health information, empowering patients but also enabling misinformation.
- Patients' ability to discern credible online health information is crucial for informed decision-making.
- Understanding public information-seeking behavior is key to effective health communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze public search trends for specific health topics using Google Trends.
- To compare the visibility of news media versus official sources in online health information.
- To identify strategies for improving the dissemination of credible medical information.
Main Methods:
- Google Trends analysis of search terms including 'ALCL,' 'textured implants,' 'Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma,' 'breast implant illness,' and 'breast implant cancer.'
- Data collected for 1- and 5-year periods ending May 1, 2020.
- Search peaks correlated with news articles and FDA statements.
Main Results:
- News platforms (e.g., New York Times, The Guardian) showed higher public visibility than FDA or pharmaceutical company announcements.
- During peak interest, Google searches were dominated by media-reported information.
- This indicates a significant gap in public access to credible online health information.
Conclusions:
- Google Trends data can inform targeted dissemination of medical announcements.
- Current information dissemination models have weaknesses that need addressing.
- Actionable methods are proposed for improved patient outreach and communication.
