Evaluating Information About Osteochondritis Dissecans Shared Across Social Media Platforms

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Social Media Analysis
• Patient Support Networks

Background:

• Social media is increasingly used by patients for health information and support.
• Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) commonly affects children and adolescents, requiring timely diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate social media content related to Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).
• To quantify the reach and analyze discussion themes of OCD information on social media platforms.

Main Methods:

• Searched Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for "osteochondritis dissecans".
• Analyzed content based on engagement metrics like followers, posts, and views.

Main Results:

• Facebook groups (4, >4000 followers) offered patient support and shared recovery stories.
• Instagram hashtags showed over 4500 posts detailing life with OCD.
• YouTube videos (>189,000 views) provided educational content on OCD, surgery, and anatomy.
• TikTok hashtags (>4 million views) focused on factual knowledge and treatment outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Patients actively seek OCD information and support via social media.
• While supportive, the accuracy of social media information for OCD requires attention.
• Increased physician engagement with social media content can enhance information quality for patients.