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Cervical Myelopathy and Social Media: Mixed Methods Analysis
Lior M Elkaim1, Jordan J Levett2, Farbod Niazi2
1Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|May 22, 2023
Summary
Social media use for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is primarily focused on research and awareness, with a significant portion of patient posts detailing surgical experiences. This analysis highlights opportunities for improved online education and support for DCM patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Digital Health
- Public Health Communication
Background:
- Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive neurological disorder stemming from cervical spine degeneration.
- Social media's role in patient communication and information dissemination for DCM remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the landscape of social media engagement concerning degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM).
- To analyze the types of content, user demographics, and sentiment expressed in social media discussions about DCM.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive analysis of all tweets related to cervical myelopathy was conducted using Twitter's API.
- Tweets were analyzed for user demographics, engagement metrics, thematic content, and sentiment using natural language processing.
Main Results:
- Over 1800 unique tweets from nearly 1800 accounts were analyzed, with peak activity in 2018-2019.
- The majority of users were from the US, UK, or Canada, with medical doctors/researchers and patients/caregivers being prominent discussants.
- Content primarily focused on research (40.9%) and awareness (30.1%), with patient experiences, including surgery, comprising 15.9%.
Conclusions:
- Social media discussions on DCM are dominated by research and public awareness efforts.
- A notable percentage of patient-generated content addresses surgical interventions, indicating a need for targeted online support and education.
- Findings suggest opportunities to enhance online public awareness, education, and support for individuals with DCM.
