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#GroupBStrepTest on TikTok: What Social Media Reveals About Patient Experiences and Expectations
Brooke E Schroeder1, Sarah J Kuehn1, Joelle Sills1
1Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
Introduction:
Nearly half of the US population uses TikTok, influencing patient perceptions of public health measures, including group B streptococcus (GBS), a known cause of neonatal sepsis and mortality. This study examines TikTok content on GBS testing/treatment.
Methods:
After institutional review board exemption, we evaluated the top 100 videos tagged with #gbs, #groupbstrep, #gbstest, and #groupbstreptest. Video information was downloaded via Apify. Two reviewers coded videos, with a third resolving discrepancies. We used the modified 5-point DISCERN scale to assess information reliability and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) for understandability and actionability.
Results:
Of 773 videos, 176 unrelated to GBS or in non-English languages were excluded. The top 100 videos had 17 million views, averaging 66.4 seconds. Most content creators were female (97.0%) and based in the United States (89.0%); fewer were health care professionals (21.1%). Video types included patient experiences (41.0%), educational videos (28.0%), and humorous content (22.0%). Video tone was more often negative (40%) than positive (22%). Nearly half of patient videos (49.3%) emphasized anxiety, although only 10.3% reported test discomfort. Concerns centered on the rectal swab, with some patients being unaware of this procedure until after the test. Distrust of health care professionals was emphasized in 6.5% of videos. Five videos (360,600 views, 1273 shares) promoted alternative GBS treatments (eg, probiotics, garlic, fermented foods). Videos scored poorly on quality (DISCERN: mean, 1.8; SD, 1.1) and actionability (PEMAT: mean, 18.3%; SD, 35.6%) but had better understandability (PEMAT: mean, 75.8%; SD, 19.7%).
Discussion:
Significant anxiety and misinformation about GBS testing/treatment exist in popular content, highlighting the importance of anticipatory counseling. Health care professionals can use these insights to guide patient education.
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