Health-related content on social media
Medical information is regularly posted across all social media platforms. How accurate is it and what is the impact?
Social media content consumption is a pervasive aspect of modern life.
Various topics are discussed in the posts and related comments. This includes medical and health-related information. While it is possible for anyone to post content about any topic, the accuracy of the information is not routinely or regularly assessed. This creates a situation where the potential for inaccurate content can be high. As social media is ubiquitous, many people may be exposed to and receive health-related information with limited ability to determine the veracity of the information.
There has been recent research regarding the accuracy of medical information on social media posts, although less attention has been paid to the TikTok platform given its recent emergence in popularity. As with other platforms, there is regular posting of health-related content on TikTok and subsequent potential for wide dissemination of the videos.
Yeung et al recently reported a review of TikTok content specifically regarding Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They searched “#adhd” in July 2021 and found 4.3 billion views of videos with this hashtag and an average of 2.8 million views per video. They performed a rating of the accuracy of the provided information using two independent observers and calculated the extent of agreement between the two evaluators. They reported analysis of 100 videos, of which 52 per cent were classified as misleading and only 21 per cent as useful. There was a high degree of inter-observer agreement for the ratings. They further reported an increased likelihood of misleading information if the content was posted by a non-healthcare provider while there was a higher chance of useful content if it was posted by a healthcare provider.
An interesting finding that the authors encountered was that the videos were highly understandable regardless of whether or not the content was misleading. The authors further noted that given how the viewing algorithm functions on TikTok, there is a definite potential for understandable yet inaccurate information to be provided to a large number of viewers. The health impact of this may include increased anxiety and presentation for evaluation to healthcare providers.
The findings of this study should be interpreted with caution given the low sample size of analyzed videos and, to date, lack of independent validation of results. Despite these limitations, there is important information provided by the study. Specifically, there is a large viewership of health-related videos on TikTok and, presumably, in various formats across all social media platforms. This finding in combination with the high prevalence of misleading information and the mechanism by which the platform algorithms present content, could lead to a scenario in which inaccurate information related to health issues is viewed by a significant number of people. The result of this could negatively affect the health of a large population.
The evidence-driven paradigm promoted by House Call Media aims to alleviate this problem by developing healthcare content that is accurate and current by using the best available evidence and data. In addition to the clear benefits that such content provides, it also serves to increase the trust and reliability in the platforms utilizing such a philosophy. High quality content is prioritized at House Call Media. While social media platforms may prioritize content that is not necessarily accurate in an attempt to create viral posts, we believe that the credibility and trust of healthcare providers is increased through high quality content with a resulting benefit to their audience.
To learn more about our evidence-driven social media agency for healthcare professionals, mental health specialists, and health & wellness-niche content creators, please follow us on instagram at @house_call_media visit www.housecallmedia.com
REFERENCE:
Yeung A, Ng E, Abi-Jaoude E. TikTok and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study of Social Media Content Quality. Can J Psych, epub 2022.