Patterns in social media use for health information
Investigators have examined how adults search for health-related information on social media platforms, particularly how patients with chronic diseases may engage with social media as a supplement to professional care.
In a research letter published in JAMA, the investigators used de-identified data from the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey to assess how more than 7,000 adult participants with and without chronic diseases engaged with health-related information on social media platforms — including sharing health content, participating in online communities, using health information gathered on social media to inform health decisions and perceiving misinformation.
Among the nearly 90% of survey respondents who reported using social media platforms, a large majority of them interacted with health-related information on the platforms by sharing content and participating in online communities (about 85% and 70%, respectively). While the investigators found that more than 20% of them used health content on social media platforms to make health-related decisions, more than 75% of the survey respondents also considered health-related information posted to social media platforms to be misleading.
Compared with those who did not have chronic conditions, the respondents with chronic conditions were less likely to share health-related content and participate in online communities but had comparable rates of health-related decision-making based on health-based content encountered on the platforms. Although older respondents were less likely to use social media platforms, they were more likely to allow health-based content to influence their health-related decision-making.
Because patients with chronic conditions engage with health-related information, the investigators emphasized the need for strategies to combat misinformation and the high level of false information generated using artificial intelligence on social media platforms.
Read more: JAMA
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.