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What do Patients Want to See on Social Media? Evidence From a Two-Year Experiment

INTRODUCTION

Dermatological information on social media is dominated by misleading and potentially harmful content from nonexperts. Literature suggests that, to address this issue, dermatologists should develop an online presence. However, the successful presence of dermatologists on social media has been criticized for focusing on cosmetic dermatology and not representing the broad spectrum of the specialty.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to systematically analyze which dermatological topics interest the public most, and to find out whether it is feasible for a dermatologist to become influential on social media while presenting all dermatological topics equally.

METHODS

The study was performed on an educational dermatology YouTube channel. The 101 videos published in a two-year period were divided into cosmetic (51 videos) and medical dermatology (50 videos). Student's t-test was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences in views. Medical dermatology videos were then classified into three categories: Acne, facial dermatoses (excluding acne) and other dermatological diseases. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare these three categories and cosmetic dermatology.

RESULTS

When comparing cosmetic and medical dermatology, no significant differences were found. When comparing the four categories, cosmetic dermatology and acne were found to generate significantly more views that other dermatological diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

The public seems to be particularly interested in cosmetic dermatology and acne. This might make it challenging to become successful on social media while presenting a balanced portrayal of dermatology. However, focusing on popular topics can provide a real chance to be influential and protect vulnerable people from misinformation.

Benefits, drawbacks, and challenges of social media use in dermatology: A systematic review

The presence of dermatological information on social media has grown exponentially over the last two decades. Consequently, the recent literature on this topic is abundant. Many authors have highlighted that social media constitutes a unique opportunity for patient education. Additionally, numerous other benefits of these platforms have been reported. However, other authors have focused on the potential risks that these networks involve. The main concerns are patient confidentiality, legal considerations and ethical issues. Therefore, we stand at a crossroads where the many advantages of social media use in dermatology seem to be underestimated due to the presence of potential drawbacks. At this point, we propose that a systematic review of the positive and negative aspects of using social media in dermatology is necessary. We carried out a comprehensive systematic review dating from inception to July 2021. Finally, 161 articles were included. Fifteen benefits, 11 drawbacks and 10 challenges of social media use in dermatology were identified and discussed. Suggested strategies to address the identified drawbacks were provided. Overall, while there are risks to using social media, they are outnumbered by their benefits. Therefore, dermatologists should embrace this opportunity to educate patients and aim to create rigorous and engaging content.