Home
Issues
Aim & Scope
Open Access
Indexing
Why publish with us
Contact
Editorial Board
Instructions to Authors (PDF)
Manuscript Types
Manuscript Formatting
How to submit
Preprints
Authorship & COI
Principles of Transparency Checklist
Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
CrossMark
Data Policies
RESEARCH PAPER
Patients’ insights on symptoms, daily life and treatment related to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through social media listening analysis
1
Department of Respiratory Medicine,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina
School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
2
AstraZeneca Medical Department,
Respiratory and Immunology, Athens, Greece
Submission date: 2024-06-19
Final revision date: 2024-09-03
Acceptance date: 2024-09-11
Publication date: 2024-10-01
Corresponding author
Konstantinos Kostikas
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, 45500, Greece
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, 45500, Greece
Pneumon 2024;37(4):42
HIGHLIGHTS
- Advertisement
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Social media listening provides an opportunity to track behaviors and build a solid understanding of how patients think about asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods:
Based on a comprehensive search on social media platforms in Greek from June 2020 to March 2022, mentions on symptoms, daily life aspects and treatment were analyzed with descriptive statistics applied on aggregated findings.
Results:
A total of 18480 posts were considered for the analysis. For asthma, the total buzz was 8449, retrieved by 1043 unique sources, with news sites being the most common source (86%), followed by blogs (12%) and social media (2%). The topics with the highest buzz were diagnosis and treatment with 6741 mentions (23%), triggers and causes with 6003 (21%), and impact of COVID-19 with 4253 (15%). Based on 4121 mentions of symptoms, the most reported symptoms were cough (64%), dyspnea (39%) and difficulty in breathing (16%). For COPD, the total number of mentions was 10031, coming from 1036 unique sources, with most of mentions being generated by news sites (83%) and blogs (10%). The topics with the highest buzz were diagnosis and treatment with 7671 mentions (25%), impact of COVID-19 with 6727 (22%), and triggers and causes with 6149 (20%). Based on 2380 mentions of symptoms, the most reported were COPD symptoms (52%), cough (40%), and dyspnea (29%).
Conclusions:
Monitoring asthma and COPD-related posts provides realtime information on disease impact on patient’s daily life and may provide important insights that can be used in understanding unmet needs and decision making.
Social media listening provides an opportunity to track behaviors and build a solid understanding of how patients think about asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods:
Based on a comprehensive search on social media platforms in Greek from June 2020 to March 2022, mentions on symptoms, daily life aspects and treatment were analyzed with descriptive statistics applied on aggregated findings.
Results:
A total of 18480 posts were considered for the analysis. For asthma, the total buzz was 8449, retrieved by 1043 unique sources, with news sites being the most common source (86%), followed by blogs (12%) and social media (2%). The topics with the highest buzz were diagnosis and treatment with 6741 mentions (23%), triggers and causes with 6003 (21%), and impact of COVID-19 with 4253 (15%). Based on 4121 mentions of symptoms, the most reported symptoms were cough (64%), dyspnea (39%) and difficulty in breathing (16%). For COPD, the total number of mentions was 10031, coming from 1036 unique sources, with most of mentions being generated by news sites (83%) and blogs (10%). The topics with the highest buzz were diagnosis and treatment with 7671 mentions (25%), impact of COVID-19 with 6727 (22%), and triggers and causes with 6149 (20%). Based on 2380 mentions of symptoms, the most reported were COPD symptoms (52%), cough (40%), and dyspnea (29%).
Conclusions:
Monitoring asthma and COPD-related posts provides realtime information on disease impact on patient’s daily life and may provide important insights that can be used in understanding unmet needs and decision making.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank Palowise.ai, Athens, Greece, for conducting the SML analysis, funded by AstraZeneca S.A.,
Athens, Greece. We also thank Maria Kalogeropoulou of IQVIA
Hellas, Athens, Greece, for providing medical writing, editorial
and revision support, which was funded by AstraZeneca S.A.,
Athens, in accordance with Good Publication Practice (GPP)
guidelines29.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors have each completed and submitted an ICMJE
form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests,
financial or otherwise, related to the current work. K. Kostikas
has received grants or contracts from: Astra Zeneca,
Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Innovis, Elpen, GSK, Menarini,
Novartis and NuvoAir; consulting fees from Astra Zeneca,
Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Csl Behring, Elpen, GSK,
Menarini, Novartis, Pfizer and Sanofi Genzyme; and payments
or honoraria from Alector Pharmaceuticals, Astra Zeneca,
Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Elpen, Gilead, GSK, Menarini,
MSD, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, Pfizer and WebMD. He has
participated in Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory
Board for Chiesi, and is a member of GOLD Assembly. P.
Galanakis, N. Mathioudakis and C. Papista are employees of
AstraZeneca Greece.
FUNDING
This work was supported and funded by AstraZeneca S.A.
ETHICAL APPROVAL AND INFORMED CONSENT
Ethical approval and informed consent were not required for
this study. All data were obtained from publicly accessible
sources without accessing password-protected information.
All online content was anonymized, complying with the data
privacy obligations.
DATA AVAILABILITY
The data supporting this research cannot be made available
for privacy reasons.
AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTIONS
KK, AI, PG and NM: conceived and designed the study. All
authors: contributed to acquisition of data. KK, AI and CP:
contributed to analysis and interpretation of data, and drafted
the manuscript or revised it critically for important intellectual
content. All authors read, revised and approved the final
version of the manuscript.
PROVENANCE AND PEER REVIEW
Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
DISCLAIMER
K. Kostikas, Editor-in-Chief of the journal, had no involvement in the peer-review or acceptance of this article, and had no access to information regarding its peer review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to a handling editor of the journal.
K. Kostikas, Editor-in-Chief of the journal, had no involvement in the peer-review or acceptance of this article, and had no access to information regarding its peer review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to a handling editor of the journal.
REFERENCES (29)
1.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). World Health Organzation. March 16, 2023. Accessed January 23, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/...)
2.
Cukic V, Lovre V, Dragisic D, Ustamujic A. Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - Differences and Similarities. Mater Sociomed. 2012;24(2):100-105. doi:10.5455/msm.2012.24.100-105
3.
Mydin HH, Ampikaipakan S, Shayaa S, Partridge MR. The effect of an asthma awareness campaign on social media users. European Respiratory Journal. 2018;52(suppl 62):PA3137. doi:10.1183/13993003.congress-2018.PA3137
4.
Cook N, Mullins A, Gautam R, et al. Evaluating Patient Experiences in Dry Eye Disease Through Social Media Listening Research. Ophthalmol Ther. 2019;8(3):407-420. doi:10.1007/s40123-019-0188-4
5.
Peck JL. Social media in nursing education: responsible integration for meaningful use. J Nurs Educ. 2014;53(3):164-169. doi:10.3928/01484834-20140219-03
6.
Ventola CL. Social media and health care professionals: benefits, risks, and best practices. P T. 2014;39(7):491-520.
7.
Chen J, Wang Y. Social Media Use for Health Purposes: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(5):e17917. doi:10.2196/17917
8.
Poowuttikul P, Seth D. New Concepts and Technological Resources in Patient Education and Asthma Self-Management. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2020;59(1):19-37. doi:10.1007/s12016-020-08782-w
9.
Shi J, Poorisat T, Salmon CT. The Use of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) in Health Communication Campaigns: Review and Recommendations. Health Commun. 2018;33(1):49-56. doi:10.1080/10410236.2016.1242035
10.
Stead M, Angus K, Langley T, et al. Mass media to communicate public health messages in six health topic areas: a systematic review and other reviews of the evidence. Public Health Res (Southampt). 2019;7(8). doi:10.3310/phr07080
11.
Pomputius A. Can You Hear Me Now? Social Listening as a Strategy for Understanding User Needs. Med Ref Serv Q. 2019;38(2):181-186. doi:10.1080/02763869.2019.1588042
12.
Silva M, Walker J. How to leverage social listening to inform social and behavior change programs. The Population Council; 2022. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://breakthroughactionandr...
13.
Silva M, Walker J, Portillo E, Dougherty L. Strengthening the Merci Mon Héros Campaign Through Adaptive Management: Application of Social Listening Methodology. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2022;8(6):e35663. doi:10.2196/35663
14.
Cook NS, Kostikas K, Gruenberger JB, et al. Patients' perspectives on COPD: findings from a social media listening study. ERJ Open Res. 2019;5(1):00128-2018. doi:10.1183/23120541.00128-2018
15.
Patrick M, Venkatesh RD, Stukus DR. Social media and its impact on health care. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022;128(2):139-145. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2021.09.014
16.
Alvarez-Perea A, Dimov V, Popescu FD, Zubeldia JM. The applications of eHealth technologies in the management of asthma and allergic diseases. Clin Transl Allergy. 2021;11(7):e12061. doi:10.1002/clt2.12061
17.
Svedsater H, Roberts J, Patel C, Macey J, Hilton E, Bradshaw L. Life Impact and Treatment Preferences of Individuals with Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from Qualitative Interviews and Focus Groups. Adv Ther. 2017;34(6):1466-1481. doi:10.1007/s12325-017-0557-0
18.
Campisi R, Nolasco S, Pelaia C, et al. Benralizumab Effectiveness in Severe Eosinophilic Asthma with Co-Presence of Bronchiectasis: A Real-World Multicentre Observational Study. J Clin Med. 2023;12(12):3953. doi:10.3390/jcm12123953
19.
Edris A, De Feyter S, Maes T, Joos G, Lahousse L. Monoclonal antibodies in type 2 asthma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Respir Res. 2019;20(1):179. doi:10.1186/s12931-019-1138-3
20.
Patalano F, Hache C, Pethe A, et al. Performance of the Cough and Sputum Assessment Questionnaire (CASA-Q) in COPD: Evidence from Clinical and Online Patient Interaction Studies. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2022;17:3087-3096. doi:10.2147/COPD.S381131
21.
Freeman TCB, Rodriguez-Esteban R, Gottowik J, Yang X, Erpenbeck VJ, Leddin M. A Neural Network Approach for Understanding Patient Experiences of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Retrospective, Cross-sectional Study of Social Media Content. JMIR Med Inform. 2021;9(11):e26272. doi:10.2196/26272
22.
Dimitropoulos C, Theodorakopoulou E, Kopitopoulou A, et al. The health related quality of life of Greek patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pneumon. 2013;26(2):139-151.
23.
Faruqi S, Sykes DL, Crooks MG, Brindle K, Thompson J, Morice AH. Objective Assessment of Cough: An Early Marker of Response to Biological Therapies in Asthma? Lung. 2020;198(5):767-770. doi:10.1007/s00408-020-00391-w
24.
Kharaba Z, Feghali E, El Husseini F, et al. An Assessment of Quality of Life in Patients With Asthma Through Physical, Emotional, Social, and Occupational Aspects. A Cross-Sectional Study. Front Public Health. 2022;10:883784. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.883784
25.
Koulouris N, Dimakou K, Gourgoulianis K, et al. Self-perceived quality of sleep among COPD patients in Greece: the SLEPICO study. Scientific Reports. 2022;12(1):540. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04610-z
26.
Haerry D, Landgraf C, Warner K, et al. EUPATI and Patients in Medicines Research and Development: Guidance for Patient Involvement in Regulatory Processes. Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:230. doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00230
27.
Patalano F, Gutzwiller FS, Shah B, Kumari C, Cook NS. Gathering Structured Patient Insight to Drive the PRO Strategy in COPD: Patient-Centric Drug Development from Theory to Practice. Adv Ther. 2020;37(1):17-26. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01134-x
28.
Moorhead SA, Hazlett DE, Harrison L, Carroll JK, Irwin A, Hoving C. A new dimension of health care: systematic review of the uses, benefits, and limitations of social media for health communication. J Med Internet Res. 2013;15(4):e85. doi:10.2196/jmir.1933
29.
Citrome L, DeTora LM, Toroser D, et al. Good Publication Practice (GPP) guidelines for company-sponsored biomedical research from the point of view of the diverse authors involved in its publication. Curr Med Res Opin. 2024;40(4):705-708. doi:10.1080/03007995.2024.2320298
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 1791-4914 |
| ISSN: | 1105-848X |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
