May 4, 2024

Social Media vs. Science: How TikTok’s Health Tips Fail Millions of Women

Laura Chambers, DO, makes academic videos about gynecologic cancer on TikTok for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to avoid the spread of cancer misinformation. She just recently published a research study that assessed 500 TikTok posts and found that cancer material already on the app did not have accurate educational value. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
Laura Chambers, DO, research studies gynecologic cancer content on TikTok and discovered the leading posts to be of poor instructional worth. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

Millions of females are turning to the social networks platform TikTok for health guidance associated to gynecologic cancers, however most of that details is considerably incorrect or misleading, according to a brand-new research study published by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in the journal Gynecologic Oncology. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
” The intent of this research study was to comprehend the requirements of patients that may go unmentioned in the clinic but represent gaps in care that require dealing with,” says Chambers, an osteopathic physician at the OSUCCC– James. “As medical professionals, we are concentrated on treatment toxicities and patient results, however many of our patients are navigating actually difficult difficulties in your home– like determining how to show their child love and attention when they are going through fatiguing treatments.”
Study Methodology and Findings
For this brand-new study, the group methodically looked for the 500 most popular TikTok posts and examined the leading 5 hashtags for each related to gynecologic cancer (ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and vulvar cancers, as well as gestational trophoblastic disease) for key themes, quality of info and reliability of gynecologic cancer-related content on the social media platform, TikTok. Demographic information, message tone, and thematic topics were gathered.
Laura Chambers, DO, research studies gynecologic cancer content on TikTok and discovered the top posts to be of poor educational worth. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
Educational videos were rated for quality utilizing an established health education information scale. As of August 2022, the top 5 hashtags for each gynecologic cancer had more than 466 million views.
The scientists found that, in general, the quality of the information being shared through TikTok was bad and at least 73% of the material was inaccurate and of poor academic quality. Racial disparities in gynecologic cancer extended into this social media space.
” This data motivated a great deal of questions about where to go next in dealing with these mistakes and interacting with patients directly, particularly focusing on chances to develop more diverse content to get rid of cultural and racial disparities associated with treatment of these cancers,” states Chambers.
” The vulnerability shown in social networks content around individual cancer journeys is motivating, but this data actually encourages us to ask, as a medical community, how we can offer a care environment that encourages that kind of trust and genuine discussion with patients? And what can we do, as a broader neighborhood, to provide quality health info and support services to clients looking for info about gynecologic cancers?”
Chambers motivates patients who prefer a neighborhood of similar individuals going through comparable experiences to seek out online and in-person support neighborhoods sponsored by trustworthy medical and patient advocacy companies.
Referral: “” More than a song and dance”: Exploration of patient perspectives and educational quality of gynecologic cancer material on TikTok” by Molly Morton, Paulina J. Haight, Wafa Khadraoui, Floor Backes, Kristin Bixel, David M. OMalley, Christa Nagel and Laura M. Chambers, 15 June 2023, Gynecologic Oncology.DOI: 10.1016/ j.ygyno.2023.06.004.
These findings were also provided in two poster discussions at the 2023 Annual Meeting for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology in Tampa, Florida.

Many gynecologic cancer information on TikTok is incorrect or misleading, with a study revealing 73% of material is inaccurate. The research also highlights racial variations in the shared material, emphasizing the requirement for reputable and accurate sources.
Millions of females are seeking health guidance on gynecologic cancers through the social media app TikTok. However, a current study from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, released in Gynecologic Oncology, reveals that much of this details is either considerably incorrect or misleading.
Social Medias Double-Edged Sword
Senior research study author Laura Chambers, DO, says this highlights the power of social media to feed misinformation that might be hazardous to client health results, but it likewise presents an opportunity to resolve spaces less likely to come up during a clinic visit.
Laura Chambers, DO, makes educational videos about gynecologic cancer on TikTok for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to prevent the spread of cancer misinformation. She just recently released a research study that examined 500 TikTok posts and discovered that cancer material currently on the app lacked accurate educational worth. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center– Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
Chambers was interested in finding out more about the unmentioned concerns of her clients, who are typically mothers and young ladies. She wished to comprehend how these clients were utilizing social media, what info they were sharing, and how they were consuming that info.