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When repairing facial wounds, it is crucial to possess a thorough understanding of suitable suture materials and their evidence base. The absence of high-quality and comprehensive systematic reviews poses challenges in making informed decisions. In this study, we conducted a review of the existing literature and assessed the quality of the current evidence pertaining to the clinical, aesthetic, and patient-reported outcomes associated with absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures for facial skin closure. The study was registered on Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. We conducted searches on Embase, Ovid, and PubMed/MEDLINE databases. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for inclusion in this study. Additionally, the risk of bias in the randomized studies was assessed using Cochrane's Risk of Bias Tool. The study included a total of nine RCTs involving 804 participants with facial injuries. Among these injuries, absorbable sutures were utilized in 50.2% (403 injuries), while nonabsorbable sutures were employed in 49.8% (401 injuries). The analysis of cosmesis scales revealed no statistically significant difference between absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures regarding infections ( p = 0.72), visual analog scale ( p = 0.69), wound dehiscence ( p = 0.08), and scarring ( p = 0.46). The quality of the included studies was determined to have a low risk of bias. Absorbable sutures can be considered a suitable alternative to nonabsorbable sutures, as they demonstrate comparable aesthetic and clinical outcomes. Future high-quality studies with a level I evidence design and cost-effectiveness analysis are necessary to enhance clinician-patient shared decision-making and optimize the selection of suture materials. Level of evidence is I, risk/prognostic study.
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BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of SIMBA as an educational intervention for both HCPs and people with either PCOS or adrenal conditions and to study the change in knowledge of people with PCOS or adrenal conditions about the conditions and expectations from the HCPs involved in their care following SIMBA-PPI sessions. METHODS: Two SIMBA-PPI sessions (SIMBA-PPI Polycystic ovary syndrome (SIMBA-PCOS) and SIMBA-PPI Adrenal conditions (SIMBA-Adrenal conditions)) were conducted in September 2021 and March 2022. In both sessions, HCPs interacted with moderators on patient management through WhatsApp. Patients with respective conditions underwent workshop-style learning in the same cases. SIMBA-PCOS transcripts were also translated into Brazilian Portuguese and workshops were held in both Brazilian Portuguese and English. The two groups (HCPs and patients) were then brought together to discuss exploring gaps in knowledge and expectations. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test compared differences in pre- and post-SIMBA self-reported confidence levels in HCPs and patients. Qualitative data from the online recordings were transcribed and analysed with inductive thematic analysis to identify gaps in knowledge and expectations from managing the cases. RESULTS: 48 HCPs and 25 patients participated in our study. When compared to pre-SIMBA confidence levels, SIMBA-PPI sessions effectively improved clinicians' confidence in managing PCOS (40.5%, p < .001) and adrenal conditions (23.0%, p < .001) post-SIMBA. Patient participants' confidence in HCPs significantly increased in the PCOS session (SIMBA-PCOS: 6.25%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Integration of PPI into SIMBA improved HCPs' confidence in managing PCOS and adrenal conditions. SIMBA-PPI also improved patients' confidence in HCPs. Our findings suggest that participating in SIMBA-PPI sessions can reduce the gap in knowledge and expectations between patients and HCPs involved in their care.
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Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Síndrome do Ovário Policístico , Humanos , Síndrome do Ovário Policístico/terapia , Feminino , Adulto , Doenças das Glândulas Suprarrenais/terapia , Envio de Mensagens de Texto , Masculino , Adulto Jovem , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Participação do Paciente , BrasilRESUMO
This cross-sectional study evaluates the clinical accuracy, relevance, clarity, and emotional sensitivity of responses to inquiries from patients undergoing surgery provided by large language models (LLMs), highlighting their potential as adjunct tools in patient communication and education. Our findings demonstrated high performance of LLMs across accuracy, relevance, clarity, and emotional sensitivity, with Anthropic's Claude 2 outperforming OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, suggesting LLMs' potential to serve as complementary tools for enhanced information delivery and patient-surgeon interaction.
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YouTube® is one of the leading platforms for health information. However, the lack of regulation of content and quality raises concerns about accuracy and reliability. CoMICs (Concise Medical Information Cines) are evidence-based short videos created by medical students and junior doctors and reviewed by experts to ensure clinical accuracy. We performed a systematic review to understand the impact of videos on knowledge and awareness about diabetes and PCOS. We then evaluated the quality of YouTube® videos about diabetes and PCOS using various validated quality assessment tools and compared these with CoMICs videos on the same topics. Quality assessment tools like DISCERN, JAMA benchmark criteria, and global quality scale (GQS) score were employed. Some of the authors of this study also co-authored the creation of some of the CoMICs evaluated. Our study revealed that while videos effectively improve understanding of diabetes and PCOS, there are notable differences in quality and reliability of the videos on YouTube®. For diabetes, CoMICs videos had higher DISCERN scores (CoMICs vs YouTube®: 2.4 vs 1.6), superior reliability (P < 0.01), and treatment quality (P < 0.01) and met JAMA criteria for authorship (100% vs 30.6%) and currency (100% vs 53.1%). For PCOS, CoMICs had higher DISCERN scores (2.9 vs 1.9), reliability (P < 0.01), and treatment quality (P < 0.01); met JAMA criteria for authorship (100% vs 34.0%) and currency (100% vs 54.0%); and had higher GQS scores (4.0 vs 3.0). In conclusion, CoMICs outperformed other similar sources on YouTube® in providing reliable evidence-based medical information which may be used for patient education.
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Background: The internet has become the primary source of health-related information, and online health information-seeking behaviour has been used as a reliable surrogate of public awareness. We studied the trends of search interest in polycystic ovary syndrome over time and whether funding for polycystic ovary syndrome research corresponded with the changes in search interest. We also studied the geographic reach of polycystic ovary syndrome interest and whether polycystic ovary syndrome awareness month is an effective strategy to increase polycystic ovary syndrome interest. Methods: We performed joinpoint regression on relative search volume data for polycystic ovary syndrome using Google Trends from 2004 to 2022, comparing weekly, monthly and yearly trends. We retrieved the total polycystic ovary syndrome-related articles from 1980 to 2022 to study funded and unfunded literature trends. We did a Mann-Whitney U-test analysis comparing the mean relative search volume during the polycystic ovary syndrome awareness month versus the rest of the weeks yearly. Results: Three joinpoints were seen at months 70, 196, and 199 months which were statistically significant when compared to the null hypothesis of zero joinpoints (p = .0002), one joinpoint (p = .0002), and two joinpoints (p = .0395), respectively. The search interest of 'Polycystic ovary syndrome' was seen in 195 regions globally. The mean relative search volume in September corresponding to polycystic ovary syndrome awareness month was higher than other months from 2013 to 2022. Of the 41,292 journal articles analysed, there was a positive trend in funded polycystic ovary syndrome research from the 2000s until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: An increasing polycystic ovary syndrome search interest is probably driven by major legislative and scientific events suggesting the importance of such events. Polycystic ovary syndrome Awareness Month is an effective international awareness initiative to increase online polycystic ovary syndrome information-seeking behaviour. The declining trend in funding is a concern as it mismatches with the continued increase in information-seeking behaviour globally.
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Background Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a chronic skin condition caused by hair retention that affects the sacrococcygeal cleft. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to routine daily dressings (DDs) in wound healing after complex or infected pilonidal sinus tract excision. Materials and methods The study included 81 individuals who had extensive local excisions for pilonidal sinuses that were complex or infected. Randomly selected participants were given either NPWT or the usual dressing. Between the two groups, the length of hospitalization, the amount of time needed to resume daily activities, and the amount of time needed for full wound closure were compared. Results Forty-two patients received NPWT, while 39 patients received DDs as usual. There was no discernible difference between the two groups in terms of operating time or hospital stay. However, patients who underwent NPWT experienced a quicker final wound closure (59.24 ± 10.21 days compared to routine DD with a mean time of 75.31 ± 14.68 days, P = 0.001) and returned to normal activities earlier (17.36 versus 21.75 days in NPWT and routine DD, respectively). Conclusion Compared to patients who received standard DDs, those who were postoperatively managed with NPWT showed faster wound healing and return to normal activities. Whenever feasible, this strategy may be employed to improve patient recovery.
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Background and objective More than half of the population suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) use the internet as a primary source of information on their condition. X (formerly Twitter) has been increasingly used to disseminate healthcare-related information. In this study, we aimed to identify top influencers on the topic of IBD on X and correlate the relevance of their social media engagements with their professional expertise or academic productivity. Methods X (formerly Twitter) influence scores for the search topic IBD were obtained using Cronycle API, a proprietary software employing multiple algorithms to rank influencers. Data regarding gender, profession, location, and research productivity represented as h-index was collected. Results We collected information on the top 100 IBD influencers on X. The majority of influencers were gastroenterologists, followed by IBD advocates. Of note, 62% of the IBD influencers were from the US followed by the UK and Canada. A positive correlation was observed between the X topic score and the h-index of the influencer (r=+0.488, p<0.001) Conclusions The strong correlation observed between the X topic score and h-index suggests that social media is a viable platform for gaining information regarding IBD. Further research aimed at counteracting misleading information by providing facts and data in a succinct manner about IBD on social media is required to improve disease awareness.
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Context: Getting residency training abroad is a critical motivator in the emigration of Indian medical students. Brain drain is an emerging issue, especially for developing countries as it causes a shortage of trained staff in the donor country. Aim: We aimed to survey Indian medical students to know about their intentions to get trained abroad and to understand the factors influencing their decision. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, we surveyed Indian undergraduate medical students of all professional years, including internship. A validated questionnaire collected data on students' demographics and educational characteristics, intention to study overseas or stay back in India, and factors influencing their decision. Results: Out of a total of 1199 responses (51.1% males, 48.9% females), 45.0% partakers had planned to pursue their residency abroad, while 33.8% wanted to stay in India and 21.2% were undecided. Better lifestyle and higher pay grades overseas were viewed as the most significant barriers to staying back in India and a key influencer in decision-making among the maximum number of students (412; 76.3%). On the other hand, a whopping 58.2% of participants opined that they wanted to stay back in India for taking care of their parents. Conclusions: Source countries with better healthcare facilities and better incomes tend to attract medical students. Awareness among medical educators regarding constantly changing curricula, a shift to a competency-based education system, better pay grades, limited working hours, and interventions to mitigate workplace violence could help prevent brain drain among Indian medical students and graduates.
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BACKGROUND: Social media applications provide room for public interaction and forming communities, thus helping disseminate health-related information. Since 2010, World Hepatitis Day has been observed on July 28 with endorsement from the World Health Organization. This study aimed to ascertain the global digital impact of World Hepatitis Day on Twitter (an online microblogging social network) and on the web (web searches and news) to formulate evidence-based recommendations for promoting future policy development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed publicly available data from Twitter, a popular microblogging social network on the internet (data accessed from India). Three social media assessment tools (Sprout social, SocioViz and Symplur) and Google Trends were used to obtain data about the tweets and global impressions worldwide about World Hepatitis Day. A time frame from July 27th, 2022 to July 29th, 2022 was taken into account for all the tweets in various time zones around the world. RESULTS: "#WorldHepatitisDay" and "#Hepatitis" received 519.16 million and 412.37 million impressions in the defined timeframe, respectively. A total of 39,069 tweets were posted about World Hepatitis Day, an increase of 24.1% compared to the previous year. On social network analysis, 93 of the top 100 influencers collaborated among themselves, which helped in the wider dissemination of awareness. CONCLUSIONS: World Hepatitis Day 2022 was an impactful healthcare awareness event on Twitter for the global audience and sets forth an example of the effective utilization of resources. Future policies shall inculcate constructive feedback from our findings and must be inclusive of all the underrepresented communities.
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BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women, resulting in substantial burden related to metabolic, reproductive, and psychological complications. While attempts have been made to understand the themes and sentiments of the public regarding PCOS at the local and regional levels, no study has explored worldwide views, mainly due to financial and logistical limitations. YouTube is one of the largest sources of health-related information, where many visitors share their views as questions or comments. These can be used as a surrogate to understand the public's perceptions. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the comments of all videos related to PCOS published on YouTube from May 2011 to April 2023 and identified trends over time in the comments, their context, associated themes, gender-based differences, and underlying sentiments. METHODS: After extracting all the comments using the YouTube application programming interface, we contextually studied the keywords and analyzed gender differences using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. We applied a multidimensional approach to analyzing the content via association mining using Mozdeh. We performed network analysis to study associated themes using the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm and then manually screened the comments for content analysis. The sentiments associated with YouTube comments were analyzed using SentiStrength. RESULTS: A total of 85,872 comments from 940 PCOS videos on YouTube were extracted. We identified a specific gender for 13,106 comments. Of these, 1506 were matched to male users (11.5%), and 11,601 comments to female users (88.5%). Keywords including diagnosing PCOS, symptoms of PCOS, pills for PCOS (medication), and pregnancy were significantly associated with female users. Keywords such as herbal treatment, natural treatment, curing PCOS, and online searches were significantly associated with male users. The key themes associated with female users were symptoms of PCOS, positive personal experiences (themes such as helpful and love), negative personal experiences (fatigue and pain), motherhood (infertility and trying to conceive), self-diagnosis, and use of professional terminology detailing their journey. The key themes associated with male users were misinformation regarding the "cure" for PCOS, using natural and herbal remedies to cure PCOS, fake testimonies from spammers selling their courses and consultations, finding treatment for PCOS, and sharing perspectives of female family members. The overall average positive sentiment was 1.6651 (95% CI 1.6593-1.6709), and the average negative sentiment was 1.4742 (95% CI 1.4683-1.4802) with a net positive difference of 0.1909. CONCLUSIONS: There may be a disparity in views on PCOS between women and men, with the latter associated with non-evidence-based approaches and misinformation. The improving sentiment noticed with YouTube comments may reflect better health care services. Prioritizing and promoting evidence-based care and disseminating pragmatic online coverage is warranted to improve public sentiment and limit misinformation spread.
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Síndrome do Ovário Policístico , Mídias Sociais , Gravidez , Humanos , Feminino , Masculino , Big Data , Infodemiologia , AlgoritmosRESUMO
Global surgery broadly refers to a rapidly expanding multidisciplinary field concerned with providing better and equitable surgical care across international health systems. Global surgery initiatives primarily focus on capacity building, advocacy, education, research, and policy development in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The inadequate surgical, anesthetic, and obstetric care currently contributes to 18 million preventable deaths each year. Hence, there is a growing interest in the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides a distinctive opportunity to enhance surgical services in LMICs. AI modalities have been used for personalizing surgical education, automating administrative tasks, and developing realistic and cost-effective simulation-training programs with provisions for people with special needs. Furthermore, AI may assist with providing insights for governance, infrastructure development, and monitoring/predicting stock take or logistics failure that can help in strengthening global surgery pillars. Numerous AI-assisted telemedicine-based platforms have allowed healthcare professionals to virtually assist in complex surgeries that may help to improve surgical accessibility across LMICs. Challenges in implementing AI technology include the misrepresentation of minority populations in the datasets leading to discriminatory bias. Human hesitancy, employment uncertainty, automation bias, and role of confounding factors need to be further studied for equitable utilization of AI. With a focused and evidence-based approach, AI could help several LMICs overcome bureaucratic inefficiency and develop more efficient surgical systems.
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OBJECTIVE: To assess differences in body image concerns among women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsychInfo, PUBMED, Web-of-Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials [CENTRAL]) were searched from inception through July 2022. Outcome measures included validated questionnaires reporting on body image concerns. Methodological quality was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system, and included studies were assessed for risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed using the inverse variance method based on random or fixed effects models (Review Manager, Version 5). RESULTS: A total of 918 women with PCOS and 865 women without PCOS from 9 studies were included. Meta-analysis of 3 studies using Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS) showed those with PCOS reported higher dissatisfaction with appearance evaluation and appearance orientation compared to those without PCOS (mean difference [MD] = -0.78, I2 = 0%, P < .00001, and MD = 0.22, I2 = 54%, P = .004, respectively). Meta-analysis of 2 studies showed higher dissatisfaction with overweight preoccupation, lower body area satisfaction, and body weight classification on MBSRQ-AS subscales in those with PCOS compared to those without PCOS (all P < .001). Meta-analysis of 2 studies using the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA) showed significantly lower scores for the weight subscale in those with PCOS compared to those without PCOS (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Those with PCOS experience more significant body image concerns, emphasising the importance of awareness in the clinical care of PCOS. Considering the limited evidence, further studies are warranted to identify drivers and mitigating factors.
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Imagem Corporal , Síndrome do Ovário Policístico , Adolescente , Adulto , Humanos , Feminino , Bases de Dados Factuais , Sobrepeso , PubMedRESUMO
Introduction: The aim of the study was to identify available polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) models of care (MoCs) and describe their characteristics and alignment with the international PCOS guideline. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE, All EBM, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL were searched from inception until 11 July 2022. Any study with a description of a PCOS MoC was included. Non-evidence-based guidelines, abstracts, study protocols, and clinical trial registrations were excluded. We also excluded MoCs delivered in research settings to minimize care bias. Meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity across MoCs. We describe and evaluate each MoC based on the recommendations made by the international evidence-based guideline for assessing and managing PCOS. Results: Of 3,671 articles, six articles describing five MoCs were included in our systematic review. All MoCs described a multidisciplinary approach, including an endocrinologist, dietitian, gynecologist, psychologist, dermatologist, etc. Three MoCs described all aspects of PCOS care aligned with the international guideline recommendations. These include providing education on long-term risks, lifestyle interventions, screening and management of emotional well-being, cardiometabolic diseases, and the dermatological and reproductive elements of PCOS. Three MoCs evaluated patients' and healthcare professionals' satisfaction, with generally positive findings. Only one MoC explored the impact of their service on patients' health outcomes and showed improvement in BMI. Conclusion: There is limited literature describing PCOS MoCs in routine practice. Future research should explore developing cost-effective co-created multidisciplinary PCOS MoCs globally. This may be facilitated by the exchange of best practices between institutions with an established MoC and those who are interested in setting one up. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=346539, identifier CRD42022346539.
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Países em Desenvolvimento , Síndrome do Ovário Policístico , Feminino , Humanos , Escolaridade , Emoções , Endocrinologistas , Síndrome do Ovário Policístico/terapiaRESUMO
Predatory journals and conferences are an emerging problem in scientific literature as they have financial motives, without guaranteeing scientific quality and exposure. The main objective of the ASGLOS project is to investigate the predatory e-email characteristics, management, and possible consequences and to analyse the extent of the current problem at each academic level. To collect the personal experiences of physicians' mailboxes on predatory publishing, a Google Form® survey was designed and disseminated from September 2021 to April 2022. A total of 978 responses were analysed from 58 countries around the world. A total of 64.8% of participants indicated the need for 3 or fewer emails to acquire a criticality view in distinguishing a real invitation from a spam, while 11.5% still have doubt regardless of how many emails they get. The AGLOS Study clearly highlights the problem of academic e-mail spam by predatory journals and conferences. Our findings signify the importance of providing academic career-oriented advice and organising training sessions to increase awareness of predatory publishing for those conducting scientific research.
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OBJECTIVES: To compare the acceptance, strengths and limitations of Simulation via Instant Messaging-Birmingham Advance (SIMBA) in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs), on healthcare professionals' professional development and learning. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Online (either mobile or computer/ laptop or both). PARTICIPANTS: 462 participants (LMICs: 29.7%, n=137 and HICs: 71.3%, n=325) were included. INTERVENTIONS: Sixteen SIMBA sessions were conducted between May 2020 and October 2021. Doctors-in-training solved anonymised real-life clinical scenarios over WhatsApp. Participants completed pre-SIMBA and post-SIMBA surveys. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes were identified using Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model. LMIC and HIC participants' reactions (level 1) and self-reported performance, perceptions and improvements in core competencies (level 2a) were compared using the χ2 test. Content analysis of open-ended questions was performed. RESULTS: Postsession, there were no significant differences in application to practice (p=0.266), engagement (p=0.197) and overall session quality (p=0.101) between LMIC and HIC participants (level 1). Participants from HICs showed better knowledge of patient management (LMICs: 77.4% vs HICs: 86.5%; p=0.01), whereas participants from LMICs self-reported higher improvement in professionalism (LMICs: 41.6% vs HICs: 31.1%; p=0.02). There were no significant differences in improved clinical competency scores in patient care (p=0.28), systems-based practice (p=0.05), practice-based learning (p=0.15) and communication skills (p=0.22), between LMIC and HIC participants (level 2a). In content analysis, the major strengths of SIMBA over traditional methods were providing individualised, structured and engaging sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals from both LMICs and HICs self-reported improvement in their clinical competencies, illustrating that SIMBA can produce equivalent teaching experiences. Furthermore, SIMBA's virtual nature enables international accessibility and presents potential for global scalability. This model could steer future standardised global health education policy development in LMICs.
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Pessoal de Saúde , Aprendizagem , Humanos , Estudos Transversais , Escolaridade , Atenção à SaúdeRESUMO
Background: With over 18.6 million deaths annually, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. One such complication of CVDs that can result in stroke is atrial fibrillation (Afib). As part of global outreach and awareness, World Heart Day and Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month are celebrated annually on 29 September and the month of September, respectively. Both of these events are important cardiovascular awareness initiatives to assist public education and develop awareness strategies, and they have received considerable support from leading international organizations. Objective: We studied the global digital impact of these campaigns via Google Trends and Twitter. Methods: We evaluated the overall number of tweets, impressions, popularity and top keywords/hashtags, and interest by region to determine the digital impact using various analytical tools. Hashtag network analysis was done using ForceAtlas2 model. Beyond social media, Google Trends web search analysis was carried out for both awareness campaigns to examine 'interest by region' over the past five years by analyzing relative search volume. Results: #WorldHeartDay and #UseHeart (dedicated social media hashtags for World Heart Day by the World Heart Federation) alone amassed over 1.005 billion and 41.89 million impressions as compared with the 1.62 million and 4.42 million impressions of #AfibMonth and #AfibAwarenessMonth, respectively. On Google Trends web search analysis, the impact of Afib awareness month was limited to the USA, but World Heart Day had a comparatively global reach with limited digital involvement in the African continent. Conclusions: World Heart Day and Afib awareness month present a compelling case study of vast digital impact and the effectiveness of targeted campaigning using specific themes and keywords. Though the efforts of the backing organizations are commended, planning and collaboration are needed to further widen the reach of Afib awareness month.
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Fibrilação Atrial , Mídias Sociais , Humanos , Fibrilação Atrial/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Neurosurgery Awareness Month (August) was initiated by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons with the aim of bringing neurological conditions to the forefront and educating the public about these conditions. Digital media is an important tool for disseminating information and connecting with influencers, general public, and other stakeholders. Hence, it is crucial to understand the impact of awareness campaigns such as Neurosurgery Awareness Month to optimize resource allocation, quantify the efficiency and reach of these initiatives, and identify areas for improvement. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to examine the digital impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month globally and identify areas for further improvement. METHODS: We used 4 social media (Twitter) assessment tools (Sprout Social, SocioViz, Sentiment Viz, and Symplur) and Google Trends to extract data using various search queries. Using regression analysis, trends were studied in the total number of tweets posted in August between 2014 and 2022. Two search queries were used in this analysis: one specifically targeting tweets related to Neurosurgery Awareness Month and the other isolating all neurosurgery-related posts. Total impressions and top influencers for #neurosurgery were calculated using Symplur's machine learning algorithm. To study the context of the tweets, we used SocioViz to isolate the top 100 popular hashtags, keywords, and collaborations between influencers. Network analysis was performed to illustrate the interactions and connections within the digital media environment using ForceAtlas2 model. Sentiment analysis was done to study the underlying emotion of the tweets. Google Trends was used to study the global search interest by studying relative search volume data. RESULTS: A total of 10,007 users were identified as tweeting about neurosurgery during Neurosurgery Awareness Month using the "#neurosurgery" hashtag. These tweets generated over 29.14 million impressions globally. Of the top 10 most influential users, 5 were faculty neurosurgeons at US university hospitals. Other influential users included notable organizations and journals in the field of neurosurgery. The network analysis of the top 100 influencers showed a collaboration rate of 81%. However, only 1.6% of the total neurosurgery tweets were advocating about neurosurgery awareness during Neurosurgery Awareness Month, and only 13 tweets were posted by verified users using the #neurosurgeryawarenessmonth hashtag. The sentiment analysis revealed that the majority of the tweets about Neurosurgery Awareness Month were pleasant with subdued emotion. CONCLUSIONS: The global digital impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month is nascent, and support from other international organizations and neurosurgical influencers is needed to yield a significant digital reach. Increasing collaboration and involvement from underrepresented communities may help to increase the global reach. By better understanding the digital impact of Neurosurgery Awareness Month, future health care awareness campaigns can be optimized to increase global awareness of neurosurgery and the challenges facing the field.
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Background and objective: Although significant resources are invested each September for PCOS Awareness Month campaign, there are no studies measuring its impact. We evaluated the digital impact of PCOS Awareness Month, common themes and associated topics, top influencers, and global equity of influence during the PCOS Awareness month. Methods: In this serial cross-sectional analysis, we studied the outputs from Symplur® to study the total impressions of #PCOS on Twitter®. We tracked the hashtags-#PCOS, #PCOSawarenessmonth, #PCOSawareness-and a search query- "#PCOS OR #PCOSawarenessmonth OR #PCOSawareness"-using Sproutsocial® to study the total number of tweets related to PCOS Awareness Month. Network analysis was done using SocioViz® to identify common themes and associated topics. Using SymplurRank® machine learning algorithm, the top 10 #PCOS influencers were identified based on the number of mentions received. Google® Trends was used to study the web and news search popularity over the last 10 years beyond social media platforms. Results: An overall upward trend in the digital impact of PCOS awareness was noted since 2017. While the top themes associated with PCOS (insulin resistance, depression, anxiety, menopause, hormones, infertility) remained the same in 2021 and 2022, newer themes emerged in the latter year suggesting the need for ongoing review. News outlets were the most influential organisations during PCOS Awareness Month in both years of study. Seven of the top 10 users were the same in both years. Limited engagement from African, Asian, South American, and non-English speaking European countries was seen on Google Trends analysis. Conclusion: Active involvement from various stakeholders of PCOS Awareness Month has shaped it into an effective strategy to raise awareness with social media playing a crucial role in amplifying the message. Our findings also provide an opportunity to understand the current perceptions and expectations amongst the public, which can influence future healthcare investment and research.