Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Dermatology
Date Submitted: Jun 22, 2020
Date Accepted: May 14, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 25, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
"Dr. Google" consultations on psoriasis: trends and seasonality in a digital era.
ABSTRACT
Background:
In recent years, the Internet has become an essential tool where people seek information about health care.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to use data from Google Trends to analyze worldwide public interest in psoriasis and its different treatment modalities, and to analyze the possible seasonality of searches.
Methods:
A worldwide search was carried out through Google Trends from 2004 to 2019. A combination of terms related to psoriasis treatments was introduced. Join-point regression has been performed. Google Trends assigns a relative search volume index to the search terms. Comparison annual relative search volume, annual percentage change, and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were analyzed to assess loss or gain of interest.
Results:
Our study reflects an increase interest in secukinumab (AAPC: 33.7), ixekizumab (AAPC: 23.3) and apremilast (AAPC: 21.4). It shows less interest in methotrexate (AAPC: -3.6), retinoids (AAPC: -9.8), cyclosporine (AAPC: -9.8), phototherapy (AAPC: -6.3), etanercept (AAPC: -14.9), infliximab (AAPC: -14) and adalimumab (AAPC: -5.8). Seasonality was found in the search term “psoriasis”.
Conclusions:
Secukinumab followed by ixekizumab, and apremilast have been the treatments that have aroused the most interest. Our results show current psoriasis search trends and its different treatments based on Google trend analysis.
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