JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

It is commonplace for social media influencers to work in paid partnerships with brands; this is a multi-billion dollar industry. Long have patients been active in online health communities and social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, but in recent years pharmaceutical marketers have noticed the power of patient persuasion.

Objective:

The current study explored how patient influencers communicate health literacy about pharmaceutical medications on social media to their communities of followers.

Methods:

Twenty-six in-depth interviews revealed how patient influencers communicate health literacy about pharmaceutical medications to other patients on social media.

Results:

Using the constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to guide the analysis, three themes were identified: understanding disease through experience, staying informed of science/field, and suggesting that physicians know best.

Conclusions:

Just like with traditional direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, the phenomenon of patient influencers raises ethical questions that need more investigation. In a way, patient influencers are interactive health education agents who may also share prescription medication information. They can break down complex health information based on expertise and experience and mitigate the loneliness and isolation that other patients may feel without the support of a community.