JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Social media has rapidly become one of the main avenues for news and communication amongst those with access to technology. Different social media networks provide users with a barrage of posts, opinions and transformations. With this noticeable uptick in physician and patient education usages of social media, exploration of the impacts of social media on patient education in Dermatology is crucial.

Objective:

The goal of this narrative review was to evaluate existing peer-reviewed literature examining the use of social media in Dermatology patient education.Additional attention was given to different social media sites, and potential differences in modalities of posts such as short-form video on TikTok and Instagram Reels, long-form video on Youtube and infographics on Instagram and Facebook.

Methods:

A PubMed search of peer-reviewed publications was performed in order to discover articles with social media and patient education keywords in combination with other health care–relevant or dermatology-relevant keywords. Subsequently, the screening of these studies was performed by the author who has experience with education and research experience in health care, dermatology, social media, and telehealth. Ultimately, the selected articles were summarized via qualitative analysis of key points and presented for further discussion.

Results:

Through this narrative review, the researcher was able to identify several publications focusing on dermatology and social media. Some common subject areas included the use of social media for the promotion of private dermatology practices, residency programs and research journals. Additionally, several emphasized the use of social media as a form of patient education on dermatologic conditions, but also as a source of misinformation

Conclusions:

This narrative review illuminated the use of social media as a form of patient education for Dermatology, with its applications addressed across many demographics and situations. As social media platforms continue to update their algorithms, content filters and posts, social media may become a reputable form of patient education in Dermatology. Future studies and innovations should continue to explore innovations in this space, efficacy of different modalities of posts, and longitudinal differences in patient outcomes and health literacy.