JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Traditional cancer patient education is limited by issues related to timeliness, accessibility, and personalization. Social media has emerged as a novel platform for cancer patient education, attracting significant attention in recent years. However, a comprehensive assessment of the current research landscape in this domain is lacking.

Objective:

The aim was to identify research hotspots and trace the evolutionary trajectory of social media-based cancer patient education, and map leading journals, institutions, and global collaboration networks.

Methods:

Bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and CiteSpace, were utilized to analyze publication trends, author - and - institution collaboration networks, keyword co - occurrence, factor analysis, and thematic clusters. A total of 119 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science database, spanning the period from 2011 to 2025.

Results:

The Journal of Medical Internet Research has emerged as the preeminent journal in this field, boasting the highest publication volume. The University of Minnesota topped the list in terms of institutional productivity. The United States dominated the research landscape, with five of the top ten most productive institutions located in the U.S., and also led the international collaboration network. Keyword analysis revealed an evolution from social media-based cancer patient education toward more differentiated and interdisciplinary integration. Three distinct research phases were identified, along with five pivotal research themes: (1) cancer patient education across different social media platforms; (2) methods of cancer patient education and quality - of - life interventions via social media; (3) psychological and social support for cancer patients; (4) health education needs of specific patient groups; and (5) cancer information quality and misinformation detection on social media platforms. Future research should prioritize intelligent information governance and the development of precise education systems, technology - inclusive and differential - need - responsive strategies, and narrative therapy and interdisciplinary theoretical innovation to advance cancer patient education toward personalization, equity, and comprehensive coverage.

Conclusions:

This study represents the first bibliometric analysis of social media - based cancer patient education, providing actionable insights to optimize digital health literacy strategies and promote patient - centered, equitable healthcare.