TikTok Videos on IBD Provide Low Quality Information
Social media platforms provide an opportunity for pharmacists to create accurate content on inflammatory bowel disease for younger patients.
TikTok and other social media have the potential to reach younger adults, who have a peak age of onset for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) between 15 and 29 years. However, a new study published in Gastroenterology Nursing shows that although videos on IBD have millions of views, the videos score low for quality of medical information.1,2
The most common themes across TikTok were ostomy, advocacy, disease management, interaction with the health care system, symptoms, and social relationships. | Image Credit: Bungon - stock.adobe.com
"Social media platforms such as TikTok have the potential to reach a wide audience of people living with IBD, particularly young adults,” Samantha Winders, PhD, RN, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, said in a news release.2 "Our study finds problems with the quality of medical information provided by the most-viewed videos—suggesting opportunities for health care providers to create accurate content targeting gaps in IBD education."
IBD is a chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal disease categorized as Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which both have a genetic predisposition. In North America, the incidence of IBD ranges from 2.2 to 19.2 cases per 100,000 person-years for UC and 2.1 to 20.2 cases per 200,000 person-years for CDC. Although the diseases are not curable, treatment can be used to induce remission. Anti-inflammatory medication, immunomodulators, small molecules, and biologics can be used to treat IBD.3,4
Authors of the study aimed to identify the quality of the most viewed TikToks related to IBD. They found 86 videos from the 100 most viewed videos under searches such as “#ibd,” “#crohns,” and “#colitis.” Videos were in English and had a total of 235 million views posted by 41 unique users. The investigators focused on themes, video metrics, characteristics, and quality for the videos. All videos were made by individuals with IBD and 83% were personal narratives, according to the study authors. None of the videos were posted by health care providers.1,2
The most common themes were ostomy, advocacy, disease management, interaction with the health care system, symptoms, social relationships, negative impact of IBD, and complications. Nearly 70% of the top videos addressed ostomies, including steps for changing the ostomy bag and cleaning the stoma. There were other videos that were targeted at trying to normalize ostomy. The median DISCERN and global quality scores were 1.00 and 2.00 on 5-point scales, respectively, corresponding to poor quality.1,2
The second most popular theme was advocacy at 37%, including raising awareness and the “invisible disability” that is associated with it. Disease management—such as medication, surgery, and diet—was prevalent in 32% of videos.2
Pharmacists can play a large role in the management of IBD, especially because medication nonadherence is common, leading to increased flares, hospitalizations, and complications. They can provide support for adherence, monitor safety, and educate patients. Additionally, pharmacists can make sure that patients have updated immunizations, especially for patients who are on immunosuppressive therapy.5
The study authors stated, “TikTok offers a space for individuals with IBD to share information and experiences. Healthcare providers can utilize this platform to interact with and educate those with IBD; however, no healthcare provider videos were among the most popular.”1
