Understanding Treatment Preference Heterogeneity in Psoriasis: Insights From a Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Data
Author(s)
Shelagh Szabo, MSc, Neil Hawkins, MBA, MSc, PhD, Evi Germeni, PhD.
HEHTA, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
HEHTA, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVES: Social media forums, wherein individuals share perspectives about health, provide a potentially rich source of data on why individuals make health-related decisions. These have not been widely used for treatment preference research. Our objective was to explore patient treatment preferences and their drivers, within social media posts from individuals with psoriasis.
METHODS: Potentially-relevant posts published between 06/24-05/25 were identified from Reddit (r/Psoriasis); the search strategy included keywords for psoriasis and treatment. A hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis was performed. The analysis was seeded by a conceptual model from a previous grounded theory analysis (n=38), outlining how personal features and contextual factors combine with health priorities to produce treatment preferences in psoriasis. Data within posts were coded to classify themes and new categories developed for themes not already identified.
RESULTS: There were 983 eligible posts; many solicited feedback on treatment decisions, and patient preferences for psoriasis treatments were heterogeneous. In common with the grounded theory analysis, posts typically reflected a focus on controlling symptoms or treatment impact. For those interested in controlling symptoms, prioritizing efficacy and controlling other health conditions were common considerations; as were avoiding unnecessary treatment and adverse events for those focusing on treatment impact. Novel insights included concerns about treatment impacts on overall health/wellbeing; a subset of posts reflected lesser comfort with the medical/insurance system. Many posts discussed treatment affordability and tolerance for healthcare spending, however little other information was available on sociodemographics or contextual factors.
CONCLUSIONS: These data corroborate and extend on prior work, further delineating drivers of heterogeneous treatment preferences in psoriasis. Limitations to social media analyses include sparse sociodemographic data and sometimes, detail within posts. However, reviewing spontaneous online narratives can provide insight unlikely to emerge through conventional qualitative approaches. Ideally, these findings can help clinicians and decision-makers better understand patient treatment priorities, providing context for treatment access deliberations.
METHODS: Potentially-relevant posts published between 06/24-05/25 were identified from Reddit (r/Psoriasis); the search strategy included keywords for psoriasis and treatment. A hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis was performed. The analysis was seeded by a conceptual model from a previous grounded theory analysis (n=38), outlining how personal features and contextual factors combine with health priorities to produce treatment preferences in psoriasis. Data within posts were coded to classify themes and new categories developed for themes not already identified.
RESULTS: There were 983 eligible posts; many solicited feedback on treatment decisions, and patient preferences for psoriasis treatments were heterogeneous. In common with the grounded theory analysis, posts typically reflected a focus on controlling symptoms or treatment impact. For those interested in controlling symptoms, prioritizing efficacy and controlling other health conditions were common considerations; as were avoiding unnecessary treatment and adverse events for those focusing on treatment impact. Novel insights included concerns about treatment impacts on overall health/wellbeing; a subset of posts reflected lesser comfort with the medical/insurance system. Many posts discussed treatment affordability and tolerance for healthcare spending, however little other information was available on sociodemographics or contextual factors.
CONCLUSIONS: These data corroborate and extend on prior work, further delineating drivers of heterogeneous treatment preferences in psoriasis. Limitations to social media analyses include sparse sociodemographic data and sometimes, detail within posts. However, reviewing spontaneous online narratives can provide insight unlikely to emerge through conventional qualitative approaches. Ideally, these findings can help clinicians and decision-makers better understand patient treatment priorities, providing context for treatment access deliberations.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
PCR255
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
Biologics & Biosimilars, Sensory System Disorders (Ear, Eye, Dental, Skin), Systemic Disorders/Conditions (Anesthesia, Auto-Immune Disorders (n.e.c.), Hematological Disorders (non-oncologic), Pain)