OBJECTIVES: Traditional qualitative research methods typically use focus groups/interviews to elicit information on the impacts of diseases from the patient’s perspective. With an increasingly connected and engaged patient population, information about disease impact is frequently discussed by patients on social media. Postsurgical Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections have been shown to have significant negative impacts on mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. There has been little research conducted to characterize this burden from the patient’s perspective. This study compares data obtained from traditional qualitative research approaches versus social media searches on patient-perceived burden, impacts, and costs of post-operative S. aureus infections. METHODS: Adults with post-surgical infections resulting from spinal, or knee or hip replacement surgery were recruited. A focus group and interviews were conducted using a semi-structured discussion guide. A targeted social media search was performed using key terms to identify disease-specific participant forums and blogs. Results from traditional approaches were compared with social media information. RESULTS: Fifteen adults (spinal=4; knee=3; hip=8) participated in concept elicitation focus groups or interviews; mean age 56.7 years (SD=10.6), 60% male. The social media review identified 41 posts from 2008-2015; age range 51–65 years, 83% female. Patients reported post-surgical infection impacts within 6 domains: Personal/Socioemotional, Financial/Employment, Physical Functioning, Pain, Sleep, and Other. There were 7 differences found across the two approaches. Identified uniquely through in-person were 6 impacts within the Personal/Socioemotional, Financial/Employment, and Other domains. Identified uniquely through social media was impact on physical appearance. CONCLUSIONS: Searches of social media to capture the patient’s perspective on impacts of a disease is a feasible approach and may be useful for informing the development of discussion guides, and/or supplementing the results of traditional qualitative approaches. Although we found common themes with substantial overlap in the results, unique information was gathered in each approach.