Analyzing Burn-Related Content on Social Media Platforms: A Study of Creator Types, Content Focus, and Engagement Metrics

• Published in: Journal of burn care & research
• Main Authors: Manasyan, Artur, Ross, Erin, Malkoff, Nicolas, Cannata, Brigette, Yenikomshian, Haig A, Gillenwater, T Justin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 24.04.2024
• Subjects: burn centers; twitter; burn injury; social media; tiktok; facebook
• ISSN: 1559-0488
• DOI: 10.1093/jbcr/irae068

Social media offers a readily available, cost-effective way for medical experts to disseminate knowledge and shape public health outcomes but also allows for the spread of misinformation. This study aims to analyze burn-related material on social media by creator, content type, and engagement. Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) were queried with the following search terms: "burn," "burn injury," "burn recovery," and "burn treatment." Identified accounts were then manually screened for relevance. Year of creation and engagement metrics were collected. Accounts were categorized by content and creator type. Data was reported using descriptive statistics and visualized graphically to explore trends. Our search yielded 434 profiles, 234 of which met inclusion criteria. TikTok had the most engagement at a median of 43,500 followers per account, with 38.3% of accounts focusing on individual experiences of burn survivors primarily on personal accounts (48.3%). In contrast, content on Facebook was related to promotion of medical services (36.9%), where the most represented creator type was medical centers (33.6%). Nonprofits made up 40.4% of accounts on Twitter/X and more than a third of the content focused on patient advocacy, support, or burn prevention (36.5%). Important topics like burn education, prevention, and social support are lacking on major social media platforms. Engagement from burn care organizations and burn experts on social media is necessary. The findings of this study may guide advocates in the burn community on where and how to disseminate information in social media.