Social media and clinical research

Abstract

5 Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, discussion boards and blogs created specifically for patients and healthcare professionals, generate a vast number of conversations on diseases, drugs and treatments. The output of social media analysis can be used to supplement our understanding of patient experience, disease burden, unmet medical need, perceptions of participation in clinical studies, research news, and thus adds a potentially valuable source of insight to our work in developing new medicines. There are many ways that the analysis of social media can benefit decision making in the drug development pipeline. Not least, providing a connection to patients, their journeys and what their healthcare providers and caregivers say. There is substantial work that uses social media to understand brand sentiment and in the support of commercial purposes, for example, brand perception, sponsored communities, brand awareness, and brand and topic education. What does not yet seem common is the use of social media in support of clinical research.