Letter to the Editor on “Comparison of Social Media Content on Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Cross-Sectional Study”

We read, with interest, the article entitled “Comparison of Social Media Content on Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Cross-Sectional Study” [1]. We commend the authors for their comprehensive review of social media content related to hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Their analysis of three commonly utilized social media platforms demonstrated the limited engagement of physicians in offering educational health-related material, particularly in regards to HS [1]. This deficiency in social media participation is observed within a realm that disseminates information to a staggering 4.8 billion users globally [2]. While we acknowledge the gap in physician-generated social media content and implore more physicians to post educational content on social media, we questioned how the authors of the manuscript evaluated “education” content compared with “HS awareness.” Without a validated evaluation instrument, it is possible that the content type of “education” versus “HS awareness” could be biased by the content creator demographic of “patient” versus “physician.” In addition, HS awareness in both the general population and provider communities is one of the most critical unmet needs identified by HS patients worldwide [3]. With an average diagnostic delay of 10 years, and with the majority of HS patients having seen five physicians for their symptoms prior to a diagnosis, we would contend that HS awareness has high educational value in itself for both the general population as well as health professionals [3]. Patients may be very knowledgeable regarding HS, and studies have even demonstrated substantial agreement between physician and patient’s severity assessments using Hurley stage classification [4]. Even more importantly, content from patients can provide insights into the lived experience of persons suffering from HS. Thus, we assert the importance of using validated tools to evaluate the HS social media content. Several validated tools to evaluate the education value of a video exist including the Index for Scientific Quality (ISQ), Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP), Quality Index for health-related Media Reports (QIMR), and DISCERN [5]. In another recent study on the social media content regarding HS on youtube.com, Raime et al. [6] examined the educational value of the content using the validated DISCERN instrument. The DISCERN instrument is a validated tool that assesses the reliability, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of written consumer health information [7]. It utilizes 15 questions that are answered on a Likert scale of 1–5 to calculate a score and determine the quality of health information [7]. DISCERN has been used to examine content pertaining to various dermatologic conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, and acne [8‒11]. In future investigations pertaining to the educational content within social media posts, it is prudent to utilize a validated tool, such as DISCERN, to gauge the educational merit and quality of the material.