Leveraging Informatics To Understand Online Communication Patterns Between Migraine Sufferers On Social Media

Abstract

Social Network Sites (SNS) have been widely used by patients to exchange emotional support and health information in several health conditions. However, migraine patients’ use of social media is under- investigated. In this study, we investigated migraine patients’ behavior on two social media platforms by applying “Content” and “Social Network Analysis” techniques. The study aimed to compare the connectivity by describing the network structure, tie characteristics, in addition to identifying conversational themes. The migraine network on Twitter is more connected than the Facebook network, indicating more information and emotional support exchanged on Twitter. The informational theme dominated over the emotional theme on both platforms. However, the quality of information exchanged on Facebook was better than on Twitter which contained misinformation, spam and advertisements. The study highlights the vital role of moderators and sheds light on the technical features unique to each platform and impact on the users’ engagement patterns. The study provides guidance to intervention designers, online community managers and public health officials regarding the appropriate platform with specific technical features that will address the unique needs for migraine patients. More studies are needed, however, about the connection between technology, patients and disease conditions.