Understanding the Nuances of Social Health Use by Condition

Published April 25th, 2022 | 1 Minute Read

Every person’s experience living with a complex health condition is unique, and each individual uses social health – the dynamic, real-time action people take to find meaningful connections and share information that impact the health journey – in their own way. Yet identifying trends in social health use by condition or therapeutic area can help pharma to reach patients in the meaningful moments that matter. 

A recent Health Union survey (n=2,371) found that 95% of people living with chronic conditions use online social resources for health reasons. While common situations arise at a macro level among all patients and caregivers, a deeper look at the data revealed which conditions or therapeutic areas utilize social health significantly more than others during different points in their health journeys:

Time of Diagnosis 

Receiving a life-altering cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming; of the nearly 600 survey respondents living with cancer, 81% noted they sought information online at the time of diagnosis. People living with cancer are significantly more likely to use social health at the time of diagnosis than any other condition or therapeutic area represented in the chart above. 

In a raw and candid video, Blood-Cancer.com contributor Racheli Alkobey shares the details of her diagnosis day, from how the doctor explained her diagnosis to the emotions felt. A comment from a community member notes that Racheli’s vlog is “a great video for anyone to watch who might be going into the same life-changing doctor meeting that all of us had at some point.” 

Ongoing Condition Management

Survey results revealed that people living with certain conditions are more likely to seek information through social health at specific points in their condition management than others: 

• When trying to find an HCP or care facility, people living with a gastrointestinal condition (49%), mental health condition (51%) and/or migraine (50%) are significantly more likely to use social health. To help others refine their search, IrritableBowelSyndrome.net contributor Emily Downward outlines her desired traits in a doctor. 
• Interestingly, people living with the same three condition types outlined above – gastrointestinal (64%), mental health (70%) and/or migraine (65%) – are also significantly more likely to use social health when needing emotional support than all other conditions represented. Migraine.com patient leader Holly Harding shares why a strong support system is key for those who have this disease.
• When trying to better understand test results, people living with cancer (82%) or a cardiovascular condition (83%) are significantly more likely to use social health. Maggie Teliska, Heart-Failure.net contributor, discusses why patients fixate on ejection fraction, and why doctors don’t want them to. 
• For daily management of symptoms, people living with an autoimmune (59%) or GI (60%) condition are more likely to use social health than all other conditions represented. Psoriatic-Arthritis.com patient leader Clair G. shares three symptoms that are part of her every day and how she manages them. 
• People living with a neurological condition are significantly more likely to use social health when looking for information about a clinical trial than all other conditions represented in the chart above. Michael Church, ParkinsonsDisease.net patient leader shares his attitude on and experience with clinical trials after one saved his life.