A systematic review of the available literature on the use of social media in brain tumor

Abstract

Purpose The use of social media is one of the new technological options that has been recommended as a potential new strategy for delivering high-quality, high-value cancer prevention and management services. Despite the increasing use of social media, little research has been done on the use of social media in brain tumors. Therefore, this systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the use of social media in brain tumor research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from inception to August 1, 2022. English full-text articles evaluating social media use, benefit or content in brain tumor were considered. Findings Sixteen documents satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Most of the included studies (n = 11/16) were conducted and published by researchers in the USA. In terms of social media platform, most studies focused on Twitter (8/16, 50%) and YouTube (8/16, 50%), followed by Facebook (6/16, 37.5%) and Instagram (4/16, 25%). Most studies (n = 7/12) analyzed the content of brain tumor information provided on social media, followed by patients’ use of social media (n = 3/12) and the quality of information on social media (n = 3/12). The other three articles also examined patient recruitment, crowdfunding and caregiver use of social media. Practical implications By identifying the use, benefits and content of social media platforms in different settings, patients, clinicians and policymakers can better benefit from harnessing the power of social media in different ways, leading to improved health-care services. Originality/value To the authors knowledge, this is the first study to systematically examine social media use, benefits and content status in brain tumors.