INTRODUCTION
Reddit is the 7th most visited site in the United States (US) and has become a popular forum for health-related discussions.1 According to a 2021 study, users ages 10-19 comprise 21% of Reddit users, with nearly half of users being under the age of 29.2 Furthermore, users seeking health-related information on Reddit are among the most likely to enact the information in their lives.3
Approximately 13% of children in the US have atopic dermatitis (AD).4 Patients with AD are known to heavily engage on Reddit, forming subreddits, or specific discussion boards related to distinct AD topics.1 With the recent FDA approval of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) for AD treatment, a subreddit was formed on January 16, 2020. The analysis of a subreddit can provide physicians with valuable information regarding patient care.1 By familiarizing oneself with concerns expressed on a widely utilized social media platform, physicians can gain additional insight into the patient's perspective about treatment and use this information to strengthen anticipatory guidance, counseling, and the patient-provider relationship.
Approximately 13% of children in the US have atopic dermatitis (AD).4 Patients with AD are known to heavily engage on Reddit, forming subreddits, or specific discussion boards related to distinct AD topics.1 With the recent FDA approval of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) for AD treatment, a subreddit was formed on January 16, 2020. The analysis of a subreddit can provide physicians with valuable information regarding patient care.1 By familiarizing oneself with concerns expressed on a widely utilized social media platform, physicians can gain additional insight into the patient's perspective about treatment and use this information to strengthen anticipatory guidance, counseling, and the patient-provider relationship.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The authors analyzed all 219 posts on the "eczeJAKs" subreddit (a group whose "about" statement is: "Janus Kinase Inhibitors for Th2 Dermatitis"), which has 1,006 subscribers as of May 28, 2023. Each post was placed into one of 15 categories (Table 1).
DISCUSSION
Our analysis of the "eczeJAKs" subreddit demonstrates helpful data regarding the AD patient experience on JAKi, highlighting patient gaps in knowledge that physicians can improve on. The highest proportion of posts was questions in the general experience category, followed by side effects. Therefore, we
Surprisingly, we found a number of undocumented side effects described in the posts. While these side effects may offer a broader patient perspective, they are difficult to
suggest that physicians emphasize potential side effects when taking JAKi. To date, the most common reported adverse effects of oral JAKi are upper respiratory infections, nasopharyngitis, nausea, headache, and acne.5 Providers could also emphasize that itch-relief can be seen as early as the first 24 hours of treatment.5
Surprisingly, we found a number of undocumented side effects described in the posts. While these side effects may offer a broader patient perspective, they are difficult to
