Googling Gout: Exploring Perceptions About Gout Through a Linguistic Analysis of Online Search Activities

Jordan, Kayla; Pennebaker, James W.; Petrie, Keith J.; Dalbeth, Nicola

doi:10.1002/acr.23598

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The Internet was the main information source for most people. However, online information about gout is often poor and does not convey key concepts about gout and its treatment or about the ethnic and gender diversity of people with gout [ 2 , 23 , 24 , 45 , 46 ]. Dietary advice may not be prioritized in the limited time GPs have available to talk to patients, but our study shows that patient perceptions about the role of diet can have longstanding impacts on how well their condition is managed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘It’s just a great muddle when it comes to food’: a qualitative exploration of patient decision-making around diet and gout

Liddle

Richardson

Hider

et al. 2021

Rheumatology Advances in Practice

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Objective To understand whether, why and how patients choose to modify their diets after developing gout. Methods An inductive thematic secondary analysis of qualitative data from 43 interviews and 4 focus groups with UK participants with gout (n = 61). Results Participants commonly initiated dietary changes as part of a self-management strategy for gout. Reasons for making such dietary changes included: desperation; a desire for control; belief that it would be possible to achieve successful management through diet al.one; but not weight loss. Participants who did not make changes, or reverted to previous dietary patterns, did so because: they believed urate-lowering therapy was successfully managing their gout; medication allowed ‘normal’ eating’; they did not find ‘proof’ that diet would be an effective treatment; the dietary advice they found was unrealistic, unmanageable or irrelevant. Dietary modification was patient-led but patients would have preferred the support of a healthcare professional. Beliefs that diet could potentially explain and modify the timing of flares gave patients a sense of control over the condition. However, the belief that gout could be controlled through dietary modification appeared to be a barrier to acceptance of management with urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Conclusions Perceptions about gout and diet play a large role in the way patients make decisions about how to manage gout in their everyday lives. Addressing reasons why patients explore dietary ‘solutions’, promoting the value of ULT and weight loss, and drawing on strong evidence to communicate clearly, will be crucial in improving long-term clinical management and patient experience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘It’s just a great muddle when it comes to food’: a qualitative exploration of patient decision-making around diet and gout

Liddle

Richardson

Hider

et al. 2021

Rheumatology Advances in Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The study also highlights the use that can be made of Google Trends for understanding patient search behaviour around health issues. Analysis of Google searches has been used recently for understanding how patients manage their gout and arthritis (Jordan, Pennebaker, Petrie, & Dalbeth, 2018), whether using Google is associated with statin intolerance (Khan, Holbrook, & Shah, 2018) and for seeing if particular internet searches were associated with a subsequent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (Paparrizos, White, & Horvitz, 2016). Some limitations of the study should be acknowledged.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

OK Computer? A Time Analysis of Google Searches About Symptoms

Petrie¹,

MacKrill²,

Silvester³

et al. 2019

CPE

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Background: Google searches are now a popular way for individuals to seek information about the significance of common symptoms and whether they should seek medical assistance. As analysis of search patterns may help understand the demand for medical care, we examined what times over a 24-hour period and on what days of the week people searched Google for information about common symptoms. Method: We analysed Google searches for symptoms in the United Kingdom during the week from July 30 to August 5, 2018 using Google Trends. We recorded the time points with the highest search volume for 50 common symptoms relative to other searches, and the day of the week with the highest search peak for each particular symptom. Results: All of the peak searches for the symptoms we examined occurred during the night between 10pm and 8am. The majority 32/50 (64%) occurred between 3am to 6am with 12/50 (24%) between midnight and 3am. Most symptom searches were more common during the week and lowest during the weekend. Typically, searches for a particular symptom peaked at a similar time each night over the week. Conclusions: Searches for symptoms are significantly more common during night-time hours, and particularly between 3 and 6am. Symptom searches show relatively stable diurnal and weekly patterns.

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“…Of the 172 Māori participants; 89 (51.7%) responded for the gout-labelled illness and 83 (48.3%) for the urate crystal arthritis-labelled illness. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of the Māori participants was 42 (13) years. There were 125 (72.7%) women, 81 (47.1%) living in a rural setting, and 91 (52.9%) living in an urban setting.…”

Section: Participant Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…advancing age, male sex, kidney disease, medications, genetic variation) also contribute to the development of disease [9][10][11]. Despite contemporary advances in understanding pathogenesis and effective management of gout, prevailing community beliefs about this illness continue to be focused on diet as the dominant cause and strategy for disease management [12,13]. These lay beliefs are frequently reflected in health care providers' beliefs about gout and approaches to gout management [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of the illness label ‘gout’ on illness and treatment perceptions in Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders)

et al. 2020

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Background: Despite contemporary advances in understanding pathogenesis and effective management of gout, beliefs about the disease continue to be focused on gout as a self-inflicted illness. The illness label itself may contribute to inaccurate perceptions of the disease and its management. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders) have high prevalence of severe gout. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the illness label 'gout' on perceptions of the disease and its management for Māori. Methods: Māori supermarket shoppers (n = 172) in rural and urban locations were recruited into a study examining the perceptions about arthritis. Participants were randomised 1:1 to complete a questionnaire examining the perceptions of the same illness description labelled as either 'gout' or 'urate crystal arthritis'. Differences between the two illness labels were tested using independent sample t-tests. Results: 'Gout' was most likely to be viewed as caused by diet, whereas 'urate crystal arthritis' was most likely to be viewed as caused by aging. 'Urate crystal arthritis' was seen as having a wider range of factors responsible for the illness, including stress or worry, hereditary factors and chance. 'Gout' was less likely to be viewed as having a chronic timeline, and was perceived as being better understood. Dietary management strategies were seen as more helpful for management of the gout-labelled illness.Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that for Māori, Indigenous New Zealanders who are disproportionately affected by gout, the illness label influences perceptions about gout and beliefs about management.

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Googling Gout: Exploring Perceptions About Gout Through a Linguistic Analysis of Online Search Activities

Cited by 11 publications

References 25 publications

‘It’s just a great muddle when it comes to food’: a qualitative exploration of patient decision-making around diet and gout

‘It’s just a great muddle when it comes to food’: a qualitative exploration of patient decision-making around diet and gout

OK Computer? A Time Analysis of Google Searches About Symptoms

The impact of the illness label ‘gout’ on illness and treatment perceptions in Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders)

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