Social media to promote treatment adherence among adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions: A topical review and TikTok application.

Abstract

Objective: Social media is a large facet of contemporary culture, particularly for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Likewise, digital health interventions have proliferated. Yet understanding of how social media can be leveraged to deliver empirically informed adherence interventions is more limited. This topical review provides a synthesis of literature related to improving AYA treatment adherence through social media approaches. To illustrate a clinical application, we describe an initiative that codeveloped and codisseminated adherence education with AYAs with cancer via TikTok. Methods: Literature searches were conducted on databases including PubMed and PsycINFO, using keywords such as adolescents or young adults; social media; and adherence, self-management, or health. Adherence TikTok videos were developed through user-centered design approaches with AYAs with cancer and clinicians/staff. Results: Results from the review suggested that AYAs use social media to research general health information and obtain support. Research-derived adherence-promotion interventions with social-media-like features appear to be acceptable, and some have led to improvements in adherence. Our process of translating empirically informed adherence education to TikTok was rapid and low cost and obtained 30,797 views. Conclusions: Social media has great promise for advancing the uptake and reach of evidence-based adherence care for AYAs. We highlight opportunities for advancing current clinical practices and future research in this area, including forming clinical partnerships with AYAs to disseminate credible adherence content via the social media platforms that are already part of their daily technology use. Implications for Impact StatementThis topical review found that AYAs currently use social media for health purposes-with or without expert input-and adherence-promotion interventions that incorporate social media features have been acceptable to AYAs. We highlight the potential for and one application of leveraging commercial social Alexandra M. Psihogios https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4111-1191Data from this topical review and clinical initiative have not been presented or published elsewhere. The authors have no conflicts of interest. The adherence clinical initiative was supported by residual funds from a grant entitled "Real-Time Medication Adherence Assessments Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Leukemia" from the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation. The writing of this article was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (K08CA241335). The authors express their sincere gratitude to clinicians and staff involved, including Danielle Clerico, Shana Mcgonigle, Jeneane Miller, and Jennifer Lee at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Clinical and ethical considerations of maladaptive social media use in pediatric patients with disorders of gut–brain interaction.

“…While this article focused on maladaptive SM behaviors in pediatric DGBI, it is important to consider potential positive applications and outcomes associated with SM. There have been recent calls to action to explore the potential of mobile health (mHealth) and SM in pediatric care, such as increasing access to reputable information, recruitment for research, and psychoeducation about adherence (Psihogios, Ahmed, et al, 2022; Psihogios, Lane-Fall, & Graham, 2022; Stiles-Shields et al, 2023). These positive uses of SM should continue to be explored, with ongoing clinical and ethical considerations taken into account in pediatric DGBI as described in this article.…”

Introduction to the special issue on pediatric adherence and self-management: Topical reviews and clinical applications of evidence-based assessment and intervention.

“…Specifically, concerns with informed consent, autonomy, privacy, and equity are discussed, and providers are encouraged to carefully consider implementing electronic monitoring of adherence in pediatric clinical care and to have a thorough discussion with both the patient and their caregiver regarding the ethical implications of this evidence-based method of measuring medication adherence. Psihogios et al (2022) offers another novel use of technology to promote adherence and selfmanagement via social media, specifically TikTok. In addition to using technology to measure adherence, technology has also been used to deliver evidence-based intervention (e.g., telehealth, text messaging); however, social media has yet to be effectively harnessed by pediatric psychologists to disseminate evidence-based information regarding the importance of adherence and self-management to pediatric patients with chronic medical conditions.…”

“…Using adolescents and young adults with cancer as an exemplar population, Psihogios et al (2022) highlight how their research team effectively partnered with adolescents/young adults with cancer to develop evidence-based adherence-promotion content for an already popular social media channel that resulted in over 30,000 views. Providers are encouraged to consider ways that they might partner with their patient populations and leverage already existing, popular social media platforms to disseminate evidence-based adherence-promotion content.…”

“…Psihogios et al (2022) offers another novel use of technology to promote adherence and self-management via social media, specifically TikTok. In addition to using technology to measure adherence, technology has also been used to deliver evidence-based intervention (e.g., telehealth, text messaging); however, social media has yet to be effectively harnessed by pediatric psychologists to disseminate evidence-based information regarding the importance of adherence and self-management to pediatric patients with chronic medical conditions.…”

“…In addition to using technology to measure adherence, technology has also been used to deliver evidence-based intervention (e.g., telehealth, text messaging); however, social media has yet to be effectively harnessed by pediatric psychologists to disseminate evidence-based information regarding the importance of adherence and self-management to pediatric patients with chronic medical conditions. Using adolescents and young adults with cancer as an exemplar population, Psihogios et al (2022) highlight how their research team effectively partnered with adolescents/young adults with cancer to develop evidence-based adherence-promotion content for an already popular social media channel that resulted in over 30,000 views. Providers are encouraged to consider ways that they might partner with their patient populations and leverage already existing, popular social media platforms to disseminate evidence-based adherence-promotion content.…”