10
PATIENT
SAFETY
&
OUTCOMES
'Dramatically inaccurate': Women's health
misinformation is rampant on TikTok
By Alexis Kayser
Most TikTok videos on gynecological cancer contain misinformation
that could be harmful to women's health, a recent study found.
Researchers at the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center-James
in Columbus searched for the 500 most popular TikTok posts on five
hashtags related to gynecological cancer: gestational trophoblastic
disease and ovarian, endometrial, cervical and vulvar cancers. e
hashtags had more than 466 million views, according to a news release
from the cancer center.
e videos were analyzed for key themes, plus quality and reliability
of information. At least 73 percent of content was misleading,
"dramatically inaccurate" or of "poor educational quality," the news
release said.
Consuming TikTok misinformation could be damaging to patient
health outcomes, according to Laura Chambers, DO, senior study
author and an osteopathic physician at the cancer center. But the
prevalance of personal cancer stories online raises questions about the
unspoken concerns of gynecological cancer patients, oen mothers
and young women.
"e intent of this study was to understand the needs of patients that
may go unspoken in the clinic but represent gaps in care that need
addressed," Dr. Chambers said in the release. "As doctors, we are
focused on treatment toxicities and patient outcomes, but many of
our patients are navigating really difficult challenges at home — like
figuring out how to show their child love and attention when they are
going through fatiguing treatments." n
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