Although Facebook and other social networking applications can provide people with an opportunity to share their experiences with particular health conditions, the platforms do not necessarily offer accurate health advice, according to a study by researchers at Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital, AOL News reports (Drummond, AOL News, 11/3).
Study Details
The study -- which appears in the October issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine -- is part of a three-year collaboration between CVS Caremark, Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital (Armstrong Moore, CNET, 11/2).
For the study, researchers evaluated 15 large Facebook communities for diabetes patients. Of the 690 postings analyzed, the study found that:
- 66% were related to personal experiences with diabetes; and
- About 27% involved promotions for treatments, particularly remedies that have not received FDA approval (AOL News, 11/3).
Conclusions
Researchers said social media platforms could provide limited health benefits by helping patients manage chronic diseases and find emotional support.
However, they recommended that health care professionals monitor social networking sites "to promote accurate and unbiased information exchange" (CNET, 11/2).