The doctor-patient communication gap: Reddit as a window into our patients’ concerns

Abstract

Background: Physician-patient communication may be limited by time, especially in dermatology, where providers often see a high-volume of patients. Awareness of common patient frustrations may prepare dermatologists to optimize healthcare visits.

Objective: This study employs Reddit to characterize sentiment toward dermatologists to identify opportunities to improve patient-physician communication. 

Methods: We obtained sentiment scores (SSs) for the top 1000 posts in the “r/Psoriasis,” “r/Eczema,” and “r/TS_Withdrawal” subreddits using the Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner. Paragraphs containing dermatologist-related terms (DPs) and had negative SSs were extracted and reviewed by the authors to identify themes. 

Results: In all subreddits, DPs had negative mean SSs (mean SS, r/Eczema: –0.097; r/Psoriasis: –0.024; r/TS_Withdrawal: –0.062). Paragraphs without DPs had positive mean SSs (mean SS, r/Eczema: 0.032; r/Psoriasis: 0.012; r/TS_Withdrawal: 0.090). Differences between these paragraph types were significant (r/Eczema: P = .0037; r/Psoriasis: P = .0016; r/TS_Withdrawal: P < .001). Two themes emerged among negative DPs: 1) Patients feel they are not respected by dermatologists, and 2) Negativity toward being repeatedly prescribed topical steroids without adequate explanation of risk. 

Conclusion: Reddit may serve as a useful window into patient perceptions of dermatologic care that can inform dermatologists of common concerns, facilitating positive communication and improving the doctor-patient relationship in dermatology