@Article{info:doi/10.2196/22005,
author="Feliciano, Josemari T
and Salmi, Liz
and Blotner, Charlie
and Hayden, Adam
and Nduom, Edjah K
and Kwan, Bethany M
and Katz, Matthew S
and Claus, Elizabeth B",
title="Brain Tumor Discussions on Twitter ({\#}BTSM): Social Network Analysis",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2020",
month="Oct",
day="8",
volume="22",
number="10",
pages="e22005",
keywords="brain tumors; social media; health care; patient support; network analysis",
abstract="Background: The Brain Tumor Social Media ({\#}BTSM) Twitter hashtag was founded in February 2012 as a disease-specific hashtag for patients with brain tumor. Objective: To understand {\#}BTSM's role as a patient support system, we describe user descriptors, growth, interaction, and content sharing. Methods: We analyzed all tweets containing {\#}BTSM from 2012 to 2018 using the Symplur Signals platform to obtain data and to describe Symplur-defined user categories, tweet content, and trends in use over time. We created a network plot with all publicly available retweets involving {\#}BTSM in 2018 to visualize key stakeholders and their connections to other users. Results: From 2012 to 2018, 59,764 unique users participated in {\#}BTSM, amassing 298,904 tweets. The yearly volume of {\#}BTSM tweets increased by 264.57{\%} from 16,394 in 2012 to 43,373 in 2018 with {\#}BTSM constantly trending in the top 15 list of disease hashtags, as well the top 15 list of tweet chats. Patient advocates generated the most {\#}BTSM tweets (33.13{\%}), while advocacy groups, caregivers, doctors, and researchers generated 7.01{\%}, 4.63{\%}, 3.86{\%}, and 3.37{\%}, respectively. Physician use, although still low, has increased over time. The 2018 network plot of retweets including {\#}BTSM identifies a number of key stakeholders from the patient advocate, patient organization, and medical researcher domains and reveals the extent of their reach to other users. Conclusions: From its start in 2012, {\#}BTSM has grown exponentially over time. We believe its growth suggests its potential as a global source of brain tumor information on Twitter for patients, advocates, patient organizations as well as health care professionals and researchers. ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/22005",
url="http://www.jmir.org/2020/10/e22005/",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/22005",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33030435"
}