%0 Journal Article
%T Medical Accuracy of Reddit in Patient Discussions of Prospective Ocular Stem Cell Therapies for Retinal Degenerative Diseases.
%A Perez AM
%A Chau VQ
%A Sridhar J
%J J Vitreoretin Dis
%V 8
%N 4
%D 2024 Jul-Aug
%M 39148570
暂无%R 10.1177/24741264241246317
%X Purpose: To evaluate the medical accuracy in discussions of stem cell therapy for retinal diseases on a social media internet forum (Reddit). Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed 11 Reddit forums and 411 unique comments from 2017 to 2022. Evaluated participants were all anonymous Reddit users. Discussions were independently examined for medical accuracy by a board-certified, fellowship-trained retina surgeon in active practice. Results: Reddit users self-identified mainly as prospective patients followed by research students and physicians or healthcare workers. Inquiries mostly regarded stem cell treatment for macular degeneration. Thirty-six percent of the forum's content was found to be inaccurate or misleading. When specifically considering factual comments, the inaccuracy rate increased to 54%. Identified gaps in knowledge mostly regarded the current state of the technology (25%) followed by misinterpretation of trial results (16%) and scam treatments (14%). Most inaccurate or misleading comments favored stem cell advancements (72%). Conclusions: This study highlights the gaps in knowledge and areas of medical misinformation regarding ocular stem cell therapies shared by individuals on Reddit.