Treffer: As Seen on Social Media: Mixed-Methods Analysis of Bell's Palsy Perspectives.

Introduction: Bell's palsy can cause functional and psychosocial impairment, traditionally evaluated via surveys such as the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) Scale. Social media is a newer way to share health experiences. This study aimed to characterize Bell's palsy experience as shared on social media. Methods: Videos within criteria were selected from social media platforms. Transcripts were generated via Python. Directed content analysis used the FaCE Scale to derive themes. Results: All themes and subthemes in FaCE were also present on social media. An additional theme of "mood" was present only on social media (70% of videos) with subthemes of depression (53%), uncertainty (27%), fear (23%), and optimism (20%). Themes present in both FaCE and social media were "functional issues," "treatments," and "changes to daily life." However only social media had the following subthemes: "functional issues" subthemes of speech (27%), hyperacusis (17%), and dysgeusia (17%); "treatments" subthemes of steroids (40%), acupuncture (30%), facial exercises (30%), and supplements (23%); and "changes to daily life" subthemes of prioritizing rest (20%), covering face (13%), and impact on job (10%). Females were more likely to discuss depression (p = 0.042). Conclusion: Patients with Bell's palsy share experiences on social media not captured by traditional patient questionnaires, revealing areas to optimize care for this population. Plain Language Summary: Bell's palsy is a condition in which the facial nerve stops working suddenly and without a clear cause. The resultant facial paralysis can limit facial expression and function, including ability to keep food in one's mouth or blink to protect their eye from dryness. The unclear timeline to recovery can cause stress and impact several domains of life. In the past decade, an increasing number of patients have used social media to share or learn information about Bell's palsy. Several videos by people with Bell's palsy have garnered thousands to millions of views. Our analysis of these videos revealed several themes that are not captured by traditional questionnaires in a clinical setting. Our goal is to update providers on the current public discourse and perception around Bell's palsy and encourage improvement of tools to capture the Bell's palsy experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]