Exploring the Combined Effects of Social Media Use and Medical Skepticism Tendency on Recourse to Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Abstract

Medical skepticism is defined as ‘‘global doubts regarding the ability of [conventional] medical care to alter health status appreciably.’’ Research has shown that medical skepticism is independently associated with lower health care utilization, fewer health-related preventive measures, a higher percentage of unhealthy behaviors, as well as younger age and less education. Participation in social media is widely recognized as a powerful influence on people’s beliefs regarding all matters of life. We hypothesized that frequency of use of social media may serve as a barometer as to how different individuals form opinions with respect to the effectiveness and safety of health-related behaviors and medical interventions. Interestingly, very few studies to date have focused on the potential impact of both tendencies toward medical skepticism and the extent to which patients engage in social media on the frequency of traditional, complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (TCAIM) services utilized by patients with chronic illnesses. This study was designed to fill this gap by exploring these associations using real-world data.