Impact of Online Prostate Cancer Information on Health Disparities
Abstract
Disparities in prostate cancer remain a critical problem. Black men have a significantly higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer. Prostate cancer screening reduces the numbers of both men with advanced prostate cancer and deaths from the disease, but also has potential harms, including false positive test results and overdiagnosis of insignificant cancers. All forms of prostate cancer treatment also have potential side effects. Since there are important trade-offs involving quantity and quality of life at every step in the process, patients must be properly informed about the options in order to make optimal decisions about their care. The majority of U.S. adults use online sources for information about health. In the case of prostate cancer, this may have dangerous consequences. Our research team and others have shown that many websites and YouTube videos about prostate cancer are biased (e.g., downplay the harms of treatment) or misinformative (e.g., promote new technologies or unproven alternative therapies). Patients who get their information primarily from online sources are more likely to regret their decisions about treatment compared to those who primarily receive information from a physician. Black adults are more likely to use and trust online health information sources than White adults. It is unknown whether exposure to biased online content influences decisions about prostate cancer screening or treatment among Black adults and thereby contributes to the continuing higher burden of disease among Black men. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of online communications on racial disparities in prostate cancer. First, we will examine online content from the most commonly used search engine (Google) and social media platform (YouTube), including the quality of information, as well as how and whether racial disparities are portrayed. Then we will examine how different attributes of these online communications influence the perceptions of Black adults about prostate cancer. We will also study more generally what features of online content influence its perceived quality and utility among Black men with prostate cancer, including Veterans. Benefits of this study for prostate cancer care include the first analysis of how race is portrayed in popular online sources of information and the impact this has on decision-making about prostate cancer screening and treatment for Black men. One risk is that some men do not use online networks for prostate cancer information and therefore may not directly benefit from the results. However, given that the use of these platforms continues to increase among older adults, it is important to explore how different sectors of the population use online sources of information to make medical decisions. Our team includes experts from multiple key disciplines, including urology, medical oncology, health communications, and health disparities research. We will also work alongside a Stakeholder Advisory Board, including members of the Black community, prostate cancer patients, and advocacy groups to provide guidance on the study and help disseminate study results. Furthermore, to directly translate these results to improve patient care, we will create a best practice guideline for online prostate cancer communications that our advocacy partners will use to inform content development. We will also curate a list of the websites and YouTube videos about prostate cancer that are accurate, understandable, and reflect diversity, which will be shared publicly through consumer health libraries (including the Veterans Health Library), community partnerships (including a large network of barbershops and faith-based organizations), and social media. The results of this study are essential to inform future online health communications about prostate cancer for Black men. Our overarching goal is to reduce disparities in prostate cancer outcomes ob
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2010130
Entities
People
- Stacy Loeb
Organizations
- Grossman School of Medicine
- United States Army