You often think that arthritis only affects the wellbeing of the elderly, but in fact it is a wellness condition that can affect people of all ages, including children and teenagers. As this is a little-known fact, especially amongst young people themselves, researchers at Newcastle University are attempting to harness the power of social media, in the hopes of communicating important messages about how arthritis can affect children and teenagers.
Led by orthopaedic surgeon Craig Gerrand, medics will work with patients, health professionals and local filmmakers to develop and pilot two videos, funded with £33,000 from medical research charity Arthritis Research UK. Young people who have recently been diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and their families will be encouraged to watch and share the videos online, so that their messages will be passed on.
JIA is a condition that requires early diagnosis and treatment, affecting those under the age of 17. However, JIA is often diagnosed late in children and this is due, in part, to a lack of awareness of the condition, whether that’s among the child’s parents, teachers, or even health professionals. Unfortunately, even some doctors are unaware that arthritis can affect children.
Gerrand explained, ‘The aim of this research is to test whether the explosion in the use of online social networks, such as Facebook, can be used to spread information and raise awareness about health. In particular we want to explore whether patients and families will share videos recommended by doctors and nurses in the clinic, and how many viewers these videos will reach. Online videos and the growth of social networks present a new opportunity to spread health messages, but it’s important to explore how to do this.’
Up to 75 young people recently diagnosed with arthritis and their families will be invited to take part in the research project. Members of the clinical team will source these families from two busy paediatric centres in Newcastle and Liverpool. Gerrand, who also works at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, concluded, ‘If this pilot is successful, then we aim to develop this work as part of a clinical trial to establish the effectiveness of this approach in improved awareness of JIA, the importance of specialist care and ultimately, to improve access to care, for this and other conditions.’
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