Respiratory tracker: Legionella bacteria in the Bibby Stockholm barge causes concern in UK eHCPs

Each month, CREATION.co’s respiratory tracking update brings you the latest insights into the online UK healthcare professional (eHCP) conversation regarding respiratory disease. 

​​Between 21 July and 20 August 2023 CREATION Pinpoint® tracked the conversations of UK eHCPs discussing respiratory diseases on X (formerly Twitter). We analysed 2,319 posts discussing respiratory diseases by 1,137 eHCPs.

UK eHCP lung cancer conversation was significantly higher than the rest of the month on 01 August, which was World Lung Cancer Day. 93% of the World Lung Cancer day posts were shares of posts by larger organisations, such as the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. eHCPs were passionate about signifying the importance of the day and raising awareness of the dangers and causes of lung cancer.

Happy #WorldLungCancerDay! 🫁 💙

We're starting this monumental day by looking back at all the milestone moments that have led to lung cancer finally being made a priority.

Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/A44oiIvrer pic.twitter.com/ytOJNKMWIT

— Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation (@Roy_Castle_Lung) August 1, 2023

On 28 July there was a peak in the number of asthma posts, as many UK eHCPs continued to support the expanding ULEZ zone in London in providing clean air.

The pneumonia conversation peaked on 12 August, after a BBC article was released reporting on Legionella bacteria found on the Bibby Stockholm barge. 

85% of the pneumonia posts on this day were shares of a post by Daniel Goyal, a Medical Consultant in Scotland. Leigonella is a bacteria that can cause pneumonia, with a 10% mortality rate, causing concern in eHCPs over the “negligence” that caused the situation

Legionella is a big problem…

It causes a type of pneumonia that doesn’t respond to first line antibiotics and carries a mortality of 10%

Tell me again how this isn’t a criminal level of negligence from Braverman?https://t.co/BrwOUlCfKQ

— Dr Dan Goyal (@danielgoyal) August 12, 2023

With the traction this article gained, it was also the top shared article by UK eHCPs in the respiratory conversation this month. Another resource that gained the attention of UK eHCPs was an NHS asthma inhaler technique poster, aiming to help asthma patients to improve their inhaler technique in 18 different types of inhaler.

A poster has been produced to help people with #asthma improve their inhaler technique. It features QR codes, which link to instructional videos for 18 different types of #inhaler and a spacer.

Download 🖼️ https://t.co/AdXQsHgKFA

Produced by @enherts @HCTNHS @HPFT_NHS pic.twitter.com/BMFsYI0wGd

— PCRS (@PCRSUK) August 8, 2023

Each month, we track the eHCP conversation relating to respiratory disease.

You can keep up to date with this and other pharmaceutical tracking updates, including COVID-19 developments, within the Tracking section of CREATION Knowledge, or sign up to receive our monthly eJournal with all of our latest HCP insights. 

If you would like to dig deeper into what we have seen this month then please do get in touch. 

Methodology

• This article analysed the conversation on X of HCPs in the UK discussing respiratory disease and related terms between 21 June and 20 July 2023 using CREATION Pinpoint®.

• Between 21 June and 20 July 2023, there were 2,702 UK eHCP mentions of respiratory disease and related terms, from 1,232 unique UK eHCP authors. 

Click here to read the latest respiratory tracker.