By Mark Sullivan 
Each month, CREATION.co’s respiratory tracking update brings you the latest insights into the online UK healthcare professional (HCP) conversation regarding respiratory disease.
The conversation level of UK HCPs discussing respiratory disease on Twitter
From 21 January to 20 February 2022, over 1,500 UK HCPs discussed respiratory diseases online, each posting twice on average as 3,151 mentions made up the full conversation. Whilst this number was around 300 less mentions than from between December 2021 and January 2022, the most striking change in volume between the two months was in relation to COVID-19, where mentions more than halved from the previous month to this one, going from 1,583 posts to 731.
09 February saw the most respiratory disease online posts from UK HCPs this month. The trifecta causing this surge in mentions on this day involved 15 HCPs sharing a post on inhaler technique from the Respiratory Clinical Specialist Nursing Team at the Lister Hospital, 16 HCPs mentioning #Asthma, including HCPs sharing Global Initiative for Asthma’s (GINA) post discussing asthma management, and 10 HCPs mentioning #COVID19, 7 of which shared a post discussing how a government advisor has accused officials of potential ‘corporate manslaughter’ over failure to provide respiratory protections to healthcare workers.
Our QR 'Improve your inhaler technique' posters are now out on the wards. Great meeting with @ARNS_UK to discuss future developments. Watch this space! pic.twitter.com/gMpWzhbryl
— Respiratory CNS team Lister (@RespCNSLister) February 8, 2022
A new story that emerged this month was a first of its kind study which looked to examine the relationship between socioeconomic status and intensive care admissions for children. The first multi-centre study of paediatric intensive care units (PICU) in England was shared by 17 UK HCPs and found that children from more deprived neighbourhoods represented the majority of asthma admissions, invasive ventilation and deaths. The lead author of the study Mome Mukherjee stated “To reduce both hospital and PICU admissions, a focus on asthma education of children, parents/caregivers is urgently needed to act early in preventing acute asthma attacks from progressing which should be delivered in partnership between primary care and local schools”. HCPs were left upset by the findings of the study and asked for a more holistic approach to tackling health inequalities, such as stopping the placement of polluting industries, like incineration, in the poorest neighbourhoods.
Research shows that children from more deprived neighbourhoods in England represent the majority of asthma admissions, invasive ventilation and deaths in paediatric intensive care units.#AusterityKills #childpovertyisapoliticalchoice @asthmauk https://t.co/GuFAki7xfY
— Dr Nick Hopkinson (@COPDdoc) January 26, 2022
The most shared story of the month by UK HCPs in the context of respiratory disease, was an article from BMJ discussing the advice from the British Medical Association (BMA) surrounding whether wider use of FFP3 masks should extend to GPs. Between 21 January and 20 February, 30 UK HCPs shared the report which concluded that the winter guidance from the UK Health Security Agency – that FFP3 masks should be worn by staff caring for patients with suspected or confirmed respiratory viral infections that are spread by airborne transmission, such as SARS-CoV-2 – should be extended to GPs.
FFP3 masks should be worn by staff caring for patients with suspected or confirmed respiratory viral infections that are spread by airborne transmission, such as SARS-CoV-2, winter guidance from the @UKHSA has said https://t.co/GHXmOzh5kZ
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) January 21, 2022
Each month, we track the HCP 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 Twitter conversations of HCPs in the UK discussing respiratory disease and related terms between 21 January and 20 February 2022 using CREATION Pinpoint®.
- Between 21 January and 20 February 2022, there were 3,133 UK HCP mentions of respiratory disease and related terms, from 1,515 unique UK HCP authors.
