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
This month, between 21 March and 20 April, the UK HCP respiratory disease online conversation increased to 2,578 posts. These were authored by 1,329 HCPs, an increase of 15% and 16% respectively, from February to March. Moreover, the mentions of COVID-19 online by UK HCPs significantly increased from 411 total mentions of the virus to 757. Imposing themselves on the online respiratory disease conversation this month was Sara Nelson, who claimed the much desired title of most active UK HCP in the online respiratory disease conversation for March to April.
This month, UK HCPs were most active on 15 April and posted 151 times about respiratory diseases on this day. As well as many HCPs promoting respiratory medicine and Interstitial Lung Disease job adverts, they also discussed the new PPE guidance which was released on 14 April. HCPs such as intensive care consultant Tom Lawton referenced the “sensible recommendation of FFP3 for all respiratory diseases with any airborne transmission” but seemed frustrated by the back and forth nature the guidelines have been subjected to since the beginning of the pandemic.
The PPE guidance flip-flop continues!
New guidance released yesterday goes back to the (sensible) recommendation of FFP3 for all respiratory diseases with any airborne transmission, without further risk assessment… #COVIDisAirborne #FreshAirNHS https://t.co/2eybMxgYZR— 𝚃𝚘𝚖 𝙻𝚊𝚠𝚝𝚘𝚗 💙 (@LawtonTri) April 15, 2022
HCPs responded well to the new website for Greener Practice. The UK’s primary care sustainability network was mentioned 26 times by UK HCPs this month, with many extremely positive about the tools for GPs looking to reduce the environmental impact of their respiratory care. HCPs are looking for care for respiratory patients to be environmentally friendly more than ever before, especially after the latest findings from Asthma & Lung UK’s annual asthma survey which found millions of people are missing out on the most basic elements of care.
We’ve worked incredibly hard on the new @GreenerPractice website.
Explore to find …
👯♂️ local groups & special interest groups
💡ideas for projects in #SustainableHealthcare
📚Resources and information
🫁 asthma toolkit developed with the @HealthFdn https://t.co/TOrJ2qMU7r pic.twitter.com/4NoYoe2XBW
— Tamsin Ellis (@climate_gp) April 4, 2022
The most shared posts by UK HCPs in the context of respiratory disease this month were focused on COVID-19. Over 70 UK HCPs shared a post from GP Chaand Nagpaul which highlighted the struggles the UK is still experiencing from COVID-19. Furthermore, HCPs shared the results of a study which found COVID-19 is neurotrophic and infects the brain, meaning it would be wise for long-term neurological follow-up of persistently symptomatic convalescent patients. Many HCPs wanted to stress that the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over and it is still as important as ever, to help protect those most vulnerable to the damaging effects of the disease.
No.10 spokesperson: "we are now able to manage Covid as we do with other respiratory infections"
Really?
Which other respiratory virus causes:
✔~ 200,000 NHS staff absences past week
✔1.7m suffering long term debility
✔20,000 patients in hospital daily
✔> 1,000 deaths/week— Chaand Nagpaul (@CNagpaul) April 12, 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 March and 20 April 2022 using CREATION Pinpoint®.
- Between 21 March and 20 April 2022, there were 2,578 UK HCP mentions of respiratory disease and related terms, from 1,329 unique UK HCP authors.
