#Presbyopia: A Social Media Listening Approach To Understanding Patient Perspectives

Presbyopia, the age-related decline in near vision, typically emerges around 40, impacting self-esteem, quality of life, productivity, and social interactions. Management options include corrective lenses, intraocular lenses, pharmacological treatments, and emerging surgeries, though patient experiences vary. Social media listening captures real-world patient perspectives, revealing insights into challenges, treatment preferences, and lived experiences. This study analyzes social media discussions to understand patient perceptions, concerns, and expectations regarding presbyopia management. 

This study was conducted as an IRB-approved social media listening analysis, adhering to the Declaration of Helsinki and ethical guidelines for human data research. Ethical considerations included anonymizing user identities and compliance with data privacy regulations to protect participant confidentiality. As the study involved publicly available data, informed consent was addressed through ethical review board approval, ensuring adherence to best practices for digital research. 

A structured social media listening study was conducted across platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. Posts and comments discussing presbyopia were collected using natural language processing tools over six months. Data were analyzed for sentiment, recurring themes, and key discussion topics, including symptoms, emotional impact, treatment experiences, and barriers to care. Ethical guidelines were followed, ensuring anonymization and compliance with data privacy regulations. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied, with multiple regression analysis conducted using IBM SPSS to assess correlations between patient concerns and treatment perceptions. 

A total of 2,237 English-language posts were analyzed, 68% from Patient.info. Key themes included vision quality (69%), post-PCIOL experience (30%), pre-PCIOL perception (26%), and visual disturbances (24%). Patient perception was influenced by healthcare professionals (31%), online reading (18%), and videos (15%). Glasses use was discussed in 10% of posts, with 37% of EDOF and 56% of trifocal/multifocal PCIOL users being glasses-free. Among 537 posts on visual disturbances, halos/rings (66%) and starbursts (36%) were most common. Glasses independence was a key satisfaction factor. Outcomes varied, with mixed satisfaction. Regression linked negative past corrections to interest in new therapies. 

Social media listening offers valuable insights into the lived experiences of presbyopes, providing real-world perspectives on treatment challenges and preferences. Findings highlight a need for improved patient education and greater awareness of emerging presbyopia treatments. Healthcare professionals and industry stakeholders can leverage these insights to address knowledge gaps, improve communication strategies, and enhance patient engagement. Future research should explore integrating social media analytics with clinical data to optimize patient-centered care and treatment development.