Introduction
Cancer is a medical problem commonly addressed in modern research and social media. Skin cancer is one of the types that is frequently featured in public service announcements and informative leaflets. However, the role of modern technology in spreading awareness was recently evaluated, which led to a new option for developing the healthcare system. To evaluate the effect on skin cancer diagnosis and treatment rates, it is crucial to compare the impact of different mediums, observe their outcomes, and assess public perception.
Available Tools
Several digital tools may be used to spread skin cancer awareness. Systematic reviews by Chuchu et al. (2018) and Garza et al. (2021) state that social media and specialized applications are the most prominent instruments. According to Jhawar and Lipoff (2019) and Steeb et al. (2019), the most helpful role of social media is transferring information to a large group of people, while the apps create a possibility to address the user individually. This distinction is crucial when discussing modern technologies in public education, especially when medical data is concerned.
However, while these tools have different possible implementations, they share similar features: the ability to teach many people without involving the constant attention of medical professionals, which is beneficial for saving healthcare providers’ resources. Therefore, the impact of this process should be analyzed as the most important.
Tool Effectiveness
The effectiveness of social media and mobile applications should be the main focus of the review. Authors like Garza et al. (2021), Gomaa et al. (2022), and Kamath et al. (2019) emphasize the increased information accessibility and processing that makes data more approachable to an average reader. Even though Gomaa et al. (2022) use targeted search without human samples, this creates a better understanding of the processes that lead to the development of skin cancer and presents an option to prevent it. According to a significant study by McDonald et al. (2023), social media usage correlates with higher awareness of risk factors and early symptoms. Thus, the new technologies successfully share medical information and educate people about healthy routines.
On the other hand, some articles present a different point of view on the effectiveness of these tools. Lagacé et al. (2023) conclude in a notable 7861-participant study that the level of misinformation in social media groups may harm the population. This is supported by Garza et al. (2021), who state that these platforms often have misleading information, leading to unhealthy habits and decreasing the positive effect of awareness.
This is especially relevant in Facebook, which was analyzed by Petukhova et al. (2020), who proved that the lack of professionally approved recommendations overshadows the positive effect of community-building potential. However, Petukhova’s (2020) methodology included a targeted keyword search that may spoil the gathered data. As a result, the quality of excessively available information may vary and become problematic if addressed unprofessionally.
The use of skin cancer-detecting applications is another possible implementation of digital technologies. Singh and Gupta (2019) discuss the possibility of early diagnosis using an app that analyzes the photo and calculates the chances of malignant lesions. They state that this method shows great potential and may be useful to prevent future complications.
In contrast, Jahn et al. (2022) indicate a high level of false positive results that these apps give concerned users. Moreover, Chuchu et al. (2018) review reports a noticeable number of missed melanomas not identified by applications. Both outcomes affect the patient negatively until they get a professional consultation. As a result, the current literature shows that specialized apps still do not produce perfectly accurate results and should be used cautiously.
Public Perception
The public perception of information distributed via social media and apps ranges. Garza et al. (2021) noticed that the people’s response to awareness posts was primarily positive, and the information was described as useful. At the same time, Nicholson et al. (2019) resent the opposite side of the spectrum. They provide a qualitative study highlighting the main problem of the applications used to prevent skin cancer: their specialized approach limits their usability in daily life. It shows that people rarely use this information as a part of their routine. As a result, even though the general public values the benefits of these tools, their practical implementation is limited by the specialization and lack of diverse features.
The problem of information quality is also prominently featured in several studies. The article by Kamath et al. (2019) suggests that the Mohs surgery became less stigmatized after its feature in social media discourse, partially due to a large amount of professionally developed resources. In contrast, the high level of misinformation mentioned by Garza et al. (2021), Gomaa et al. (2022), and Jhawar & Lipoff (2019) may harm the educational potential of internet sources. The scientific information may be vulnerable to prejudice and deemed inaccurate by an average reader. Thus, distributed information quality should be addressed to prevent public backlash and loss of integrity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, current literature focuses on several aspects of using social media and mobile applications to fight skin cancer. The distinction between internet groups and apps may affect their usability for specific purposes, but both tools should be analyzed in terms of their successes in spreading medical information. The practical implementation of these techniques varies in quality and accuracy, which makes them applicable for screening and unreliable as a single method of diagnosis.
The articles show that medical consultations are crucial in diagnosing and treating this disease. Finally, the public perception and possibility of misinformation are addressed as essential factors in the discourse. The literature implies a need for fact-checking services that eliminate false information and improve the quality of available data.
References
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