May 14, 2024
Despite significant advancements in the early detection and treatment of melanoma, disparities persist in the survival rates among different ethnic groups in the United States. Latino patients often present with later stages of disease and have worse outcomes compared with non-Hispanic white patients. Researchers at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center studied whether social media could help reduce these disparities by providing melanoma education targeted to people of Latino heritage.
The study, published in 2023 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, used an online digital education platform, incorporating social media advertisements and email campaigns to engage Latino audiences in melanoma awareness activities. The campaign aimed to improve awareness of melanoma risks, encourage sun-protective behaviors and educate Latino communities on self-skin examinations. Collin M. Costello, M.D., a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona, emphasizes how online platforms could break down health education barriers. "Social media offers an additional strategy to disseminate information cost-effectively to a wide population; however, it can be more challenging to engage patients than email campaigns," says Dr. Costello.
The bilingual campaign was designed to connect culturally and linguistically with the Latino community. Educational content included interactive games and detailed information on melanoma risk factors, prevention methods and how to perform self-skin examinations. The content emphasized acral melanoma, a type that's more prevalent among Latino populations.
Successes and challenges of digital education
The campaign received 508,442 Spanish and 413,007 English social media views. There were 18,790 and 11,731 clicks for the Spanish and English ads, respectively, resulting in 175 baseline survey responses. From email distribution, 4,151 emails resulted in 219 baseline responses. Of the 394 patients who participated in the baseline survey, 89 completed the post‐intervention survey and 57 completed the three‐month follow‐up survey.
The study showed significant increases in sun-protection behaviors at the three-month follow-up compared with baseline. These included using sunscreen, examining unusual skin marks, conducting self-exams and promoting skin checkups. These findings suggest that a culturally tailored digital campaign can impact melanoma awareness and promote health behavior changes. The initiative offers a scalable model for public health education that can be adapted to various at-risk populations.
Despite better awareness and prevention, digital campaigns face challenges in engaging communities, as shown by the different click-through rates for Spanish (3.70%) and English (2.84%) ads, along with a modest click-to-action rate (0.57%). While the transition from engagement to action (baseline-to-completion rate) showed promise at 16.00%, it still underscores the necessity for improving participation. Findings suggest that email campaigns, with a participation rate of 5.28%, might offer higher engagement.
Future innovations and improving access to melanoma care
Dr. Costello mentioned the difficulty of keeping people proactive about health on digital platforms over the long term. Looking toward the future of public health education, the research team at Mayo Clinic plans to develop an automated patient navigator to improve continuous access to cancer care for underserved communities.
"Our goal with the automated patient navigator is to guide patients through their care journey, from diagnosis to treatment, while offering support for overcoming logistical and informational hurdles," says Dr. Costello.
This initiative represents a stride forward in leveraging technology to improve public health education and access to care. The team aims to bridge the gap in health disparities, ensuring that underserved communities receive the support they need. Digital tools such as the automated patient navigator highlight the importance of continuous innovation in the fight against melanoma.
For more information
Greene A, et al. Increase in melanoma knowledge in Latino patients after a targeted digital educational program. JAAD International. 2023; doi:10.1016/j.jdin.2023.11.002.
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