Publication Date
11-23-2022
Journal
Antibiotics
DOI
10.3390/antibiotics11121687
PMID
36551344
PMCID
PMC9774672
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
11-23-2022
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-Print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
urinary tract infections, qualitative research, social media, quality of life, mental health, patient care, antibiotics, biofilms
Abstract
Few studies have harnessed social media to explore patients’ experiences with urinary tract infection (UTI); therefore, we captured UTI experiences and future research suggestions through a Twitter-disseminated survey. The survey posed three qualitative questions inquiring about the impact of UTIs, greatest UTI management hurdle, and research suggestions. We also asked participants to rate how seriously others perceive UTIs and the importance of UTIs in their life (scale: 1–100 (highest)). The study period spanned from January to June 2021. Coding was performed in duplicate, followed by thematic analysis. Of 466 participants from 22 countries, 128 considered their UTIs recurrent (n = 43) or chronic (n = 85). Six major themes emerged: UTIs drastically impact (1) physical and (2) mental health and (3) cause severe limitations in life activities. Patients reported (4) negative clinician interactions and perceived inadequate care, (5) a lack of knowledge and awareness surrounding UTIs, and (6) research gaps in UTI diagnostics and treatment. The participants considered UTIs extremely important (median: 100, IQR: 90–100), but characterized others’ perceptions of them as less serious (median: 20, IQR: 10–30). Our survey revealed a patient population struggling with UTIs, particularly chronic UTIs. Our findings highlight perceived shortcomings in current UTI treatment and diagnostics.
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Diseases Commons, Medical Sciences Commons, Medical Specialties Commons, Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Social Media Commons
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