Abstract
Introduction:
Use of telehealth increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be a popular health resource. This study analyzed the frequency and sentiment of telehealth discussions on Reddit.
Methods:
The data set included 13,071 publicly available Reddit submissions containing keywords related to telehealth over a 3-year period. We identified 173 unique subreddit communities, which were coded into mutually exclusive categories: (1) general telehealth, (2) individual care, (3) professional, (4) news, and (5) COVID-19. The Vader lexicon-based machine was used to assign sentiment scores.
Results:
Most subreddits were coded as individual care (n = 112), professional (n = 26), and news (n = 22). The frequency of submissions increased during the first 2 months of the pandemic and dropped in June 2020, but remained consistent through October 2022. Most Reddit submissions were positive in sentiment (56%).
Conclusion:
Findings show a mostly positive view of telehealth among Reddit users and an increase in telehealth-related discussions since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Supplementary Material
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