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Artificial Intelligence in Health ADRD caregiver experiences on Reddit

what is the most effective AI tool in understanding Disparities (R00MD012615 [TTN], R01MD015716
unstructured human communications. [TTN]). The content is solely the responsibility of the
This study focused on the top posting on Reddit authors and does not necessarily represent the official
about caregiving for family members with ADRD and views of the National Institutes of Health.
did not explore the variability of caregiving experiences Conflict of interest
and sentiments across different cultures, geographic
locations, and demographic groups, including age, gender, The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
and socio-economic status. The challenge with using
Reddit is the preservation of users’ anonymity. On top Author contributions
of that, subanalyses specific to different demographics Conceptualization: Yulin Hswen, Jiangmei Xiong, Thu T.
may illuminate the unique challenges and needs faced by Nguyen
caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Efforts to understand Investigation: Yulin Hswen, Jiangmei Xiong, Thu T. Nguyen
these differences are crucial for the development of targeted Methodology: Yulin Hswen, Jiangmei Xiong
support and resources that are tailored to meet the specific Writing – original draft: Yulin Hswen, Jiangmei Xiong,
needs of ADRD caregivers. Identifying distinct social Margaret Hurley
factors among ADRD patient’s caregivers can help devise Writing – review & editing: All authors
support that is inclusive and responsive to the diverse
realities of caregivers worldwide. Ethics approval and consent to participate
Finally, comparing insights from social media data of Not applicable.
ADRD caregivers with data from electronic health records
and clinical notes concerning ADRD may provide further Consent for publication
validation of these online data sources. This integrative Not applicable.
approach would allow researchers to identify potential
correlations between the topics and sentiments expressed Availability of data
in social media discussions and actual clinical outcomes. By
mapping these discussions to specific stages of ADRD, it may Data will be available upon reasonable request.
be possible to discern patterns and trends that inform more References
effective caregiver support strategies. This method could
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doi: 10.3390/molecules25245789
7. Conclusion
2. 2023 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers
This study uses sentiment and topic analysis, to disentangle Dement. 2023;19(4):1598-1695.
posts on Reddit on how caregivers or patients themselves doi: 10.1002/alz.13016
are self-managing care. Our findings can also be useful for
bridging the gap between theoretical insights derived from 3. Kumar A, Sidhu J, Goyal A, Tsao JW. Alzheimer disease. In:
social media discussions and actionable recommendations. StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Health-care providers can use this information to translate 4. National Insitute on Aging. What Are the Signs of Alzheimer’s
the nuanced understanding of caregiver experiences from Disease? Bethesda: National Institute of Health; 2024.
these social media sources into improved support strategies 5. Alzheimer’s Association. Care Options. United States:
and patient care interventions, ultimately benefiting both Alzheimer’s Association; 2024.
caregivers and patients by ensuring that the insights gained
are effectively applied in health-care settings. 6. Wong W. Economic burden of Alzheimer disease
and managed care considerations. Am J Manag Care.
Acknowledgments 2020;26(8 Suppl):S177-S183.

None. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.88482
7. Garg M, Sohn S. CareD: Caregiver’s experience with
Funding cognitive decline in Reddit posts. IEEE Int Conf Healthc

Research reported in this publication was supported by Inform. 2023;2023:581-587.
the National Institute on Minority Health and Health doi: 10.1109/ichi57859.2023.00104

Volume 1 Issue 3 (2024) 134 doi: 10.36922/aih.3075