Decrease in Awareness of Hematologic Malignancies in the United States: Temporal Analysis of Google Trends Search Data from 2004 to 2015

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 3565-3565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeel M. Khan ◽  
Alok A. Khorana
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Hematologic Malignancies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Sen’S Slope ◽  
Internet Searches ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background: Digital and surveillance epidemiology via internet search engine analysis has allowed for new insights into patients' and laypersons' health concerns and awareness. Google Trends in particular has become an increasingly well-published data resource as it automatically compiles all Google searches from 2004 to the present from internet users worldwide into an aggregated, passively-collected, and publicly viewable data site. Over the past few years, cancer awareness campaigns in the United States have greatly increased awareness of specific malignancies, such as breast and prostate. However, the hematologic malignancies have not had the same level of awareness, despite rising incidence rates for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma from 2004 to 2015. This study sought to examine patients' and laypersons' internet searches for terms related to the three major hematologic malignancies. Methods: Google Trends (www.google.com/trends) was accessed to obtain the relative search engine traffic values for terms related to the three major blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma) from January 2004 to December 2015. These values are defined as search volume indices (SVIs) and are directly obtainable from Google Trends. For comparison, SVIs for the term "cancer" were also collected during the same time frame. Using standard Boolean operators, searches for "cancer" were operationalized as CANCER + CANCERS + MALIGNANCY + MALIGNANCIES + MALIGNANT, searches for "leukemia" as LEUKEMIA + LEUKEMIAS, searches for "lymphoma" as LYMPHOMA + LYMPHOMAS + "NON HODGKIN" + NON HODGKIN + "HODGKIN DISEASE" + "HODGKIN'S DISEASE", and searches for "myeloma" as MYELOMA + MYELOMAS. Trends in the respective SVIs were analyzed with Mann-Kendall trend tests and Sen's slope estimators in R (V3.3.1), similar to previously published Google Trends analyses. Results: Individual inspection of each search term revealed the average SVI for "cancer" was 76.4, for "leukemia" was 68.0, for "lymphoma" was 75.5, and for "myeloma" was 30.4 during the time frame 2004 to 2015. Simultaneous inspection across search terms revealed the SVIs for "cancer" far outweighed searches for "leukemia," "lymphoma," and "myeloma" combined (mean SVIs 76 vs. 4, 4, and 1 respectively). Mann-Kendall trend tests showed a statistically significant decrease in searches for "leukemia" (S = -6460.0, p < 0.001) and "lymphoma" (S = -6338, p < 0.001) over time. "Myeloma" searches (S = -1321, p = 0.02) and "cancer" searches (S = -2389.0, p < 0.005) also showed a statistically significant decrease. Sen's slope estimators showed the greatest decline for "leukemia" (Q = -0.18, 95% CI: -0.19 to -0.17) and "lymphoma" (Q = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.22 to -0.20) and lowest decline for "cancer" (Q = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.04) and "myeloma" (Q = -0.01, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.00). Discussion: Searches for "leukemia" and "lymphoma" have sharply declined over the time period 2004 to 2015 in the United States. Searches for "myeloma" have remained stably low over time with marginal decrease. Overall, internet searches for the hematologic malignancies represent a very small fraction of total searches for "cancer." These data suggest a declining awareness for the major hematologic malignancies despite their rising incidences in the United States. Patient awareness may be increased with greater efforts toward disease-specific advocacy campaigns and public health endeavors. Figure 1 Individual Google Trends searches for terms (in clockwise order) "cancer," "leukemia," "lymphoma," and "myeloma" in the United States from 2004 to 2015. Figure 1. Individual Google Trends searches for terms (in clockwise order) "cancer," "leukemia," "lymphoma," and "myeloma" in the United States from 2004 to 2015. Figure 2 Simultaneous Google Trends search for "cancer," "leukemia," "lymphoma," and "myeloma" in the United States from 2004 to 2015. Figure 2. Simultaneous Google Trends search for "cancer," "leukemia," "lymphoma," and "myeloma" in the United States from 2004 to 2015. Disclosures Khorana: Halozyme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Leo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

scholarly journals The Influence of Media Coverage and Governmental Policies on Google Queries Related to COVID-19 Cutaneous Symptoms: Infodemiology Study

10.2196/25651 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e25651
Author(s):  
Solene Huynh Dagher ◽  
Guillaume Lamé ◽  
Thomas Hubiche ◽  
Khaled Ezzedine ◽  
Tu Anh Duong
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
World Health ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Internet Searches ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Background During COVID-19, studies have reported the appearance of internet searches for disease symptoms before their validation by the World Health Organization. This suggested that monitoring of these searches with tools including Google Trends may help monitor the pandemic itself. In Europe and North America, dermatologists reported an unexpected outbreak of cutaneous acral lesions (eg, chilblain-like lesions) in April 2020. However, external factors such as public communications may also hinder the use of Google Trends as an infodemiology tool. Objective The study aimed to assess the impact of media announcements and lockdown enforcement on internet searches related to cutaneous acral lesions during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Methods Two searches on Google Trends, including daily relative search volumes for (1) “toe” or “chilblains” and (2) “coronavirus,” were performed from January 1 to May 16, 2020, with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany as the countries of choice. The ratio of interest over time in “chilblains” and “coronavirus” was plotted. To assess the impact of lockdown enforcement and media coverage on these internet searches, we performed an interrupted time-series analysis for each country. Results The ratio of interest over time in “chilblains” to “coronavirus” showed a constant upward trend. In France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, lockdown enforcement was associated with a significant slope change for “chilblain” searches with a variation coefficient of 1.06 (SE 0.42) (P=0.01), 1.04 (SE 0.28) (P<.01), and 1.21 (SE 0.44) (P=0.01), respectively. After media announcements, these ratios significantly increased in France, Spain, Italy, and the United States with variation coefficients of 18.95 (SE 5.77) (P=.001), 31.31 (SE 6.31) (P<.001), 14.57 (SE 6.33) (P=.02), and 11.24 (SE 4.93) (P=.02), respectively, followed by a significant downward trend in France (–1.82 [SE 0.45]), Spain (–1.10 [SE 0.38]), and Italy (–0.93 [SE 0.33]) (P<.001, P=0.004, and P<.001, respectively). The adjusted R2 values were 0.311, 0.351, 0.325, and 0.305 for France, Spain, Italy, and the United States, respectively, suggesting an average correlation between time and the search volume; however, this correlation was weak for Germany and the United Kingdom. Conclusions To date, the association between chilblain-like lesions and COVID-19 remains controversial; however, our results indicate that Google queries of “chilblain” were highly influenced by media coverage and government policies, indicating that caution should be exercised when using Google Trends as a monitoring tool for emerging diseases.

Public Health Implications of Google Searches for Sunscreen, Sunburn, Skin Cancer, and Melanoma in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary H. Hopkins ◽  
Aaron M. Secrest
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Melanoma Incidence ◽  
Google Search

Purpose: Google Trends (GT) offers insights into public interests and behaviors and holds potential for guiding public health campaigns. We evaluated trends in US searches for sunscreen, sunburn, skin cancer, and melanoma and their relationships with melanoma outcomes. Design: Google Trends was queried for US search volumes from 2004 to 2017. Time-matched search term data were correlated with melanoma outcomes data from Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program and United States Cancer Statistics databases (2004-2014 and 2010-2014, respectively). Setting: Users of the Google search engine in the United States. Participants: Google search engine users in the United States. This represents approximately 65% of the population. Measures: Search volumes, melanoma outcomes. Analysis: Pearson correlations between search term volumes, time, and national melanoma outcomes. Spearman correlations between state-level search data and melanoma outcomes. Results: The terms “sunscreen,” “sunburn,” “skin cancer,” and “melanoma” were all highly correlated ( P < .001), with sunscreen and sunburn having the greatest correlation ( r = 0.95). Sunscreen/sunburn searches have increased over time, but skin cancer/melanoma searches have decreased ( P < .05). Nationally, sunscreen, sunburn, and skin cancer were significantly correlated with melanoma incidence. At the state level, only sunscreen and melanoma searches were significantly correlated with melanoma incidence. Conclusions: We conclude that online skin cancer prevention campaigns should focus on the search terms “sunburn” and “sunscreen,” given the decreasing online searches for skin cancer and melanoma. This is reinforced by the finding that sunscreen searches are higher in areas with higher melanoma incidence.

scholarly journals Increasing Utility of Google Trends in Monitoring Cardiovascular Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor Senecal ◽  
Madeline Mahowald ◽  
Lilach Lerman ◽  
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez ◽  
Amir Lerman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Strong Correlation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Online Search ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Search Data ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and in the world. Patients are increasingly using internet search to find health-related information, including searches for cardiovascular diseases and risk factors. We sought to evaluate the change in the state by state correlation of cardiovascular disease and risk factors with Google Trends search volumes. Methods: Data on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and risk factor prevalence were obtained from the publically available CDC website from 2006-2018. Google Trends data were obtained for matching conditions and time periods. Simple linear regression was performed to evaluate for an increase in correlation over time. Results: Hospitalizations for six separate cardiovascular disease conditions showed moderate to strong correlation with online search data in the last period studied (heart failure (0.58, P<0.001), atrial fibrillation (0.57, P<0.001), coronary heart disease (0.58, P<0.001), myocardial infarction (0.70, P<0.001), stroke (0.62, P<0.001), cardiac dysrhythmia (0.46, P<0.001)). All diseases studied showed a positive increase in correlation throughout the time period studied (P<0.05). All five of the cardiovascular risk factors studied showed strong correlation with online search data; diabetes (R=0.78, P<0.001), cigarette use (R=0.79, P<0.001), hypertension (R=0.81, P<0.001), high cholesterol (R=0.59, P<0.001), obesity (R=0.80, P<0.001). Three of the five showed an increasing correlation over time. Conclusion: The prevalence of and hospitalizations for cardiovascular conditions in the United States strongly correlate with online search volumes nationwide and when analyzed by state. This relationship has progressively strengthened or been strong and stable over recent years for these conditions. Google Trends represents an increasingly valuable tool for evaluating the burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in the United States.

scholarly journals Fluctuation of Public Interest in COVID-19 in the United States: Retrospective Analysis of Google Trends Search Data

10.2196/19969 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e19969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iltifat Husain ◽  
Blake Briggs ◽  
Cedric Lefebvre ◽  
David M Cline ◽  
Jason P Stopyra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Control Search ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
Search Data ◽  
Internet Searches

Background In the absence of vaccines and established treatments, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are fundamental tools to control coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission. NPIs require public interest to be successful. In the United States, there is a lack of published research on the factors that influence public interest in COVID-19. Using Google Trends, we examined the US level of public interest in COVID-19 and how it correlated to testing and with other countries. Objective The aim of this study was to determine how public interest in COVID-19 in the United States changed over time and the key factors that drove this change, such as testing. US public interest in COVID-19 was compared to that in countries that have been more successful in their containment and mitigation strategies. Methods In this retrospective study, Google Trends was used to analyze the volume of internet searches within the United States relating to COVID-19, focusing on dates between December 31, 2019, and March 24, 2020. The volume of internet searches related to COVID-19 was compared to that in other countries. Results Throughout January and February 2020, there was limited search interest in COVID-19 within the United States. Interest declined for the first 21 days of February. A similar decline was seen in geographical regions that were later found to be experiencing undetected community transmission in February. Between March 9 and March 12, 2020, there was a rapid rise in search interest. This rise in search interest was positively correlated with the rise of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 (6.3, 95% CI −2.9 to 9.7; P<.001). Within the United States, it took 52 days for search interest to rise substantially after the first positive case; in countries with more successful outbreak control, search interest rose in less than 15 days. Conclusions Containment and mitigation strategies require public interest to be successful. The initial level of COVID-19 public interest in the United States was limited and even decreased during a time when containment and mitigation strategies were being established. A lack of public interest in COVID-19 existed in the United States when containment and mitigation policies were in place. Based on our analysis, it is clear that US policy makers need to develop novel methods of communicating COVID-19 public health initiatives.

scholarly journals Breast Cancer Awareness Month: The Impact of Even the Most Successful Campaigns Fades

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Lapostolle ◽  
Lisa Weisslinger ◽  
Charles Durand ◽  
Frédéric Adnet
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
United States ◽  
Public Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Cancer Awareness ◽  
Search Volume ◽  
Breast Cancer Awareness ◽  
Internet Searches ◽  
The Impact

Abstract BackgroundFor over 35 years the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ (BCAM) has worked to increase public information about breast cancer and to raise funds for research. The aim of this study was to analyze how the interest generated by this campaign evolved over time, in the US and other countries.MethodsWe investigated the Google Trends® according to previously recommended methods. The study was based on Internet searches using the term ‘’breast cancer’’ worldwide and in the United-States. Google Trends® gives the relative search volume of every request as an index on a scale from 0 to 100, (100 corresponding to the maximum number of requests during the studied period). We compared the relative searches index using the term ‘’breast cancer’’ during October, the breast cancer awareness month, and the rest of the of the year avec a 10 years period.Results120 months were analyzed including 10 October months. Median index for worldwide searches on ‘’breast cancer’’ during the 110 months was 35 (34-39). It didn’t significantly change during the study period (R2=0,3). Median index of the 10 peaks was 83 (64-92) (p<0,001 vs 110 months). The peak index linearly decreased (R2=0,88) during the study period. It reached 100 in 2012 and 64 in 2020. In the United-States, median index for searches during the 110 months was 28 (26-32). It didn’t significantly change during the study period (R2=0,3). Median index of the 10 peaks was 83 (63-92) (p<0,001 vs 110 months). The peak index linearly decreased (R2=0,73) during the study period. It reached 100 in 2012 and 64 in 2020.ConclusionsThis internet activity study shows that the impact of the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ seems to be slowly decreasing. The number of Internet searches generated by the campaign has been reduced by almost 40% in both the United-States and worldwide.

scholarly journals Increasing utility of Google Trends in monitoring cardiovascular disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 205520762110334
Author(s):  
Conor Senecal ◽  
Madeline Mahowald ◽  
Lilach Lerman ◽  
Francisco Lopes-Jimenez ◽  
Amir Lerman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Strong Correlation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Online Search ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Search Data ◽  
Over Time

Introduction Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Patients are increasingly using internet search to find health-related information, including searches for cardiovascular diseases and risk factors. We sought to evaluate the change in the state by state correlation of cardiovascular disease and risk factors with Google Trends search volumes. Methods Data on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and risk factor prevalence were obtained from the publically available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website from 2006 to 2018. Google Trends data were obtained for matching conditions and time periods. Simple linear regression was performed to evaluate for an increase in correlation over time. Results Hospitalizations for six separate cardiovascular disease conditions showed moderate to strong correlation with online search data in the last period studied (heart failure (0.58, p < .001), atrial fibrillation (0.57, p < .001), coronary heart disease (0.58, p < .001), myocardial infarction (0.70, p < .001), stroke (0.62, p < .001), cardiac dysrhythmia (0.46, p < .001)) in the United States. All diseases studied showed a positive increase in correlation throughout the time period studied ( p < .05). All five of the cardiovascular risk factors studied showed strong correlation with online search data; diabetes ( R = 0.78, p < .001), cigarette use ( R = 0.79, p < .001), hypertension ( R = 0.81, p < .001), high cholesterol ( R = 0.59, p < .001), and obesity ( p = 0.80, p < .001) in the United States. Three of the five risk factors showed an increasing correlation over time. Conclusion The prevalence of and hospitalizations for cardiovascular conditions in the United States strongly correlate with online search volumes in the United States when analyzed by state. This relationship has progressively strengthened or been strong and stable over recent years for these conditions. Google Trends represents an increasingly valuable tool for evaluating the burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in the United States.

Abstract 17380: Can Understanding of National Search Engine Queries Inform Heart Failure Prevention? National Internet Search Engine Queries Correlates With CHF Prevalence but Not Outcomes

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
adebayo atanda ◽  
Olajide Buhari ◽  
Mohammed Alarfaj ◽  
Hassan Khalil ◽  
Alberto Batresh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Congestive Heart Failure ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Google Search

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF) remains an epidemic with rising prevalence and a contributing cause of 1 in 9 deaths in the United States. An understanding of internet search engines for congestive heart failure as informational and initial diagnostic tools may enable targeted education strategies. Hypothesis: There is a correlation between CHF google search and outcomes. Methods: We used google trends, a publicly available google tool, to identify search frequency for CHF and related terms like early signs of heart failure, congestive heart failure facts over a 2 year period from 2014-2016 across regions of the United States. We then evaluated the prevalence of hospitalization and mortality rates among Medicare beneficiaries based on Center for Disease Control (CDC) data. Utilizing Pearson correlation (R) test, we determined the association between relative search frequency (RSF) in various states versus CHF hospitalization and mortality rates. Results: Across the 50 states in United States, there were 25 searches related to the search terms. There was a moderate positive correlation (R 0.4-0.7) between CHF hospitalization (R= 0.43) and mortality (R=0.51) with relative search frequency in google trends. Conclusions: We demonstrated a correlation between internet search and CHF prevalence and hospitalization. The emergence of data analytics in CHF care may enable greater understanding of patient questions in CHF to better target education and prevention.

scholarly journals Fluctuation of Public Interest in COVID-19 in the United States: Retrospective Analysis of Google Trends Search Data (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iltifat Husain ◽  
Blake Briggs ◽  
Cedric Lefebvre ◽  
David M Cline ◽  
Jason P Stopyra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Control Search ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
Search Data ◽  
Internet Searches

BACKGROUND In the absence of vaccines and established treatments, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are fundamental tools to control coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission. NPIs require public interest to be successful. In the United States, there is a lack of published research on the factors that influence public interest in COVID-19. Using Google Trends, we examined the US level of public interest in COVID-19 and how it correlated to testing and with other countries. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine how public interest in COVID-19 in the United States changed over time and the key factors that drove this change, such as testing. US public interest in COVID-19 was compared to that in countries that have been more successful in their containment and mitigation strategies. METHODS In this retrospective study, Google Trends was used to analyze the volume of internet searches within the United States relating to COVID-19, focusing on dates between December 31, 2019, and March 24, 2020. The volume of internet searches related to COVID-19 was compared to that in other countries. RESULTS Throughout January and February 2020, there was limited search interest in COVID-19 within the United States. Interest declined for the first 21 days of February. A similar decline was seen in geographical regions that were later found to be experiencing undetected community transmission in February. Between March 9 and March 12, 2020, there was a rapid rise in search interest. This rise in search interest was positively correlated with the rise of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 (6.3, 95% CI −2.9 to 9.7; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). Within the United States, it took 52 days for search interest to rise substantially after the first positive case; in countries with more successful outbreak control, search interest rose in less than 15 days. CONCLUSIONS Containment and mitigation strategies require public interest to be successful. The initial level of COVID-19 public interest in the United States was limited and even decreased during a time when containment and mitigation strategies were being established. A lack of public interest in COVID-19 existed in the United States when containment and mitigation policies were in place. Based on our analysis, it is clear that US policy makers need to develop novel methods of communicating COVID-19 public health initiatives.

An Analysis of Fraudulent Qui Tam Actions Over Time in the United States

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen A. Fitzner ◽  
Charlie Bennett ◽  
June McKoy ◽  
Cara Tigue
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Over Time

The New Economic Populism and the Future of Inequality in the United States

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Franko ◽  
Christopher Witko
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Labor Unions ◽  
Republican Party ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Income Disparities ◽  
The Face ◽  
Over Time

The authors conclude the book by recapping their arguments and empirical results, and discussing the possibilities for the “new economic populism” to promote egalitarian economic outcomes in the face of continuing gridlock and the dominance of Washington, DC’s policymaking institutions by business and the wealthy, and a conservative Republican Party. Many states are actually addressing inequality now, and these policies are working. Admittedly, many states also continue to embrace the policies that have contributed to growing inequality, such as tax cuts for the wealthy or attempting to weaken labor unions. But as the public grows more concerned about inequality, the authors argue, policies that help to address these income disparities will become more popular, and policies that exacerbate inequality will become less so. Over time, if history is a guide, more egalitarian policies will spread across the states, and ultimately to the federal government.

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