Assessing the effectiveness of disease awareness programs: Evidence from Google Trends data for the world awareness dates. Issue 7 (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shariatpanahi, Seyed Peyman; Jafari, Afshin; Sadeghipour, Maryam; Azadeh-Fard, Nasibeh; Majidzadeh-A, Keivan; Farahmand, Leila; Madjid Ansari, Alireza
• Is Part Of: Telematics and informatics. Volume 34:Issue 7(2017)
• Page Start: 904
• Page End: 913
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: Google Trends -- System dynamics -- Wide spread diseases -- Word of mouth -- WHO disease awareness programs; Telecommunication -- Periodicals; Computer networks -- Periodicals; Télécommunications -- Périodiques; Réseaux d'ordinateurs -- Périodiques; 384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2017.03.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0736-5853

Abstract

Highlights: Impact of WHO world awareness dates' program to total awareness online is explored. System dynamic model for online disease awareness distribution process is proposed. AIDS, tuberculosis, breast cancer, autism queries rocketed during world awareness. Awareness distribution process for communicable diseases is faster. The WHO program is effective in initiating awareness for communicable diseases. Abstract: Objectives: The process of disease awareness distribution on the web was studied. The contribution of WHO world awareness days to the total awareness process over the internet was investigated. Methods: A system dynamics model for disease awareness distribution process online was proposed. The model results were compared to empirical data from Google Trends. The data were utilized to examine the number of disease-related search queries which have world awareness days dedicated to them. Among these diseases, online queries for AIDS, tuberculosis, breast cancer and autism depicted considerable increases during the world awareness dates, which were used to calibrate the model. Results: Awareness distribution process for AIDS and tuberculosis as contagious diseases, were much faster than the other two non-contagious diseases. The information sharing process for these diseases was so fast that a sudden fall in the number of search queries was observable in a few years. Conclusions: Our results illustrate that for contagious diseases, the WHO program was most effective in initiating the awareness process, while for non-contagious ones it had a consistent influence throughout.