Top 50 most cited articles on social media and healthcare: an altmetric analysis

Introduction. With the surge of data in today's information landscape, transforming this data into actionable knowledge has become increasingly difficult. Tracking and analyzing scientific literature effectively is essential. This study compiles an altmetric list of the 50 most-cited articles on social media and healthcare, aiming to identify critical research and assess its impact on current healthcare trends. Methods. The analysis focused on the terms "Social Media Platforms" and "Healthcare" using the Altmetric database. Articles were ranked by altmetric mentions and analyzed with Microsoft Excel. Data visualization was facilitated through tables, graphs, and keyword graphical visualization using VOSviewer. Results. Key aspects identified include the impact of social media on mental health, medical misinformation, the role of social media in public health communication, and its effects on user behavior. The analysis revealed an average altmetrics score (AAS) of 433.58, with scores ranging from 49 to 4,493. The United States and Great Britain were prominent in the most-cited publications. Leading journals included the Journal of Medical Internet Research and PLOS ONE. Primary themes were mental health, health misinformation, public health, social media behavior, and specific health issues. The Spearman correlation between citations and the altmetric index was rs = 0.369 (p < 0.05), indicating a moderate positive relationship. Conclusion. Altmetric analysis is a valuable complement to traditional bibliometric methods, helping to identify emerging trends and challenges in social media data use. Recommendations include revising analytical approaches and implementing measures to enhance data reliability.