Exploring Melasma Patients’ Needs Through Social Media: A Qualitative Study

Xinjin Liu,1,2,* Xu Liu,1,2,* Yanbing Han,1,2 Yifei Cheng,1,2 Hongjie Luo,1,2 Yichen Liu,1,2 Dingling Li,1,2 Weihong Guo,1,2 Haoyu Jiang,1,2 Linghong Guo,1,2 Xian Jiang1,2 1Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China; 2Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xian Jiang, Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 189 8060 1693, Email [email protected] Linghong Guo, Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China, +86 18380131660, Email [email protected]: To identify the primary concerns and unmet needs of patients with melasma on social media using qualitative analysis and AI-based keyword extraction.Patients and Methods: We conducted a qualitative study of melasma patient discussions using publicly available posts on Facebook and Baidu. The data were collected between January 2014 and October 2024. ChatGPT-4o was used for keyword extraction and classification.Results: A total of 1106 related posts were analyzed, revealing 284 unique tags and 2434 keywords. Treatment and prevention were the most discussed topics, with patients seeking information on effective, long-term, and affordable treatment. Daily care and mental health accounted for 29.2% of the total, focusing on skincare routines, sun protection, and lifestyle modification. Etiology and clinical features were observed in 14.8% of the posts, whereas 2.4% addressed diagnosis and differentiation.Conclusion: This study identified key concerns of patients with melasma using AI-based keyword extraction and qualitative analysis, highlighting the need for healthcare professionals to engage in digital patient education, clarify misinformation, support patient self-management, and integrate mental health considerations into melasma care. Future research should focus on AI-based interventions to enhance patient engagement and self-management.Keywords: melasma, patient education, social media, artificial intelligence, digital health