Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 13, 2020
Date Accepted: Apr 11, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 3, 2021
Online Search Trends Influencing Anti-Coagulation in COVID-19: An Observational Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Early evidence of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) associated coagulopathy disseminated rapidly online during the first months of 2020, followed by clinical debate about how best to manage thrombotic risks in these patients. The rapid online spread of case reports was followed by online interim guidelines, discussions and worldwide online searches for further information. The impact of the global online search trends and online discussion on local approach to coagulopathy in COVID-19 patients has not been studied.
Objective:
To address this we investigated the relationship between online search trends using Google Trends® and the rate of appropriate VTE prophylaxis and anti-coagulation in the COVID-19 patient cohort admitted to a tertiary hospital in Ireland.
Methods:
A retrospective audit of anti-coagulation and venous thromboembolus (VTE) prophylaxis in admitted COVID-19 patients was conducted between 29 February 2020 and 31 May 2020. Worldwide Google search trends of COVID-19 and anti-coagulation synonyms during this time period, and correlated against one another using a Spearman correlation. P value of <0.05 was considered significant, and analysis was completed using Prism Graphpad (2020).
Results:
A statistically significant Spearman correlation (p<0.0001, r 0.71) was found between the two data sets showing an increase in VTE prophylaxis of COVID-19 with increasing online searches worldwide. This represents a proxy for online searches and discussion, dissemination of information and specifically Google search trends relating to COVID-19 and clotting risk correlated resulting in increasing prophylactically anti-coagulating COVID-19 patients in our tertiary centre.
Conclusions:
We describe a phenomenon of local change in clinical practice following worldwide online dialogue and digital search trends that influenced individual clinicians.
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