Using Google Trends and Google to investigate public information needs in relation to dementia and dementia medication
Authors: Hanna K , Parsons C 
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Although dementia is a global public health concern, there remains a large variability in public awareness of the condition and associated medications (1,2). Google Trends, a publicly available online resource, acts as a useful tool in the analysis of internet search activity and population behaviour, with applications across field of healthcare. It has not been used to date to investigate information needs in relation to dementia and dementia medications.

Aim

To investigate public information needs regarding dementia and dementia medications, by evaluating data from Google Trends and Google.

Methods

Google Trends was queried using search terms relating to dementia and dementia medications, for the five-year period to January 2020 and the 12-month period to January 2020, for United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland domains. The “top related queries” for each search term were extracted and recorded, and thematic analysis undertaken. The top ten Google search results for each search term were recorded, and assigned a rank based on their page position, from 1 (first search result, highest rank) to 10 (lowest rank); count (the number of times the website domain appeared near the top of the search results) and average rank (i.e. ordinal position) were calculated for each domain. Google Trends was also queried using the term “dementia” for the UK domain, from 2004 to February 2020, and Loess Seasonal Trend Decomposition undertaken using R software to determine seasonality patterns in internet searching.

Results

Thematic analysis highlighted that the public sought information on dementia types, causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, care and charitable organisations. Themes were broadly similar across time periods and UK/Ireland domains, with minor differences observed, including increased interest in research and development in 12-month UK data, and greater interest in charitable/government support in Ireland. The public sought information on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, their indications, doses, formulations, side effects, antipsychotic use for agitation, information sources for dementia medications, and medications for co-morbidities. Analysis of search results, count and average rank revealed that the public were often directed to high-quality evidence-based websites for condition and medication-related search terms, though some less reliable information sources also featured. Seasonal variation was observed; a modest swing in interest was exhibited over the year, peaking in May (correlating with Dementia Action Week) and falling to its lowest level in August. Overall a steady increase in search interest for “dementia’” over time was observed.

Conclusion

The public sought basic information about these subjects, and were often, but not always, directed to high-quality evidence-based websites. Public awareness of, and interest in, dementia is increasing, and future public health campaigns should seek to build on the success of previous campaigns. The strength of this study lies in the use of Google Trends and Google to investigate information needs in relation to dementia and dementia medications; to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to do so. Limitations must be considered; it can be difficult to draw absolute conclusions from Google Trends data alone, and results should be interpreted with caution.

References

1. Cahill S, Pierce M, Werner P, Darley A, Bobersky A. A systematic review of the public’s knowledge and understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease & Associated Disorders. 2015; 29(3):255–75.

2. Cations M, Radisic G, Crotty M, Laver KE. What does the general public understand about prevention and treatment of dementia? A systematic review of population-based surveys. PLoS One. 2018; 13:1–18.