Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40438054›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Professionalism vs. engagement: quality of SSc information on WeChat.

Lei Wang, Yue Xiong, Tingting Wu, Yingying Gao, Haojie Chen, Xin Chu, Baofeng Zhu, Jing Cao, Tao Cheng, Mingjun Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Lei Wang *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Yue Xiong *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Tingting Wu *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Yingying GaoDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First People's Hospital of Nantong, Nantong, China.
Haojie ChenDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First People's Hospital of Nantong, Nantong, China.
Xin ChuDepartment of Emergency Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Nantong, Nantong, China.
Baofeng ZhuDepartment of Emergency Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Nantong, Nantong, China.
Jing CaoDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Tao ChengDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Mingjun WangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease, and WeChat is a major source of health information in China. This study assesses the quality of SSc information on WeChat to understand its impact on public knowledge and engagement. Methods: A total of 375 articles from 9 WeChat public accounts were systematically analyzed using the DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS) tools. Article quality was evaluated based on source credibility, content accuracy, and user engagement, including metrics such as views, likes, and comments. Results: Individual authors posted 50% of the articles, while non-profit organizations posted 21%, with non-profits providing higher quality content. Disease knowledge dominated (52.8%), yet readers showed higher interest in policy interpretation and rehabilitation. The average DISCERN and GQS scores were 28.96 and 1.62, indicating low quality across articles. Conclusion: While WeChat facilitates SSc information dissemination, the overall quality is lacking. Enhancing professionalism and interactivity on health information platforms like WeChat could better meet the needs of patients and the public for reliable information.

Indexed as

Information DisseminationProfessionalismScleroderma, SystemicSocial MediaChinaHumansautoimmune diseaseDISCERNhealth information qualityrare diseasessocial mediasystemic sclerosisWeChat public account

Identifiers

PMID40438054
PMCPMC12116557

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.