Understand the current discourse on Neurotrophic Keratitis on social media.
More specifically:
We extracted around 50,000 search data points, 500 tweets, and 100 Reddit posts within the geography of the US from April 2021 to March 2023, using curated keywords and hashtags.
Using unsupervised machine learning, our proprietary in-house AI clustered linguistically related inputs into concept clusters. Our team of analysts then interpreted these clusters, teasing out nuanced discourses on the topic.
The discourse were then sized through search - based on our curated keywords. Search data was obtained within a 2-year time period (March 2021 to February 2023).
Finally, from studying the discourses, we picked apart key themes and attitudes, combined data points with other relevant information surfaced during our research, and synthesized the findings into this report.
HCPs Have Low Exposure To Nk
Low occurrence of NK could mean lower exposure of it to HCPs, and less experience with dealing with it
Misdiagnosis Of Nk Still Occurs
NK can be easily mistaken as MGD and dry eyes, which lead to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment
Education Needed On Cause And Staging
HCPs need to be educated on cause, symptoms and staging of NK since many seem unfamiliar with them
General Awareness Of Oxervate Efficacy
There is a general knowledge of the efficacy and safety of Oxervate, but not detailed information on it, such as side effects etc.
Alternative Treatment Methods
Alternative treatment methods such as Prokera and corneal neurotization, but not to great detail
Education Programmes For NK
Programmes and seminars are happening to educate HCPs on NK, but needs to be further promoted and upscaled
tudies have shown that rate of Neurotrophic Keratitis (NK) is less than 5 in 10,000 individuals (~0.05%)[1], while the rate of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and dry eyes are much higher at around 21% and 8% respectively [2].
Consequently, the lower incidence of NK is likely to result in a comparatively lower level of knowledge about this condition among healthcare professionals, such as familiarity with its unique characteristics, diagnostic criteria, and appropriate management strategies.
Evidently, searches for NK is also much lower compared to MGD and dry eye, which further indicates a lack of awareness towards the condition.
Top Needs
Based on online patient conversations, it has been observed that while most healthcare professionals are capable of accurately diagnosing NK, there are instances where misdiagnosis or downplaying of symptoms occur, resulting in ineffective treatment.
In such cases, HCPs often mistake the condition for MGD or dry eyes and prescribe medications like Cequa and Xiidra.
Moreover, the absence of comprehensive medical diagnosis (eg. corneal sensitivity test) from these HCPs further impedes patients from receiving the necessary treatment from their healthcare providers.
Top Needs
Identifying the causes, signs and symptoms for different stages of NK is paramount for accurate diagnosis and timely treatment - especially when stage 1 and 2 symptoms are subtle and can be easily mistaken for other ocular surface conditions such as MGD or dry eye.
Understanding stages of NK also allows HCPs to tailor treatment accordingly, which can range from recombinant human nerve growth factor to surgical procedures.
There is still a noticeable lack of conversations and information shared by HCPs online (despite some). HCPs may be discouraged to engage in public discussions due complex nature of NK, and its requirement for specialized knowledge and expertise.
Top Needs
Healthcare professionals generally possess awareness regarding the efficacy and safety of Cenegermin (Oxervate) in treating Neurotrophic Keratitis, since it was approved by the FDA.
However, there is a lack of conversations online on the specifics of the medication, such as dosage guidelines, or even potential side effects - which could indicate a lack of detailed knowledge among HCPs.
While the overall effectiveness of Cenegermin is recognized, it is essential to enhance understanding among healthcare professionals regarding the finer details of this treatment option to ensure optimal patient care and management of NK.
Top Needs
HCPs have also pointed out alternative treatments online, such as Prokera for mild cases and corneal neurotization for more serious cases of NK
However, these conversations often lack in-depth detail, indicating a potential gap in information or knowledge in this particular area.
The limited depth of discussions surrounding these alternative treatments suggests a need for further exploration and dissemination of comprehensive information among healthcare professionals, in order to improve the quality of care and treatment options for patients.
Top Needs
In response to the growing importance of effectively diagnosing, treating, and managing Neurotrophic Keratitis, numerous seminars and programs have emerged to educate HCPs in this specialized field.
These educational seminars and programs are designed to provide in-depth training on the identification and diagnosis of Neurotrophic Keratitis, encompassing its various stages and associated symptoms.
Treatment and management strategies occupy a prominent position in these educational initiatives, indicating the need for HCPs to receive practical guidance on selecting the most appropriate treatment modalities based on individual patient characteristics, disease severity, and overall health status.
Top Needs
Lack of exposure of HCPs to NK due to the rare natural of the condition
Since Neurotrophic Keratitis is much rarer compared to other conditions like Meibomian Gland Dysfunction or Dry Eye, it is likely to result in lower levels of knowledge of NK among HCPs.
Low search interest of NK also indicates lower awareness towards the condition.
Misdiagnosis and gaslighting still occurs
NK is can be easily misdiagnosed and mistaken as other conditions like MGD or dry eye. This leads to wrong prescription of medication for patients, as well as misjudgement on the severity of the patient’s actual condition.
Lack of conversations online could indicate that HCPs are not confident to openly discuss the topic, due to their lack of knowledge and expertise on it
General knowledge on NK treatments, but not to great detail
Although there is a general awareness by HCPs on the different treatment options for NK (eg. Oxervate, Prokera), they seem to lack in-depth knowledge about these procedures.
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