P4A054: Online for Omnipod: Examining Attitudes and Information Related to Type 1 Diabetes Omnipod 5 Device on Tiktok

Background: The Omnipod 5 (O5) is a tubeless pod that automatically adjusts insulin, which integrates with the continuous glucose monitor Dexcom G6 (DG6) to form a closed-loop system for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) management. Engagement with diabetes-related social media content has been shown to improve T1D control for adolescent patients. TikTok is a popular video-sharing platform among youth, and O5/DG6 videos have accumulated millions of views since O5’s release in August 2022. It is imperative to analyze the types of O5-related information and communities that pediatric patients may engage with on TikTok.

Methods: Using an online web scraper, metadata was obtained from the top 600 TikTok videos under the hashtag #omnipod5. Video content was collected by trained coders: 1) numeric statistics (i.e., views, likes), 2) video topic category, 3) creator age range/profession, 4) creator attitude, 5) discusses/shows how to use O5, 6) shares personal experience with T1D/O5, 7) O5-related information shared, 8) alternative T1D treatments/devices mentioned, 9) O5/T1D treatment inconveniences. Descriptive analysis was conducted in R.

Results: 237 videos with 7,795,072 views met inclusion criteria. Video topics included demonstrations (49%), patient experience (37%), and education (14%). 236 videos were created by laypeople (T1D patients/caregivers). Across videos, 14% featured children, 76% teenagers/young adults, and 10% middle-aged adults. Video creator attitudes included: positive (37%), neutral (45%), negative (15%), mixed (4%). See Figure 1 for attitudes by age group and common O5 descriptors. Overall, 67% of videos were informative about O5/DG6, 54% discussed/demonstrated how to use O5, and 52% mentioned personal experiences using O5. Creators compared O5 to other T1D devices/technologies (i.e, Omnipod Dash, Insulin Pump) in 22% of videos; 9% mentioned alternative T1D treatments (i.e., Multiple Daily Injections, Metformin). 17% of videos discussed expenses/inconveniences of T1D treatment. See Table 1 for specific O5-related information shared.

Conclusion: Extensive engagement with O5-related content suggests that TikTok provides a robust community for young T1D patients to access information about O5 and T1D management. The vast majority of videos were created by teenage/young adult T1D patients offering informative demonstrations of how to use O5 and discussions of personal experiences with O5. A significant portion of young creators presented positive opinions of O5 (i.e., “O5 is a gamechanger”, “[O5] will make diabetes so much more manageable”), suggesting that it may be generally well-received among the T1D patient community. However, the lack of medical professionals engaging in O5-related conversations on TikTok reveals a need for their greater engagement on social media popular among youth. It is crucial that physicians and organizations prioritize having a greater online presence to offer support and disseminate information regarding medical devices such as O5 to young T1D patients.