Supplementary Material for: As Seen on Social Media: Mixed-Methods Analysis of Bell’s Palsy Perspectives

Introduction: Bell’s palsy can cause functional and psychosocial impairment, traditionally evaluated via surveys such as the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) Scale. Social media is a newer way to share health experiences. This study aims to characterize Bell’s palsy experience as shared on social media. Methods: Videos within criteria were selected from social media platforms. Transcripts were generated via Python. Directed content analysis used the FaCE Scale to derive themes. Results: All themes and subthemes in FaCE were also present on social media. An additional theme of “Mood” was present only on social media (70% of videos) with subthemes of depression (53%), uncertainty (27%), fear (23%), and optimism (20%). Themes present in both FaCE and social media were “Functional issues”, “Treatments”, and “Changes to Daily Life”. However only social media had the following subthemes: “Functional Issues” subthemes of speech (27%), hyperacusis (17%), and dysgeusia (17%); “Treatments” subthemes of steroids (40%), acupuncture (30%), facial exercises (30%), and supplements (23%); and “Changes to Daily Life” subthemes of prioritizing rest (20%), covering face (13%), and impact on job (10%). Females were more likely to discuss depression (p=.042). Conclusion: Patients with Bell’s palsy share experiences on social media not captured by traditional patient questionnaires, revealing areas to optimize care for this population.