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

## TL;DR

This study evaluates the quality of information about systemic sclerosis on WeChat, finding it to be low and suggesting improvements for better public engagement and reliability.

## Contribution

The study introduces a quality assessment of SSc information on WeChat, highlighting the gap between professionalism and user engagement.

## Key findings

- Non-profit organizations provided higher quality SSc content compared to individual authors.
- Disease knowledge dominated the content, but readers were more interested in policy and rehabilitation topics.
- The average DISCERN and GQS scores indicated generally low quality of the articles.

## Abstract

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.

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.

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.

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.