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The affordances of social media, have significantly transformed how patients seek and process health information online, including those with chronic diseases like irritable bowel disease (IBD). Few studies have explored how information processing may impact symptom management. Guided by social cognitive theory, this study investigates how Chinese and U.S. patients (N = 838) process health information in a cross-cultural setting and the impact on symptom management. It finds that efficient information processing improves treatment understanding and symptom management for IBD patients, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. It also reveals a U-shaped quadratic relationship between IBD severity and emotional and peer support, indicating varying support needs at different IBD stages. These findings provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers in designing interventions for chronic diseases. The study underscores the importance of recognizing the dynamics of health information processing and the need for a more nuanced approach to patient support and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the general public rely more on social media for accessing health information, it is important to investigate how patients with complex chronic diseases use social media for symptom management. Guided by social cognitive theory, this study analyzes Crohn's disease patients' use of health information and its impact on their clinical course. The results show that health information on social media had provided the patients significant informational, emotional, and peer support, which mediated their treatment understanding, symptom management, and trust in doctors. When their symptoms went worse, the patients reported obtaining more support from social media groups, leading to better treatment understanding. A better treatment understanding resulted in more trust in doctors. But using social media groups that were not monitored by physicians reduced their trust in doctors. Initial evidence shows that health information could benefit patients like a complementary medical intervention. As an exploratory study, the results should be interpreted with caution as some findings may not be generalized to all complex chronic disease patients. This endorses the importance of studying patients' health information processing on social media as part of the effort for improving chronic illness care. • Social media have potential to improve Crohn's disease patients' clinical course. • Health information on social media offers informational, emotional and peer support. • The support alters treatment understanding, symptom control, and trust in doctors. • Patients' interaction with doctors on social media affects health outcomes. • Health information may function like medical interventions in the clinical course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]