In a groundbreaking study published in Brain Medicine (Genomic Press), UCI researchers have uncovered a striking correlation between internet searches for ADHD medications and actual prescription rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding opens up new possibilities for using online search data to predict and prevent prescription drug shortages. The study, led by Dr.
Steven Grieco from the University of California, Irvine, analyzed Google Trends data spanning 20 years, with a particular focus on the period following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020. The researchers found a significant surge in searches for ADHD medications during this time, mirroring the known increase in ADHD drug prescriptions reported in other studies. Our findings suggest that Google Trends data could serve as a real-time proxy for prescription drug usage, especially during rapidly changing public health situations.
This approach could be invaluable when actual prescription data is not immediately available." Dr. Steven Grieco, University of California, Irvine The research team employed sophisticated analytical techniques, including cross-correlation analysis and k-medoids clustering, to identify trends and subtrends in the search data.
They also performed seasonal trend analysis for 187 disorders and 113 medication keywords, providing a comprehensive view of public interest in various health conditions and treatments. One of the most intriguing aspects of the study was the strong c.