Ever wondered why the analysis of digital data is left to big tech giants and marketing companies? Me too. That is why, after completing my bachelor's degree in Psychology in Groningen (the Netherlands), I decided to pursue a master's degree in Social Data Science at the University of Copenhagen. My goal at the IVDP was to provide a distinct approach to understanding the illness experience of people with chronic skin diseases by applying state-of-the-art data science methods. Regarding health services research, it might be possible to identify underserved patient groups by analysing patient registry data using machine-learning techniques. Regarding the person-centred healthcare approach, the analysis of social media data can complement existing methods by providing unique insights into treatment experiences and thereby aid in the alignment between clinical and patient reported therapy goals.
For my master’s thesis, I analysed (anonymous) text data and assessed the most prevalent topics and their sentiment in stigma-related posts. This adds an inductive, data-driven perspective that is potentially less biased by socially desirable responding or existing preconception.
