Topical steroid withdrawal syndrome and the transformation of the sick role in the digital era

Key Points

• This perspective examines how topical steroid withdrawal syndrome is understood and represented through digital media.
• Analyzed social media interactions around TSWS.
• Explored the implications for the sick role concept.
• Investigated changes in patient-clinician dynamics in dermatology.
• Online communities significantly shape narratives about TSWS.
• Digital platforms alter traditional notions of the sick role.
• New forms of patient-clinician engagement emerge in the context of TSWS.