Juliet Chung, Sina Ramtin, Philip Koehler, Stephen Stache, Charles Langman, Brian Hozack, Asif M. Ilyas
Abstract
Although cortisone injections are commonly used, patient understanding of cortisone is variable and often affected by misconceptions. This study explores patient perspectives, identifies misconceptions, and emphasizes the importance of improved patient education to enhance patient-centered care.
Introduction
Corticosteroids are steroid hormones produced in the adrenal gland. Although the terms corticosteroids and cortisone are often used interchangeably, cortisone is a naturally occurring corticosteroid metabolite first discovered in 1929 by Philip Hench, Edward Kendall, and Tadeus Reichstein while investigating the hormones of the adrenal cortex [1].
Methods
Institutional review board approval was obtained through Thomas Jefferson University before the initiation of this anonymous cross-sectional survey study. The approval number was iRISID-2023–2687.
Results
A total of 246 patients completed the survey between April to August 2024. Respondents included 147 (60.3%) female, 96 (39.3%) men, and one participant identified as other; sex was not reported by two participants.
Discussion
Despite universal awareness of cortisone injections among respondents, this study identifies persistent gaps in patient understanding regarding their mechanism of action, safety profile, and appropriate use. Patients with prior experience receiving cortisone injections were more likely to correctly identify their anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting that direct exposure may enhance knowledge acquisition.
Conclusion
Despite widespread awareness of cortisone injections, significant gaps remain in patient understanding of their mechanism, safety, and appropriate use. Prior experience improves knowledge but does not fully eliminate misconceptions, which are often reinforced by informal information sources.
Citation: Chung J, Ramtin S, Koehler P, Stache S, Langman C, Hozack B, et al. (2026) Patient perceptions and knowledge of corticosteroid injections: A cross-sectional survey study. PLoS One 21(3): e0344201. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344201
Editor: Quetzal A. Class, University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago: University of Illinois Hospital, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Received: February 18, 2025; Accepted: February 17, 2026; Published: March 18, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 Chung et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Data Availability: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Funding: The execution of the study and production of the manuscript was supported by a grant provided by the Rothman Opioid Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
