The Evolving Role of Social Media in Pediatric Orthopaedics

Social media has grown significantly and its application in health care has been dramatically accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is often considered as a "new dimension" of health care, particularly in its ability to provide health information. In 2017, the top social media sites utilized by pediatric orthopaedic surgeons included Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In our study, we analyze the current social media usage, trends in Instagram and TikTok content, and the perceptions on social media usage among pediatric orthopaedic surgeons.

The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) membership directory was searched for the presence of social media. A review of all Instagram and TikTok posts made by the POSNA members were reviewed. A survey regarding the perception of social media networks and content was distributed to all POSNA members.

A total of 1231 POSNA members actively practicing in the United States were included in our study. In all, 327 (26.6%) had a LinkedIn profile, 34 (2.8%) had a professional Facebook profile, 15 (1.2%) had a public Instagram account, 0 (0%) had TikTok, and 72 (5.8%) had a professional Twitter account. Fifteen POSNA members with public Instagram accounts had 10,878 followers. A total of 907 Instagram posts were made, 134 (14.8%) of which were education and 462 (50.9%) of which were personal or political. The perception of various social media networks such as Instagram (3.02), Facebook (3.16), and LinkedIn (3.51) were positive on a 5-point Likert scale, while perceptions of TikTok (2.36) and Twitter (2.99) were negative. Educational posts on Instagram (3.19) and Facebook (3.37) were positive.

We provide an update to the utilization of social media by pediatric orthopaedists. Use of Instagram and TikTok accounts remain rare. Educational posts, when hosted on an appropriate social media platform, are perceived positively among pediatric orthopaedists.

Level IV.