USE OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKS IN ORTHOPEDICS AND TRAUMATOLOGY AND PERSPECTIVE OF POST COVID TELEMEDICINE.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Traumatology
• Digital Health
• Patient-Doctor Relationship

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in healthcare, impacting the orthopedic doctor-patient relationship.
• Patient engagement with online health information and telemedicine is evolving rapidly.
• Understanding patient perspectives on digital health tools is crucial for modern orthopedic practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization of social networks for orthopedic and traumatology information.
• To assess patient opinions and experiences with telemedicine in orthopedic care.
• To analyze the impact of internet use on patient information-seeking behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 237 patients from an orthopedic outpatient clinic.
• Participants completed a questionnaire on internet, social network, and telemedicine usage.
• Data collected from patients exclusively served by the SUS (Unified Health System).

Main Results:

• A majority of patients reported infrequent or no internet searches for medical information.
• When utilized, internet search results were often perceived as unhelpful by patients.
• Men showed lower demand for health information compared to women; age did not significantly affect views on future telemedicine adoption.

Conclusions:

• While online health information seeking is common, its effectiveness in orthopedics remains debated.
• Further investigation into social media's role in orthopedic patient information gathering is warranted.
• The study highlights a gap between the prevalence of online information and patient satisfaction with its utility.