Orthopaedic Program Reputation and Association With Social Media Utilization and Engagement

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Digital Health Metrics

Background:

• The relationship between social media presence and institutional reputation in orthopaedics is not well understood.
• U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) rankings are a key indicator of departmental and program prestige.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between social media metrics and USNWR orthopaedic rankings.
• To assess the potential of social media engagement for improving orthopaedic program visibility.

Main Methods:

• Matched orthopaedic surgery departments and residency programs with USNWR scores.
• Collected data on followers, following, and posts from associated Instagram and Twitter accounts.
• Analyzed correlations using Pearson correlations and Student t tests (P < 0.05).

Main Results:

• A significant overlap existed between social media accounts and USNWR rankings.
• Strongest correlations were observed between the USNWR professional opinion subscore and follower counts (Instagram and Twitter).
• Number of posts also showed significant correlations with rankings across platforms.

Conclusions:

• Social media metrics demonstrate a notable correlation with USNWR orthopaedic rankings.
• Strategic use of social media platforms may enhance the reputation, audience engagement, and overall ranking of orthopaedic departments and residency programs.