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Professional Social Media Use Among Orthopedic and Trauma Surgeons in Germany: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based
Yasmin Youssef1, Tobias Gehlen2, Jörg Ansorg3
1Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
JMIR Formative Research
|April 19, 2024
Summary
Orthopedic surgeons in Germany use social media (SM) professionally, but specific applications are limited. High concerns regarding time, knowledge, and legal issues outweigh perceived benefits, indicating a need for better education on SM professional use.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Trauma Surgery
- Digital Health
- Professional Communication
Background:
- Social media (SM) is recognized for professional communication in orthopedic and trauma surgery.
- Potential benefits include enhanced patient/peer communication and increased research visibility.
- Specific uses, benefits, and concerns among surgeons remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific uses of various social media platforms by orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Germany.
- To identify the perceived advantages and concerns associated with professional social media engagement.
Main Methods:
- A web-based questionnaire with 33 items was developed and distributed to German orthopedic and trauma surgeons.
- Data collection occurred between June and July 2022.
- Subgroup analyses considered sex, age, and workplace type.
Main Results:
- All 208 participants use social media professionally, yet specific uses are infrequent.
- Employment-oriented platforms, messenger apps, and Facebook are most common; Instagram is popular among females and hospital-based surgeons.
- Professional networking is the primary use, followed by information exchange; education and patient acquisition are least utilized.
- Conventional websites are used more than social media for all professional purposes.
- Key benefits include networking, but less than 50% see value in patient communication, staying updated, or increasing visibility.
- Major concerns include time commitment (65.5%), lack of application knowledge (43.9%), content uncertainty (45.1%), and medicolegal issues (52.9%).
Conclusions:
- Social media is not actively utilized for professional purposes by German orthopedic and trauma surgeons.
- Perceived advantages are minimal, while concerns are substantial.
- Educational initiatives and informational materials are necessary to clarify professional applications and address legal concerns.
