Adoption and Use of Social Media in Health Care Among Medical Residents: Cross-Sectional Study

Social media apps are widely used by health care professionals despite security and regulatory risks. Identifying factors associated with this use is important for developing effective risk-reduction strategies.

This study aimed to investigate how medical residents use 6 popular social media apps in professional tasks and to identify factors influencing their adoption in health care, using the validated Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) model.

An anonymous web-based survey was conducted between June 2024 and November 2024 among medical residents in France. Participants reported demographic characteristics, frequency, and professional contexts of use for 6 apps (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, TikTok, and WhatsApp) and completed UTAUT2-based items. The model was adapted by adding a technology trust construct. Descriptive analyses were performed for all apps. With a sufficient sample size, partial least squares structural equation modeling was conducted for WhatsApp to identify factors associated with behavioral intention and use behavior.

A total of 137 residents (n=87, 63.5% female participants) across 40 specialties completed the survey. WhatsApp was the most widely and professionally used app (n=127, 92.7%), with 75.9% (n=104) using it at least many times per week. It was primarily used for patient care, including written transmissions (n=86, 62.8%), case discussions (n=76, 55.5%), and specialist advice (n=86, 62.8%), as well as for professional networking (n=62, 45.3%). Messenger was used by 46.7% (n=64) of participants for similar purposes. Facebook (n=35, 25.6%) and LinkedIn (n=20, 14.6%) were mainly used for education and networking, whereas Instagram (n=11, 8%) was rarely used, and TikTok was not used for professional purposes. Regarding adoption factors, WhatsApp had the highest overall scores, including the highest performance expectancy (mean 5.4, SD 1.12), behavioral intention (mean 5.28, SD 1.15), and use behavior (mean 5.91, SD 1.30), with high effort expectancy (mean 6.82, SD 0.55) and facilitating conditions (mean 6.07, SD 0.85). LinkedIn showed the highest social influence (mean 5.05, SD 1.06), whereas Instagram showed the highest hedonic motivation (mean 6.61, SD 0.51). Technology trust scores were low across all apps, ranging from a mean of 2.23 (SD 1.16) for Facebook to a mean of 3.72 (SD 1.39) for LinkedIn. In the partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis for WhatsApp, habit was the only significant predictor of behavioral intention (β=.53; P<.001) and use behavior (β=.45; P<.001).

WhatsApp dominates professional use among residents despite low trust in its security, and its use is mainly driven by habit. Secure alternatives with features similar to popular social media apps, supported by institutional policies and digital professionalism training, are needed to encourage physicians to better consider safety when using social media.