Multivariate Analysis of Social Media Content by United States Orthopaedic Residency Program Directors

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Digital Health Communication

Background:

• Social media platforms are increasingly utilized by medical professionals.
• Orthopaedic program directors (PDs) can leverage these platforms for recruitment and engagement.
• Understanding current social media usage patterns is crucial for optimizing outreach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how orthopaedic program directors use public social media accounts.
• To evaluate the types of content shared and audience engagement metrics.
• To identify opportunities for enhancing academic and educational content on social media.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study analyzing 202 orthopaedic residency program directors' social media presence.
• Evaluation of Instagram accounts for public/private status, followers/following, and post content.
• Analysis of platform usage (Doximity, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).

Main Results:

• Doximity and LinkedIn were the most common platforms; Instagram was used by 33% of PDs.
• Public Instagram accounts had significantly more followers than private accounts (324 vs. 145).
• Personal content dominated Instagram posts (55%) among PDs with personal accounts, while educational content comprised only 19%.

Conclusions:

• Social media offers PDs a valuable tool to showcase programs and reach wider audiences.
• There is substantial potential for PDs to increase educational and academic content on social media.
• Further research is needed to define optimal strategies for social media's educational and academic impact in orthopaedics.