gms | German Medical Science

Objectives: Social media (SM) has gained importance in the healthcare sector as modern means of communication and source of information for physicians and patients. However, there remains a paucity of data regarding the scope of professional SM use by orthopedic and trauma surgeons. The aim of this study was to present an overview of the use of SM among orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Germany in terms of the platforms used as well as the frequency and management of SM for professional purposes.

Methods: An online questionnaire was developed based on a review of current literature. The questionnaire contained 33 variables, including questions on demographics, type of SM used and the frequency and management of SM for professional purposes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Version 26.0). Subgroup analysis was performed for sex, age groups (<60 years vs. 60 years) and type of workplace (practice vs. hospital). Differences between groups were assessed with a chi-square test for categorical data.

Results and conclusion: A total of 208 participants answered the questionnaire (79.8% male), of which 70.2% were aged less than 60 years and 77.4% worked in a practice. All participants stated that they use SM for private and professional purposes. On average, participants used 2.6 SM platforms for private and 1.6 for professional purposes. More than half had separate SM accounts for private and professional usage. The SM platforms used most frequently for professional purposes were messenger apps (59.9%), employment orientated SM (30.0%) and YouTube (27.0%). All other media including Facebook and Instagram were only used by a minority of the participants. Females and younger participants were more likely to use Instagram (P=<.001 and P =.027, respectively). Participants working in a hospital were more likely to use employment-oriented SM (P =.022) and messenger apps (P=.009), than participants working in a practice. Only 20.2% of the participants produced their own content on SM, 24.9% used SM for professional reasons daily, 39.9% used SM during work, and 13.8% stated that they checked the number of followers they had. Younger participants were more likely to participate in SM training and to have separate private and professional accounts (P=.042 and P=.023, respectively). Younger participants tended towards higher production of own content (P=.055). Younger participants and participants working in a hospital were more likely to use SM during working hours (P=.049 and P=.05, respectively).

Concludingly, SM for professional purposes is commonly used by orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Germany. However, it seems that professional SM use is not exploited to its full potential and a structured implementation into daily professional work routines is still lacking. SM can have a profound impact on medical practices and communication, so that orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Germany should consider increasing their SM presence by actively contributing on SM.