gms | German Medical Science

Objectives: Recently social media (SM) has been recognized as means of communication in the healthcare sector, for both patients and physicians. Data on the purpose of professional SM use among physicians, and the barriers for a widespread implementation are however pending. The aim of this study was, to assess the purposes for the professional SM use, as well as the perceived benefits and challenges in their implementation among orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Germany.

Methods: An online questionnaire was developed based on a review of current literature. The questionnaire included questions on the purposes of SM use (education, sharing of information, acquisition of patients etc.) as well as the perceived benefits and challenges. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Version 26.0). Subgroup analysis was performed for sex (male vs. female), age (< 60 years vs.>60 years) and type of workplace (practice vs. hospital). Differences were assessed with a chi-square test for categorical data. Likert-Scales were compared using a Mann-Whitney-U-Test and a median test for independent samples.

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. In total, 53.1% disagreed or strongly disagreed, that SM could help to enhance their communication with patients. In contrast, 42.7% stated that SM could help them to keep up-to-date, and 40.1% that SM could help increase their professional visibility.In total 65.5% of patients agreed or strongly agreed that SM use is time consuming, 43.9% that they lack knowledge on the professional implementation of SM and 45.1% that they do not know what content interests patients. In addition to that, 52.9% state that they are insecure about medicolegal regulations concerning professional SM use. Older participants were more likely to lack knowledge on professional SM use (p=.006). No other differences were found among the subgroups. Concludingly, the perceived challenges of professional SM implementation are high among orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Germany. In addition to that, the potential benefits are not universally acknowledged. By revealing these positions towards professional SM use, the fears, worries and perceptions of can be addressed more specifically in future.