Social Media Presence Correlated with Improved Online Review Scores for Spine Surgeons

Donnally, Chester J.; McCormick, Johnathon R.; Pastore, Mark; Sama, Andrew J.; Schiller, Nicholas C.; Li, Deborah J.; Bondar, Kevin; Shenoy, Karthik; Spielman, Amanda; Kepler, Christopher K.; Vaccaro, Alexander R.

doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2020.04.045

Cited by 29 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…These findings expand upon previous studies which demonstrate the power of SM to influence PRWs among spine and joint replacement surgeons. 13,15,16,21 These results present SM as a tool for physicians to help shape his/her online image, which may prove to be an influential factor in the acquisition of new patients. The potential influence of the online physician review was demonstrated in a study which examined the effects of a single positive review posted to a social media website, on a clinic's cosmetic surgery volume.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…In previous studies, orthopaedic surgeons and physicians of other specialties practicing in academic settings were shown to have higher PRW patient satisfaction scores compared to those in private practice. 8,16 Physician's employed by academic institutions may benefit from the marketing efforts of their university hospital systems, which in turn could enhance their online presence. Further investigation could be done here.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14 Recent studies have shown that a SM presence was correlated with more comments and ratings on PRWs and that accessible SM accounts are associated with higher ratings on PRWs. 15,16 Another study revealed that over 50% of orthopaedic patients utilize SM, concluding that those who do use SM are more likely to be younger in age, research their condition before arriving for their appointment, and travel a greater than average distance to see a physician. 9 When compared to other orthopaedic subspecialties, sports medicine patients were found to have the highest SM usage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of social media presence, age, and patient reported wait times on physician review websites for sports medicine surgeons

Sama

Schiller

et al. 2021

Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma

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Background: When choosing physicians, patients often review options online via physician review websites, which may influence decisions on providers. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of social media usage, age, and patient reported wait times on online ratings for three popular review websites. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine database was used to extract demographic information for all listed sports medicine surgeons in Florida. Overall ratings, number of ratings and comments, and patient reported wait-times were recorded from three leading review websites (Healthgrades.com, Vitals.com, Google.com). Professionally focused SM accounts were searched for each physician on Facebook.com, Twitter.com, Instagram, and LinkedIn.com. Results: 102 orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons were included. At least one form of social media was used by 62.4% of our cohort. Those with social media had higher overall online physician ratings out of 5.00 across all review websites (Google:4.65vs4.44, p ¼ 0.05; Healthgrades:4.41vs4.15, p ¼ 0.03; Vitals:4.43vs4.14, p ¼ 0.01). In bivariate analysis, older age was associated with lower ratings on Health Grades (Absolute difference (AD) À0.26, p < 0.0001), and social media was linked to higher ratings (Google: AD 0.21, p ¼ 0.05; Healthgrades: AD 0.26, p ¼ 0.03; Vitals: AD 0.29, p ¼ 0.008). Longer wait times were associated with lower ratings in a dose-dependent manner in both bivariate and multivariable analysis. Conclusions: Social media use among sports medicine surgeons correlated with higher overall physician ratings. Potentially, younger surgeons increase social media use because of a heightened concern for online image, whereas older surgeons may have less value in using online platforms to capitalize on an online presence. Older age and increased patient reported wait times in office had a negative correlation with online reviews, which highlights that factors beyond the surgeon's skill sets can influence overall ratings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of social media presence, age, and patient reported wait times on physician review websites for sports medicine surgeons

Sama

Schiller

et al. 2021

Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma

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“…[3][4][5] It has been shown that a professional SM account can increase the number of ratings and comments on PRWs for orthopaedic surgeons in other subspecialties. 6,7 SM provides a means to disseminate medical information and market oneself to potential patients through a personally tailored online image. Haeberle et al reported on the conflicting SM patterns in hip arthroscopy, as patients primarily use Instagram to share their rehabilitation experiences and physicians use Twitter for educational discussions with other providers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Media in Hip Arthroscopy Is an Underused Resource That Enhances Physician Online Reputation

Hodakowski¹,

McCormick

Patel

et al. 2022

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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Purpose:To analyze the impact of professional social media (SM) presence, activity level, and physician practiceespecific variables on online ratings and rating frequency for hip arthroscopists across 3 leading physician review websites (PRWs). Methods: The Arthroscopy Association of North America and American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine directories were queried to identify practicing hip arthroscopists. Physicians included were residency-trained surgeons practicing within the United States. Surgeon ratings, comments, and reviews were compiled from 3 PRWs (Google, Healthgrades, Vitals). Google searches assessed for professional Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts and demographic information. Surgeons were considered active if they posted the month before data collection. Logistical regression and a univariate model analyzed effects of demographic factors and other variables on SM use and PRW statistics. Results: In total, 555 surgeons met inclusion criteria (93.2% male, 6.8% female); 41% had a professional SM account (27.4% Facebook, 24.3% Twitter, 12.1% Instagram). Few surgeons with SM actively posted (30.5% Facebook, 43.7% Twitter, 37.3% Instagram). Surgeons with any SM had significantly greater number of ratings on all review websites (P < .001). Linear regression revealed academic physicians had lower number of ratings (P ¼ .002) and average ratings (P < .001). Instagram users had an average 12.4 more ratings. Surgeons more likely to use SM resided in greater population cities (990 vs 490 [per 1,000]) with higher surgeon density (3.3 vs 2.2). Conclusions: Most hip arthroscopists have no professional SM, and fewer frequently post content. SM presence significantly increases the number of ratings on PRWs but does not affect overall rating. Surgeons using SM practice in more populous cities with more competition. Academic surgeons had fewer ratings and lower average ratings. A professional Instagram account can increase the number of online ratings. Clinical Relevance: Understanding how SM presence affects an orthopaedic surgeon's practice may provide information on how surgeons best connect with patients.A s the world becomes more reliant on technology and data, patients are increasingly turning to the internet as their primary source of information when selecting a physician. Social media (SM) and physician review websites (PRWs) enable patients to educate themselves before making an appointment with a provider. In a 2020 survey, 71% of patients used online reviews as the first step in finding a doctor, and 43% of patients commented that they would go out of their insurance network for a doctor with more favorable reviews. The same survey reported that use of PRWs increased from 25% in 2013 to 90% in 2020. 1 Surprisingly, when choosing a doctor, patients reported that they hold user comments and ratings in greater

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“…For orthopaedic surgery departments and practices, social media has become a valuable method of advertising services and recruiting patients 2 . Social media presence is associated with easier accessibility through Google searches and higher provider ratings 3 , 4 . In 2014, approximately 50% of orthopaedic patients used social media, with younger patients up to 50× more likely to have accounts 5 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Social Media Presence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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Background:In light of away rotation and in-person interview cancellations for the 2020 to 2021 application cycle, social media has become a popular tool for orthopaedic surgery residency programs to highlight their strengths, curricula, and social life to prospective applicants. The authors sought to explore the proliferation and utilization of 3 popular social media platforms by both orthopaedic surgery departments and residencies.Methods:Orthopaedic surgery departmental and residency program social media accounts and their creation dates across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were identified using a standardized search methodology. Residency Instagram accounts were further evaluated for the number of posts, followers, likes, and comments. Both departments and residency programs were cohorted by affiliation with a US News &World Report (USNWR) top 50 American hospital for orthopaedics or by status as a Doximity top 20 program based on reputation.Results:Across a total of 192 residency programs included for analysis, Instagram was the most popular social media platform (61.5%), followed by Twitter (19.8%) and Facebook (10.4%). Conversely, orthopaedic departments more frequently used Facebook (33.9%) and Twitter (28.1%) over Instagram (17.2%). Of the 118 residency Instagram accounts, 102 (86.4%) were created after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger residency programs (≥6 spots/year) and those programs in the Doximity top 20 or affiliated with USNWR top 50 orthopaedic hospitals had a greater number of followers as well as likes and comments per post (p < 0.05 for all).Conclusions:Given the recruitment challenges faced by residency programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram has rapidly become a prominent platform for attracting orthopaedic surgery applicants. These accounts have a large number of followers, particularly for residency programs with higher Doximity reputation rankings.

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Social Media Presence Correlated with Improved Online Review Scores for Spine Surgeons

Cited by 29 publications

References 10 publications

The impact of social media presence, age, and patient reported wait times on physician review websites for sports medicine surgeons

The impact of social media presence, age, and patient reported wait times on physician review websites for sports medicine surgeons

Social Media in Hip Arthroscopy Is an Underused Resource That Enhances Physician Online Reputation

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Social Media Presence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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