The Content of US Plastic Surgery Private Practices' Websites

Abstract

Introduction Connecting patients with healthcare providers continues to grow as the digital era evolves. A successful website has the power to influence patients on choosing a practice and provider. The objectives of this study were to characterize information provided on private practice websites of plastics surgeons in the United States and to assess the relationship among the websites based on the number of years that the physicians have been in practice. Methods Newly board-certified plastic surgeons by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2005, 2010, and 2015 were identified. A Google search was conducted on all participants, and only those in private practice were included in this study. Each webpage was quantitatively and qualitatively assessed for the presence or absence of 23 criteria that were categorized as practice, physician, patient, or procedure information. χ2 was used for statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel (PSPP 1.2.0). A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Most plastic surgeons in each cohort were currently in private practice. A total of 532 plastic surgery private practice websites were analyzed. The data points found on 100% of the websites were directions to the facility and the contact for any billing questions. Most websites provided information on the practice and its surgeons. The most common web-based data points included online consultations and links to their social media. Information on expenses incurred by patients, such as cancellation policies and consultation fees, was least commonly listed. Conclusions Our study shows that the number of years in practice is not associated with comprehensiveness of their website's content. This study provides insight into the content of plastic surgery private practices' websites in the United States in relation to the practice, the physician, the patient, and the procedures. This information may be useful for expanding and optimizing their websites. This has the potential to increase patient satisfaction and visibility of the practice. The success of these businesses is vital as the private sector in plastic surgery continues to grow.

Internet and social media preferences of orthopaedic patients vary according to factors such as age and education levels

“…In addition, optimizing the information on physicians' websites has the potential to increase patient satisfaction and the visibility of the practice. The coverage and reliability of the sites must be high for the success of the business, especially among private-sector physicians (Ananthasekar et al, 2021). Furthermore, we assume that YouTube's separation from other platforms with its features of being more rooted and providing more precise information with video affects the results (Kaval et al, 2022).…”

Interacting With Dermatology Patients Online: Private Practice vs Academic Institute Website Content

“…Criteria for publicity included links on the website to local television news, national news, newspapers, and/ or magazines. [5][6][7][8] Ease of site access was determined if the website was the first search result found on Google when searching for each website. Nondermatology professionals included listing of mid-level providers or researchers.…”

“…One other individual (J.P.) independently cross-examined the data for consistency and evaluated for any discrepancies. 8 A raw analysis was done between each cohort. Another analysis was done that controlled for population density and the proportionate population age in each city 9 in which an academic institution/private practice was located.…”

“…16 Facebook and Instagram were listed more often on private practice sites when compared with academic institution sites, which was similar to a recent study analyzing the websites of plastic surgery private practices (N=310) in which 90% of private practices included some type of social media, with Instagram and Facebook being the most used. 8 accounts can act as convenient platforms for marketing, providing patient education, and generating referrals, which suggests that the prominence of their usage in private practice poses benefits in patient decision-making when seeking care. [17][18][19] A study analyzing the impact of Facebook in medicine concluded that a Facebook page can serve as an effective vehicle for medical education, particularly in younger generations that favor technologyoriented teaching methods.…”

Assessing the Quality, Reliability, and Readability of Online Information on Dry Eye Disease

“…13 There have been several studies that have assessed the quality, reliability, and readability of online information in many fields including plastic surgery, neurosurgery, and ophthalmology. 12,[14][15][16][17] However, there has yet to be an investigation of the online information relating to dry eye disease (DED). DED is a complex, multifactorial disease with many possible etiologies which affects approximately 14% of adults in the United States and is one of the most common reasons that patients seek eye care.…”