Twitter Me This-Can Social Media Revolutionize Academic Medicine?

Analysis of Social Media Posts That Promote Women Surgeons

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to analyze the content, interaction, and use of posts related to women surgeons on Instagram and Twitter, with specific analysis of female orthopedic surgeon related content.

DESIGN

A retrospective search of Instagram and Twitter from March 14, 2022, to June 16, 2022 was conducted using the hashtags, #womeninortho, #womeninorthopedics, #ilooklikeasurgeon, #womensurgeons, and #womeninsurgery. Additional searches were performed on Twitter that consisted of #orthotwitter in combination with #ilooklikeasurgeon, #womensurgeons, and #womeninsurgery. Once identified, posts were analyzed for the hashtag used, number of likes, number of comments, number of retweets (Twitter only), source type, type of post, and medical specialty. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Over the 3-month period, a total of 3248 posts were identified that included 1669 Instagram (50.5%) and 1639 Twitter (49.6%) posts. The majority of overall posts and Instagram posts were made by general (32.3%, 28.9%), plastic (12.7%, 22.1%), and orthopedic surgeons (8.3%, 7.8%). On Twitter, general surgeons tweeted the most (35.6%), followed by orthopaedic surgeons (8.8%). Instagram had a greater mean number of and comments per post than Twitter. For orthopedic hashtags, #womeninortho was used more than #womeninorthopedics (78.0% vs. 22.0%, p < 0.001). On #orthotwitter, #ilooklikeasurgeon was used more than #womeninsurgery and #womensurgeons (75.0% vs. 23.6% vs. 1.4%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that both Instagram and Twitter are regularly used to promote women surgeons. Instagram is the preferred platform of physicians for promoting women surgeons via personal and outcome-based content, while Twitter is used more by students and primarily includes outcome-based posts. Female orthopedic surgeons should continue to use the preferred hashtag, #womeninortho, to maximize the reach of this content. By promoting women surgeons on social media, practicing surgeons can converse, collaborate, and provide mentorship to the next generation of surgeons.

Across the Twitter-verse: Is Twitter an equitable tool in academic medicine? A scoping review

The goal of this study was to investigate what is known about the demographic characteristics of Twitter influencers in academic medicine. We conducted a literature search and scoping review exploring the demographic characteristics of Twitter influencers in academic medicine. Included studies evaluated Twitter influence by any metric and reported associated demographic characteristics. There were no date or language restrictions. Data points included metrics of influence, demographics, and study characteristics. From 1656 records, thirteen met inclusion criteria. Influence was variably defined based on followers, measures of centrality, measures of engagement, or through third-party software. Studies were conducted at single time points and relied heavily on facial recognition for classification of sex or gender, with no studies exploring race as a variable of interest. Twitter influencers in academic medicine were found to be disproportionately male: significantly fewer influencers were female at all levels of professional status. Two studies identified more female influencers among trainee populations. Female users were less likely to develop influence based on followers, retweets, likes, or other measures of engagement at academic meetings, despite equal or greater representation at these meetings. Results on associations between Twitter influence and number of publications or h-index varied considerably. No included studies explored race or ethnicity in relation to Twitter influence, which presents a significant gap in the literature. Our findings highlight the need for larger, user-engaged studies of inequities related to social media influence in academic medicine, especially as social media is increasingly incorporated into academic portfolios.

Cleft Lip and Palate Research in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Scientometric Analysis

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) comprise over 90% of the world’s congenital anomalies and cause significant disability worldwide, while disproportionally burdening low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Research can help inform strategies that reduce disparities in accessing CLP care. We performed a scientometric analysis of CLP research in LMICs to identify influential contributors and themes.

Healthcare worker's perspectives on use of memes as an implementation strategy in infection prevention: An exploratory descriptive analysis

New implementation strategies, such as social media platforms, are being used to help disseminate and implement evidence-based practices. This project reports on an Infection Prevention Week Meme Contest and describes healthcare worker's perspectives on using memes as an implementation strategy to improve knowledge and compliance with evidence-based infection prevention practices.

Social Media in Surgery

Social media has become a permeating form of communication with billions of daily users. Twitter in particular has become a tool for the surgical community to engage with other providers, as well as patients, through active online discussions, sharing of research, and highlighting opportunities for community outreach. Twitter can help with personal branding, mentorship, and international collaboration on multiple types of academic endeavors. Likewise, institutional and residency programs can harness the power of social media to develop an online presence and aid in resident recruitment.

Global Impact of Social Media on Women in Surgery

The professional use of social media is increasingly prevalent today, particularly in medicine and surgery. Several recent movements have highlighted the strengths of this forum for networking and mentorship for females in surgery who otherwise may lack mentors locally. We sought to describe modern uses for and strengths of social media for women in surgery globally via a systematic review of the literature. Multiple efforts and avenues have promoted gender equality in surgery, while also uniting female surgeons in a collaborative virtual network of colleagues. In particular, movements on Twitter, such as #ILookLikeASurgeon and #NYerORCoverChallenge, as well as other collaborative virtual fora have brought visibility to female surgeons, while drawing the young population of students and trainees toward surgical careers. Social media provides a unique opportunity for female trainees and established surgeons alike to network and establish mentorship relationships, which may aid in fostering interest in surgery and closing the gender gap in our field.

Digital Medicine in Rheumatology: Challenges and Opportunities

The exponential growth in technology has had a significant effect on the practice of medicine and will likely transform the practice of medicine. In this article, the authors review select technologies that are already influencing the practice of rheumatology. Social media Websites such as Twitter are now important sources of information and discussion for health care professionals interested in rheumatology. Virtual reality is an innovative technology with great potential for acute and chronic pain management. The authors also review several low-cost technology alternatives to commonly used tools used in rheumatology.

Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship

Social media, prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) each impact every area of medicine. Independently, each have power to change medicine, however, synergistically, the impact could be transformative. Given the profound clinical, financial, and public health impact of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship combined with the incomplete uptake of best practices, multimodal strategies employing social media are critical to increase the speed and reach of research. This review discusses the strategic utilization of online communication platforms to increase the dissemination of critical publications.