Premium
Social media use in German visceral surgeons: a cross‐sectional study of a national cohort
Author(s) -
Boßelmann C. M.,
Griffiths B.,
Gallagher H. J.,
Matzel K. E.,
Brady R. R. W.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
colorectal disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.029
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1463-1318
pISSN - 1462-8910
DOI - 10.1111/codi.13839
Subject(s) - social media , medicine , german , cohort , cross sectional study , statutory law , microblogging , family medicine , pathology , archaeology , political science , law , history
Abstract Aim Engagement in social media is increasing. Medical professionals have been adapting LinkedIn, a professional networking site, and Twitter, a microblogging service, for a number of uses. This development has been described for a number of medical specialties, but there remains a paucity of European data. A study was undertaken to measure the engagement and activity of German visceral surgeons on social media platforms. Method Visceral surgeons were identified from 15 regional Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen) opt‐in registers. A manual search was subsequently performed across key professional social media platforms. The presence of a profile and key markers of use were recorded. Results In total, 575 visceral surgeons were identified. 523 (93%) were men. 183 (31%) surgeons engaged in professional social media. 22 (3.8%) used Twitter, producing a mean of 16.43 tweets with a mean of 7.57 followers. 137 (24%) surgeons had a profile on LinkedIn with a mean of 46.36 connections. Female surgeons were less connected on LinkedIn ( P < 0.005). 60 (10%) used Xing, with a mean of 27.95 connections. There were no significant differences in use of social media between surgeons from Eastern and Western Germany ( P = 0.262) or male and female surgeons ( P = 0.399). Conclusions German visceral surgeons are less engaged and less active on social media than previously examined cohorts. Loco‐regional, cultural, demographic and regulatory matters may have a significant influence on uptake. If this surgical cohort wishes to have a wider international presence then education on the potential benefits of these tools may be needed.