Australasian Colorectal Surgeons in the Modern Era: The Rise of Social Media

Abstract

Background: Social media encompasses multiple forms of electronic communication where users create online communities to share ideas, information and other content. Social media use has grown rapidly, becoming important in surgical practice by providing opportunities for medical education and interaction with patients and colleagues. No study to date has looked at the uptake and prevalence of social media use amongst colorectal surgeons in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). Aim: To assess the use of websites and social media by all practicing colorectal surgeons in Australia and NZ. Methodology: All members of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and NZ (CSSANZ) were identified. Comprehensive searches of websites and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and ResearchGate) were undertaken to record the presence of a private website or social media account. Factors that were examined included the sex of the surgeon, years in practice and geographical location of the surgeon. Results: There were 230 practicing colorectal surgeons in Australia and NZ as of December 2017. 80% of surgeons had a private website, of which 20% were 'single surgeon' websites. 68% of surgeons had at least one type of social media account. The most widely-used social media platform was LinkedIn (55% of surgeons). 25% of surgeons had a Facebook account and 31% had a Research Gate profile. Nine percent of surgeons were on Twitter whilst less than 2% were on YouTube. There was no difference between the sexes in use of websites or uptake of social media. NZ surgeons were more engaged with LinkedIn than their Australian peers. Younger surgeons were more likely to use social media. Conclusion: Colorectal surgeons in Australia and NZ are users of multiple social media platforms and have a strong online presence. There is potential for further uptake of social media which could enhance surgeon-patient and surgeon-surgeon interaction and education.

Analysis of social media use among Australian and New Zealand otolaryngologists

“…79.1% of ANZ otolaryngologists had some form of online presence – either a professional website or activity on at least one social media platform. Our calculated mean number of social media accounts was 1.35 per surgeon, which was comparable with other surgical specialties …”

“…Our study findings suggest that the majority of ANZ otolaryngologists actively engage in social media, with 66% active on one or more social media accounts. This rate is comparable to ANZ colorectal surgeons (68%), urologists (70%), and the Australian medical community in general (74%) . 79.1% of ANZ otolaryngologists had some form of online presence – either a professional website or activity on at least one social media platform.…”

“…who showed that Canadian OHNS residents and surgeons <39 years of age were more likely to engage with social media, as well as Radojcic et al . who reported that ANZ colorectal surgeons who had been practicing for 10–19 years were most active on social media portals . There are two possible reasons for this.…”

“…Every surgical speciality is active to some degree on social media platforms; however, few have been extensively investigated . Many of the most influential OHNS journals have adopted social media with a strong Facebook and/or Twitter presence, in an attempt to increase readership and exposure.…”

Social media in interventional radiology

“…Radiology conferences and journals have described a rapid increase in the uptake of social media, with some academic radiology departments using social media as a platform for radiology education 8–11 . An increasing use of social media amongst surgical disciplines both nationally and internationally has been reported; however, similar research examining the use of social media amongst Australian IRs has not previously been published 12–14 . This study aims to examine the online and social media presence of currently practicing Australian IRs, including Interventional Neuroradiologists (INRs).…”