Leveraging social media and digital technology to market and meet the needs of neurosurgery patients

Neal, Matthew T.; Lyons, Mark

doi:10.25259/sni_8_2021

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Although it is likely that well-established neurosurgery departments garner increased prestige among patients and can allocate more resources toward improving patient experiences, it is evident that they also increasingly engage in patient outreach through social media and other digital technologies. 30 Moreover, such centers are tertiary referral centers, which attract patients for second opinions and specialized care not available in the community. Alongside perceived prestige, larger patient volumes, and larger faculty, increased utilization of social media and online outreach by highly ranked programs may explain the association of external rankings with online patient reviews.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation between social media utilization by academic neurosurgery departments and higher online patient ratings

Lamano

Riestenberg

Haskell-Mendoza

et al. 2022

Journal of Neurosurgery

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OBJECTIVE Patients increasingly utilize online physician review websites (PRWs) and social media to inform healthcare-related decisions. This provides neurosurgeons with opportunities for increased patient engagement. And despite the growing use of social media among neurosurgeons, the relationship between social media utilization and online reviews remains unknown. The goal of this study was to characterize the relationship between social media utilization and PRW ratings across academic neurosurgery departments. METHODS Social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram) of academic neurosurgery departments were identified. Online reviews for individual faculty were obtained from Healthgrades, Vitals, WebMD, and Google. Reviews were aggregated to identify the total number of reviews per department, to generate a composite departmental rating, and to calculate a summed departmental score. US News & World Report (USNWR) and Doximity rankings were recorded for each department. Social media utilization by individual neurosurgeons and associated ratings were investigated within the departments with the highest social media utilization. RESULTS Seventy-eight percent of academic neurosurgery departments utilized social media. The most prevalent platform was YouTube (49.1%), followed by Twitter (46.5%), Facebook (38.6%), and Instagram (16.7%). Higher patient ratings on PRWs were associated with the utilization of YouTube (p = 0.048) or Twitter (p = 0.02). The number of social media platforms utilized demonstrated a significant, positive correlation with patient ratings (p = 0.006) and summed patient ratings (p = 0.048). Although USNWR (p = 0.02) and Doximity (p = 0.0008) rankings correlated with patient ratings, only the number of social media platforms utilized remained a significant predictor of patient ratings on multivariate analysis (p = 0.0001). Thirty-one percent of academic neurosurgeons from departments with high social media utilization were active on social media. The most prevalent social media platform among individual neurosurgeons was Twitter (27.4%), followed by Instagram (8.4%), Facebook (4.9%), and YouTube (2.2%). Higher summed patient scores were associated with individual neurosurgeon utilization of YouTube (p = 0.04), Facebook (p < 0.0001), and Instagram (p = 0.01). Increased social media utilization among neurosurgeons was correlated with a greater number of patient reviews (p = 0.006) and higher summed patient scores (p = 0.003). On multivariate analysis, only Facebook use remained a significant predictor of the number of patient reviews received (p = 0.002) and summed patient satisfaction scores (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS An increased social media presence is associated with higher ratings on PRWs. As neurosurgeons continue to expand their online presence, they should be aware of the possible impact of social media on online patient reviews.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation between social media utilization by academic neurosurgery departments and higher online patient ratings

Lamano

Riestenberg

Haskell-Mendoza

et al. 2022

Journal of Neurosurgery

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“…For example, there is a risk that social networks could be used to spread disinformation or recommend unproven treatment methods. Additionally, social networks can be a source of distraction and could potentially detract from the quality of patient care if used improperly ( 12 , 13 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of social networks in neurosurgery training in low/middle income countries

Encarnacion Ramirez,

Mukengeshay,

Chumtin

et al. 2024

Front. Surg.

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IntroductionNeurosurgery is evolving with new techniques and technologies, relies heavily on high-quality education and training. Social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn have become integral to this training. These platforms enable sharing of surgical experiences, fostering global knowledge-sharing and collaboration among neurosurgeons. Virtual conferences and courses are accessible, enhancing learning regardless of location. While these networks offer real-time communication and collaborative opportunities, they also pose challenges like the spread of misinformation and potential distractions. According to the PICO format, the target population (P) for the purpose of this paper are medical students, neurosurgical residents and consultants on the role of social media (I) in neurosurgery among Low-Middle income countries (C) with the main outcome to understand the collaborative domain of learning.Material and methodThis cross-sectional survey, conducted in June-July 2023, involved 210 medical students, neurosurgery residents, fellows, and practicing neurosurgeons from low and middle-income countries. A structured questionnaire assessed social network usage for neurosurgery training, covering demographic details, usage frequency, and purposes like education, collaboration, and communication. Participants rated these platforms' effectiveness in training on a 1–5 scale. Data collection employed emails, social media groups, and direct messaging, assuring respondent anonymity. The survey aimed to understand and improve social networks' use in neurosurgery, focusing on professional development, challenges, and future potential in training.ResultsIn a survey of 210 participants from low and middle-income countries, 85.5% were male, 14.5% female, with diverse roles: 42.9% neurosurgery residents, 40% practicing neurosurgeons, 14.6% medical students, and 2.4% other healthcare professionals. Experience ranged from 0 to 35 years, with Mexico, Nigeria, and Kenya being the top participating countries. Most respondents rated neurosurgery training resources in their countries as poor or very poor. 88.7% used social media professionally, predominantly WhatsApp and YouTube. Content focused on surgical videos, research papers, and webinars. Concerns included information quality and data privacy. Interactive case discussions, webinars, and lectures were preferred resources, and most see a future role for social media in neurosurgery training.ConclusionsOur study underscores the crucial role of social media in neurosurgery training and practice in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Key resources include surgical videos, research papers, and webinars. While social media offers a cost-effective, global knowledge-sharing platform, challenges like limited internet access, digital literacy, and misinformation risks remain significant in these regions.

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Enhancing healthcare services and brand engagement through social media marketing: Integration of Kotler's 5A framework with IDEA process

Hung

Wu²,

Chen

et al. 2023

Information Processing & Management

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Leveraging social media and digital technology to market and meet the needs of neurosurgery patients

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

Correlation between social media utilization by academic neurosurgery departments and higher online patient ratings

Correlation between social media utilization by academic neurosurgery departments and higher online patient ratings

The importance of social networks in neurosurgery training in low/middle income countries

Enhancing healthcare services and brand engagement through social media marketing: Integration of Kotler's 5A framework with IDEA process

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