We Don’t Talk About Twitter: The Nuts and Bolts of Social Media for Neurologists
Justin Rosati1, Kathryn Xixis2, Jaclyn Martindale3, Nancy Bass4, Jessica Goldstein5
1Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 2Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, 3Department of Neurology, Wake Forest Medical Center, 4Division of Child Neurology, Children's Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, 5Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine
Objective:
Healthcare professionals use social media (SoMe) for career development, clinical and research outreach, and medical education. With the recent growth of the medical Twitter community, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how child neurologists are using SoMe.
Background:
Over the past several years, social media use has become increasingly more prevalent among healthcare professionals. As the number of platforms and users grow, medical professionals have learned the value social media can have in education, research, advocacy, and clinical care initiatives. Use of these platforms can provide opportunities to network, build collaborations, and develop a reputation.
Design/Methods:
From April through July 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of neurologists on personal and professional SoMe use. Information on demographics, baseline personal and professional use of SoMe, and preferred platforms for professional use across several domains was collected. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results:
Of 360 respondents,there were 238 neurologists (39% trainees, 26% junior faculty, 28% mid-late career faculty, and 8% non-academic). 83% (n=197) reported personal SoMe use while 69% (n=164) use it professionally. Networking/Collaboration (61%, n=100/164), Self-Directed Learning (55%, n=91/164), and building Brand/Reputation (39%, n=64/164) were the most common uses (Figure 1), while Twitter, Facebook, and Doximity were the most common platforms used (Figure 2). Interestingly, platform preferences varied depending on the reason for professional use. A majority (74%, n=176) do not document SoMe professional activities for promotion; however, 74% (n=177) were interested in learning how to leverage SoMe.
Conclusions:
SoMe is used professionally by a majority of neurologists, most commonly for networking, self-directed learning, and building individual brands. Opportunities exist to better understand platform preferences and ways to optimize their use for various professional activities as well as to provide education on effective professional use of SoMe including documentation for promotion.