Objective:

To survey neurologists who use Twitter professionally on their behavior, practice patterns, and concerns using this medium.

Background:

Medical professionals’ use of social media, particularly Twitter, has steadily increased.  To date, there is scarce data about the utilization, opportunities, and needs of neurologists using Twitter.

Design/Methods:

Students, trainees, and attending neurologists with Twitter accounts were recruited between March and June 2022, completing a survey after providing informed consent. The survey assessed demographics and viewpoints using yes/no and open-ended questions.

Results:

 One hundred and eighteen participants completed the survey: 40 attendings (34%), 31 residents (26%), 30 medical students (25%), and 12 fellows (10%). The mean age was 34 years (range 20 to 60). Twitter users had an average of 483 followers (range of 0 to 3,206) and 547 accounts they followed (range of 7 to 4,041). Twitter activity varied as 22 participants tweeted daily (19%), 49 weekly (42%), and 24 monthly (20%). Twitter was felt to be the most optimal social media platform for neurologists (n=91, 77%) and 97 individuals (88%) believed that there should be more widespread utilization of Twitter in neurology. Twitter was used to learn neurology to incorporate into clinical practice (n=84, 71%) and to network with other neurologists (n=104, 88%). Participants felt it was inappropriate to provide medical advice over Twitter (n=101, 86%). One hundred and three participants (87%) agreed that tweets with images and interactive content are more engaging and 100 participants (85%) agreed that Twitter is an effective way to highlight trainee success. One hundred and twelve participants (95%) felt that they could use their Twitter accounts more effectively.

Conclusions:

Younger neurologists in particular are using Twitter to learn neurology and network. More resources are needed to help neurologists use their Twitter accounts more effectively.