Use of social networks by general surgeons. Results of the national survey of the Spanish Association of Surgeons

• Published in: Cirugia española (English ed.) Vol. 97; no. 1; pp. 11 - 19
• Main Authors: Morandeira Rivas, Antonio, Riquelme Gaona, Jerónimo, Álvarez Gallego, Mario, Targarona Soler, Eduard María, Moreno Sanz, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: 01.01.2019
• ISSN: 2173-5077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ciresp.2018.07.001

INTRODUCTIONThe use and utility of social media (SM) among Spanish general surgeons is unknown. METHODSBetween October and December 2017 an online survey was carried out to the members of the Spanish Association of Surgeons, in which data on the profile of use and opinion on the usefulness of SM were collected. RESULTS360 valid responses were obtained, 310 from surgeons who had an active SM profile. The most popular networks were: Facebook (86%), LinkedIn (61,6%), YouTube (60,6%) and Twitter (54,2%). LinkedIn and Twitter stood out as the most used SM for professional purposes. Surgeons with a SM profile were younger (42.4±11 years versus 51.6±8 years; P<.001). Gender did not show influence on presence in SM. The majority of respondents have profiles in more than one network (3.6±1 accounts) and 73.5% reported daily access to them; 19.7% of the surgery departments to which the respondents belong have a SM account. Among SM utilities in the professional field, training activities (87%) and connectivity among professionals (84%) were the most outstanding; 14.1% of respondents use SM to interact with patients. CONCLUSIONSSM is useful as a tool for the acquisition, updating and dissemination of scientific knowledge, also proving valuable as a new form of interaction among surgeons. Other issues such as privacy or surgeon-patient relationship represent a barrier to its use.