Trends in Social Media Usage among Orthopaedists

In a study by JBJS conducted with orthopaedic surgeons in December 2013, 19% report using Facebook for professional purposes, and 39% report using LinkedIn. Only 8% report using Twitter regularly for professional purposes, and there is no consensus on a single, dominant Twitter feed being followed.

When asked how social media will affect orthopaedic care, surgeons responded with a mixed bag of concerns regarding privacy issues, credibility, and direct-to-consumer marketing. However, 21% predicted that social media will have a positive impact on orthopaedic care, primarily for the patient. As one orthopaedic surgeon put it, “[social media] will be the place patients go for reviews of physicians, or to share info.”

According to Howard J. Luks, MD, it is important to have an online presence to help patients learn more about your practice, your qualifications, and find relevant videos. Beyond mainstream sites like LinkedIn, his recommendations for increasing your online presence include sites such as Doximity, HealthGrades, Vitals, ZocDoc, Yelp, and Google Places for Business.

For more detail on the JBJS technology usage study, watch for information about our upcoming webinar.