Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Dermatology
Date Submitted: Oct 7, 2020
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 7, 2020 - Dec 2, 2020
Date Accepted: Jan 31, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 26, 2023
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Risks and Benefits of Using Social Media in Dermatology: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Dermatological information on social media (SM) is often presented by non-dermatologists. Increasing online engagement by trained dermatologists may improve information quality, patient education and care.
Objective:
To assess dermatologists’ perceptions of SM and patterns of use to identify barriers limiting engagement.
Methods:
In our cohort study, a 36-item online survey was distributed to dermatologists in the United States; responses were captured on a 1-100 sliding scale.
Results:
128 valid responses were submitted. Dermatologists showed greater concern for SM risk-related issues than potential benefits (mean score 77.9±15.1 vs. 61.8±16.4, p<.0001). Leading concerns were poor patient care, non-evidence-based information, and breaching patient privacy. Benefits included inter-physician collaboration, patient education, and public health awareness. The most avid SM users were Millennials, and along with Baby Boomers, were more optimistic than Generation X dermatologists about SM use benefits. Predictors showing intent to increase future SM use were younger age, integration into professional use, and optimistic view (r2=.39, p<.0001).
Conclusions:
Dermatologists perceive SM's risks to be considerable, but still intend to increase its use, likely recognizing the value and importance of SM to the field.
Citation
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Copyright
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