Neurosurgery Residency Programs on Twitter (X): Current Use and Future Potential.

OBJECTIVE: Twitter (X) is increasingly utilized by medical residency programs to boost engagement and potentially enhance ranking. This study aims to evaluate the role of Twitter (X) in neurosurgery residency programs, assessing their online activity, followership, and content to identify current practices and potential improvements. METHODS: We identified 97/123 neurosurgery residency programs in the United States with Twitter accounts. Active accounts, posting in 2022 and 2023, were matched with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Neurosurgical Residency Training Program Directory. Tweets from January 2022 through June 2023 were categorized as original or retweets and further subcategorized based on content. Descriptive and correlation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Twitter (X) accounts were found for 78.8% of accredited neurosurgery programs (n = 97/123), with 68.3% active as of July 2023 (n = 84/123). All active accounts amassed 167,068 followers. Among 5612 tweets identified, 2764 were original content, and 2848 were retweets. Tweets primarily focused on resident or program information (64.3%), research publications (32.0%), and conference participation (9.4%). Only 12.3% (n = 341) of original tweets contained public medical information. A significant correlation (r = 0.493, P < 0.001) was observed between Twitter (X) following and program ranking. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of US neurosurgery residency programs actively use Twitter (X), primarily to showcase academic achievements and aid in recruitment. The correlation between Twitter following and program ranking suggests that online engagement reflects program visibility and impact, underscoring the importance of social media in program outreach and strategic management for maximizing program benefits.

Information Sharing in Neurosurgery Topics Among Pediatric Patients and Loved Ones Within the Reddit Community.

Introduction With crowd-sourced knowledge, patients arrive at their healthcare visits ready to play an active role. This exploratory study seeks to understand common concerns among patients and loved ones on Reddit, an anonymous internet forum. Ultimately, recognizing common concerns can aid providers in directing their conversations with patients. Methods Reddit posts in the "hot" tab of each subreddit were retroactively screened from September 1, 2022. Posts written within a five-year period were included. Posts by pediatric patients, loved ones, and pregnant patients experiencing the condition or whose fetus was diagnosed were included. Posts omitting the poster's age or individuals, outside of loved ones, who self-identified as over the age of 17 were excluded. Results A total of 12 subreddits and 286 posts were identified, with 37% of posts written by patients and 63% of posts written by a loved one. R/scoliosis patients (n=29) and r/epilepsy loved ones (n=28) sought the most health advice. The subreddit r/hydrocephalus comprised the most post-operative treatment symptom questions. The r/cerebralpalsy subreddit sought the most advice related to daily activities. Discussion Patients within r/scoliosis, r/hydrocephalus, and r/epilepsy are asking health-related questions. Hydrocephalus patients utilize anonymous internet responses to prepare for upcoming healthcare visits. Individuals in r/cerebralpalsy are utilizing Reddit as a method of communication; understanding how these patients interact with social media can guide software development tailored for online interactions. The anonymity of Reddit prevents us from understanding the diversity of posters. Conclusion Reddit is an avenue to disseminate correct information to pediatric patients and loved ones. Healthcare providers can use the information gathered to tailor their discussions better.

Showing Some Spine on Reddit: Neurosurgical Spinal Cord Conditions in Adults.

BACKGROUND: A crowdsourcing resource used by patients with spinal disease has yet to be thoroughly investigated: the Internet. One such platform is Reddit, a virtual, anonymous meeting place. Analyzing how patients use spinal condition "subreddits" may enable a greater understanding of the questions that patients do not ask their doctors. METHODS: Up to 50 posts in each subreddit's "hot" tab were retroactively screened from June 1, 2022. Posts written by those who had the condition or those interested in knowing more were included. Redditors self-identifying as younger than 18 years were excluded. Posts were subcategorized into questions related to social advice, health advice, providing health education or suggesting equipment, detailing their personal experience, or researchers recruiting patients for research. RESULTS: Eight subreddits with 398 posts were identified related to spinal conditions, including scoliosis, herniated disks, spondylolisthesis, kyphosis, spina bifida, and degenerative disk disease, and 2 subreddits for spinal cord injury. Most patients sought out health advice (59.8%), specifically related to questions regarding their treatments (33.6%), followed by social advice (14.1%) relating to activities in their daily lives. Six posts from the spinal cord injury subreddits discussed the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. DISCUSSION: Patients with spinal conditions congregate on Reddit. Analysis of subreddits allows for a more robust fund of knowledge, granting providers an opportunity to address the main health concerns of patients and caregivers.