Caroline Robinson (CE Outcomes, LLC); Krutika Jariwala (University of Mississippi); Jennifer Garrick (CE Outcomes, LLC); Maziar Abdolrasulnia (CE Outcomes, LLC); Molly Wasko (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Synopsis

The number of devices and applications that foster social media use is growing rapidly, yet gaps remain in our understanding of how and why social media are used among healthcare providers within their daily lives to seek and share medical knowledge. This research examines the ways in which physicians use social media to access and contribute medical knowledge and information, including frequency of social media application use and the contribution of a range of variables on these practices, including effort expectancy; social influence; personal innovativeness; privacy, validity and accountability concerns; and other barriers to social media adoption. This research will provide insights on the relevancy among physicians of social media applications in accessing and communicating medical knowledge among their colleagues, within their workplaces, and with patients.

Purpose

The ways in which physicians use social media to seek and share medical knowledge and information is of increasing interest to healthcare stakeholders. The purpose of this research is to examine the adoption and usage patterns of social media use among US physicians. Applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, this research offers a novel examination on this significant topic.

Methods

For this research, social media is defined as internet-based applications that allow for the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Among a sample of oncology and cardiology physicians, this research examines social media application use and factors that impact use, including performance and effort expectancy; social influence; facilitating conditions; personal innovativeness; privacy, validity and accountability concerns; and other barriers to social media adoption. Multiple statistical methods are used to examine the direct and indirect effects on social media use behaviors.

Results

The results from this research include significant correlates of social media use, key findings regarding the barriers to seeking and sharing medical knowledge via social media applications, and facilitators of social media use among physicians, particularly with peers, within their institutions, and with patients.

Conclusions

There are key factors associated with the use of social media among physicians to seek, scan, and share medical knowledge. Such findings provide insight into the personal and systems-based barriers that moderate physician social media usage as well as provide understanding of the relevancy among physicians of social media applications in accessing and communicating medical knowledge.

Funding Sources

This research is funded by CE Outcomes, LLC