14026 The influence of dermatologists’ use of social media on attracting patients

Abstract

Many dermatologists consider social media to be useful for building their practices and personal brands. However, limited data exists on patients’ perceptions of the value of social media in dermatology. Therefore, this cross-sectional study sampled a diverse online population to examine how social media influences patients when choosing a dermatologist. Chi-square tests were used to compare survey answers by visit type, age, gender, and education level. The survey response rate was 85%. Of the 715 respondents who completed the survey, nearly three-quarters reported using social media several times a day (72%). Fifty-seven percent of participants reported that social media is only slightly important or not at all important when selecting a dermatologist. Patient reviews (56%), years of experience (51%), and medical information written by the dermatologist (47%) were the most important aspects of dermatologists’ social media sites. Interestingly, the least common factors were the number of likes/followers/friends (14%) and personal photos posted (14%). Cosmetic patients, younger patients, and participants with fewer years of education valued social media significantly more when selecting a dermatologist compared with their counterpart populations (P < .002). Overall, this survey demonstrates that patients have a low reliance on social media when selecting a dermatologist as only 22% felt that social media is very or extremely important when choosing a dermatologist. As a result, dermatologists should consider tools other than social media to attract new patients. However, if dermatologists maintain social media accounts, they should highlight patient reviews, providers’ experience levels, and original medical content over personal photos.