Impact of social media on the emotional health and burnout of pediatric and adult oncology professionals: A SWOG and COG survey.

Abstract

11013 Background: Social media (SoMe) engagement is common in oncology, especially for patients and support groups, allowing for education and support. However the impact on oncology professionals remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate professional SoMe use and its potential associations with wellbeing and burnout. Methods: An electronic survey was developed and piloted by pediatric and adult oncologists. Questions included demographics, details of SoMe use, and emotional health assessments including a 2-item burnout questionnaire. The survey was distributed to all members of SWOG Cancer Research Network and Children’s Oncology Group via Qualtrics. Data was analyzed as of 2/6/2022. Results: The initial survey demographic and emotional health questions were completed by 1558 individuals. Of these, 1069 (68%) reported not using SoMe professionally, while 489 (31%) did. SoMe engagers were primarily female, born 1976–1984, attendings, from academic institutions, and balanced across adult and pediatrics (Table). Among those who use SoMe professionally, 54% (267/489) reported burnout, compared to 66% (701/1069) in the non-SoMe group (p = 0.0001). Remaining emotional health outcomes were similar between groups: choosing this job/career again, time for personal/family life, and career satisfaction (p > 0.1 for all). An additional section on the impact of SoMe on emotional health was completed by 473 SoMe engagers. While 49% (233/473) reported that SoMe has no impact on burnout, 18% (86/473) felt that SoMe helps alleviate burnout. SoMe use was reported to have somewhat/extremely positive impact on wellness (defined as physical, mental, emotional, spiritual wellness) by 28% (131/473). Networking and recognized shared experiences were the top areas of SoMe that improved wellness. Close to half (208/473, 44%) responded that SoMe does not negatively impact wellness. Professional anxiety, amount of time spent online, and keeping up to maintain an online presence were the most frequently noted aspects that negatively impact wellness. Nearly half (232/473, 49%) somewhat/strongly agree that SoMe provides a sense of community. One limitation includes distribution to engaged cooperative group members which may impact results. Conclusions: This analysis suggests that social media engagement might help provide a positive impact on the wellness and reduce burnout among oncology professionals. We hope to further explore themes with qualitative interviews to better understand the impact of SoMe on our emotional health. Our goal is to develop educational interventions based on these salient positive and negative factors. [Table: see text]