Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40486801›Full record

ArticleJSES international2025

The impact of social media for shoulder surgeons: a prevalence and correlation study with online and academic presence.

Sameer R Khawaja, Krishna N Chopra, Musab Gulzar, Nicole L Greene, Anna Gorsky, Zaamin B Hussain, Michael B Gottschalk, Adrian L Huang, Christopher S Klifto, Eric R Wagner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JSES international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Social Media and Wellness: Evolving Trends in Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Representation.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sameer R KhawajaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Krishna N ChopraDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Musab GulzarDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Nicole L GreeneDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Anna GorskyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Zaamin B HussainDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Michael B GottschalkDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Adrian L HuangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Christopher S KliftoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Eric R WagnerDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Social media use has grown exponentially in the past decade and has become a powerful tool for physicians. A strong online presence can play a vital role for surgeons in patient recruitment and education and in promoting new literature. This study examines the influence of social media use on patient-reported online ratings and academic productivity among shoulder and elbow and sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic shoulder surgeons. Methods: The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons directory was queried for all active members who completed either a shoulder and elbow or sports medicine fellowship in the United States. Each name was searched on Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for professional accounts, and the number of followers was recorded for each. The presence of a practice group or personal website was also recorded. Average ratings, number of reviews, and number of comments were collected from Healthgrades, Google Reviews, and Vitals. H-index was searched on Scopus. A summated social media presence score was calculated to identify the top 15% of social media users in each cohort. Results: 134 shoulder and elbow and 97 sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic shoulder surgeons were included in this review. The top 15% of social media users consisted of 35 shoulder surgeons: 16 with a shoulder and elbow fellowship and 19 with a sports medicine fellowship. The top 15% of users completed fewer years of practice on average since fellowship compared to the bottom 85%. On Healthgrades, the top 15% possessed higher mean ratings, number of ratings, and number of comments compared to the rest of the cohort. Active Instagram users had higher mean ratings on Google Reviews compared to those without an active profile. Across all social media platforms, those with profiles were found to have either similar or higher patient engagement on Healthgrades, Google Reviews, and Vitals. Among sports medicine surgeons, active Twitter/X and Instagram usage was also associated with a higher h-index compared to nonusers. Discussion: Social media involvement and overall online presence is positively associated with surgeon ratings and number of reviews and comments on physician rating websites, including Healthgrades, Google Reviews, and Vitals. Increased activity on Twitter/X and Instagram is also associated with an increased h-index. Social media involvement using web-based marketing tools continues to emerge in shoulder surgery by offering surgeons an outlet to reach patients and promote literature.

Indexed as

Academic productivityFellowshipH-indexOnline engagementPatient ratingsShoulder and elbowSocial mediaSports medicine

Identifiers

PMID40486801
PMCPMC12144946

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.