Ten year update on the online and social media presence of Australian and New Zealand urologists

Abstract

INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES: Social media is frequently used by clinicians to establish their professional identity, but engagement remains dubious. In 2015, a bi-national study of Australian and New Zealand urologists demonstrated widespread use of social media, though no follow-up study has been conducted. This study aims to re-evaluate the uptake and patterns of digital media use by Australian and New Zealand urologists. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of urologists identified on the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) 'Find a Surgeon' page or on group practice websites. A thorough search on 'Google' and individual platforms (LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) was performed to identify professional websites and social media accounts associated with each urologist. RESULTS: Among the 516 urologists identified across Australia and New Zealand, most had a private business website (79.0%). The mean number of social media accounts per individual rose to 1.72. LinkedIn (60.9%) was the most popular social media platform. Facebook (34.3%), X (31.4%) and Instagram (19.2%) were also commonly used by urologists. Few personal accounts on X (26.8%), Facebook (11.5%) and Instagram (21.8%) were active. Video based platforms had the poorest uptake, with 8.3% of urologists identifiable on YouTube and 1.2% on TikTok. Urologists with a visible academic title were significantly more likely to have a social media presence. There was a parabolic decline in the use of social media with more years since medical qualification, most notable on Facebook and X. CONCLUSIONS: The number of urologists with a professional website has increased substantially in the past decade, with a moderate rise in overall social media use. Most social media accounts are inactive. Unlike their international counterparts, ANZ urologists appear to have retreated to conservative digital platforms.