Social Media in Neurosurgery: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: Objective Social media has been increasingly used in neurosurgery as individuals. We aimed to identify demographics and preferences of social media use, describe the scope of social media use, and characterize its utility. Methods A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Titles and abstracts from articles identified in the search were read and selected for full text review. Studies meeting prespecified inclusion criteria were reviewed in full and analyzed for relevant data. Results Of 431 resultant articles, 29 were included. Patients and caregivers most commonly used Facebook and Twitter, while nearly 50% of neurosurgeons used LinkedIn and Doximity. Patient and caregiver users of social media tended to be Conclusions Patients and caregivers who use social media are typically younger than 35 years old and commonly use Facebook or Twitter. Neurosurgeons prefer Doximity and LinkedIn. Social media yields information regarding common symptoms and uncovers novel symptoms. Videos are poor-inadequate quality and often irrelevant to clinical neurosurgery. Optimizing social media use will augment the exchange of ideas regarding clinical practice and research and empower patients and caregivers.