Elsevier

The Journal of Arthroplasty

Volume 32, Issue 9, September 2017, Pages 2694-2700
The Journal of Arthroplasty

Primary Arthroplasty
Social Media and Total Joint Arthroplasty: An Analysis of Patient Utilization on Instagram

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2017.03.067Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

The purpose of this study was to analyze the nature of shared content of total joint arthroplasty patients on Instagram. Specifically, we evaluated social media posts for: (1) perspective and timing; (2) tone; (3) focus (activities of daily living [ADLs], rehabilitation, return-to-work); and (4) the comparison between hip and knee arthroplasties.

Methods

A search of the public Instagram domain was performed over a 6-month period. Total hip and knee arthroplasties (THA and TKA) were selected for the analysis using the following terms: “#totalhipreplacement,” “#totalkneereplacement,” and associated terms. 1287 individual public posts of human subjects were shared during the period. A categorical scoring system was utilized for media format (photo or video), time (preoperative, perioperative, or postoperative) period, tone (positive or negative), return-to-work, ADLs, rehabilitation, surgical site, radiograph image, satisfaction, and dissatisfaction.

Results

Ninety-one percent of the posts were shared during the postoperative period. Ninety-three percent of posts had a positive tone. Thirty-four percent of posts focused on both ADLs and 33.8% on rehabilitation. TKA patients shared more about their surgical site (14.5% vs 3.3%, P < .001) and rehabilitation (58.9% vs 8.8%, P < .001) than THA patients, whereas THA patients shared more about ADLs than TKA patients (60.5% vs 7.6%, P < .001).

Conclusion

When sharing their experience on Instagram, arthroplasty patients did so with a positive tone, starting a week after surgery. TKA posts focused more on rehabilitation and wound healing than THA patients, whereas THA patients shared more posts on ADLs. The analysis of social media posts provides insight into what matters to patients after total joint arthroplasty.

Section snippets

Methods

A search of the public domains of Instagram (San Francisco, CA) was performed on July 2, 2016 to include posts occurring during the 6-month period, from January 1, 2016 to July 1, 2016. A third-party application (Picodash, San Francisco, CA) was used to analyze the mobile-based Instagram database on a web-based platform to view the images on a personal computer instead of a smartphone. Searches were repeated with another third-party web application of Instagram (Iconosquare, Limoges, France) in

Results

Table 1 depicts the summary of arthroplasty content on Instagram. Of all posts, 86.5% were made by the patients themselves compared with those made by family, friends, or medical professionals. Among all posts, 93% were shared with a positive tone and 91% were postoperative. On average, 33.8% of all posts focused on ADLs, 34% focused on rehabilitation, and 9% focused on the surgical site (ie, dressing, staples, sutures). A total of 4.2% and 6.4% of all posts featured postoperative x-rays and

Discussion

Given the shift toward patient-centric care models today, it is important to investigate and analyze how patients perceive their health as this can offer valuable insight and feedback to providers. Currently, this is achieved through standardized assessments, such as patient-reported outcomes [17], [18], and patient satisfaction surveys such as Press-Ganey [19]. However, these assessments are often categorical, and do not offer patient perspectives beyond what is specifically contained in them.

Conclusions

Arthroplasty patients, in general, shared their surgical experience with a predominantly positive tone more than a week after surgery in the context of ADLs and rehabilitation. Important differences were found between what TKA and THA patients found shareworthy.

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    No author associated with this paper has disclosed any potential or pertinent conflicts which may be perceived to have impending conflict with this work. For full disclosure statements refer to http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2017.03.067.

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