Emerging Use of Social Media in Clinical Urology Practice in the 21st Century: Survey Study

Background: Social media (So-Me) platforms are valuable resources for health care professionals and academics to discover, discuss, and distribute current advances in research and clinical practices, including technology trends. Objective: This study aims to assess the role of So-Me in urological practice in Saudi Arabia. It explores the influence of digital platforms on patient interaction, professional communication, decision-making, and education. Methods: The survey was conducted among 145 urologists from July 2021 to July 2022 following institutional review board approval. A questionnaire designed using the SurveyMonkey platform examined urologists’ knowledge of So-Me. The survey was conducted using the CHERRIES (Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys) guidelines and was open for 17 weeks. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0. Results: Of the 145 participants, 70% (n=102) were Saudi Arabians. The most common age groups were 30‐40 (n=68, 46.8%) and 41‐50 (n=61, 42.2%) years, with a gender distribution of 44.8% (n=65) women and 55.2% (n=80) men. A total of 61.5% (n=89) of urologists reported using So-Me accounts for professional purposes, with 54.9% (n=80) sharing health-related information. Social media enhanced patient connections beyond clinic visits for 55.8% (n=81) of respondents, while 57.2% (n=83) used it to provide educational resources. Additionally, 56.5% (n=82) believed So-Me facilitated patient feedback and improved their practice. In terms of professional communication, 60.6% (n=88) of urologists agreed that So-Me facilitated collaboration with colleagues, while 63.3% (n=92) used it to stay updated on the latest advances in urology. Furthermore, 62% (n=90) followed professional societies or journals on So-Me, and 63.3% (n=92) used it for continuing medical education. A majority (n=94, 64.7%) reported that So-Me influenced treatment decisions based on new research findings, and 85.3% (n=124) learned about novel technologies and treatment options through these platforms. Regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between gender and social media usage patterns (R=0.653, R²=0.426), indicating that approximately 42.6% of the differences in usage patterns can be attributed to gender. However, the Pearson χ² analysis showed that gender did not significantly affect most aspects of social media use, except information sharing and participating in online discussions (both P<.05). Conclusions: This study highlights the widespread use of So-Me among urologists in Saudi Arabia, underscoring its role in enhancing patient interaction, professional development, and clinical decision-making. Strategically designed health care programs using social media could improve and modernize professional and patient-centered care in Saudi Arabia through legislative assistance and guidelines.