title: Internet and social media usage of orthopaedic patients: A questionnaire-based survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate social media usage of orthopaedic patients to search for solutions to their health problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study data were collected using face-to-face questionnaire with randomly selected 1890 patients aged over 18 years who had been admitted to the orthopaedic clinics in different cities and provinces across Turkey. The questionnaire consists of a total of 16 questions pertaining to internet and social media usage and demographics of patients, patients' choice of institution for treatment, patient complaints on admission, online hospital and physician ratings, communication between the patient and the physician and its effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that 34.2% (n= 647) of the participants consulted with an orthopaedist using the internet and 48.7% (n= 315) of them preferred websites that allow users to ask questions to a physician. Of all question-askers, 48.5% (n= 314) reported having found the answers helpful. Based on the educational level of the participants, there was a highly significant difference between the rates of asking questions to an orthopaedist using the internet (P= 0.001). The rate of question-asking was significantly lower in patients with an elementary education than that in those with secondary, high school and undergraduate education (P= 0.001) The rate of reporting that the answers given was helpful was significantly higher in participants with an undergraduate degree compared to those who were illiterate, those with primary, elementary or high school education (P= 0.001). It was also found that the usage of the internet for health problems was higher among managers-qualified participants than unemployed-housewives, officers, workers-intermediate staff (P< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that patients have been increasingly using the internet and social media to select a specific physician or to seek solution to their health problems in an effective way. Even though the internet and social media offer beneficial effects for physicians or patients, there is still much obscurity regarding their harms and further studies are warranted for necessary arrangements to be made.
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tahir Mutlu
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Duymus
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hilmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Akif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Çaçan
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Baran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kömür
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zehir
authors.affiliation: Tahir Mutlu Duymus, Department of Orthopaedics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Azboy
keywords: Communication; Internet; Orthopedist; Patient; Social media