Karim Syed Irfan¹, Irfan Farhana²,  Al Faris Eiad²,  Al Maflehi Nassr³, Al Qahtani Al Mohammed¹, Nadeem Maya⁴, Al Hazmi Ali¹, Ahmed Abdullah MA²,   Ponnamperuma Gominda⁵, Vleuten Cees van der⁶

1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2. King Saud University Chair of Medical Education Research and Development, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
3. College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
4. University College , University of Toronto , Ontario , Canada .
5. Centre for Medical Education , National University of Singapore , Singapore.
6. Deparmtent of Educational Development & Research Maastricht University , Netherland.

Author details:

Karim Syed Irfan: Email: irfankarim1969@gmail.com; Irfan Farhana: Email: masoodfarhana1969@gmail.com; Al Faris Eiad: Email:efarisx2@gmail.com; Al Maflehi Nassr: Email: nassr@ksu.edu.sa; Al Qahtani Al Mohammed: Email : dr-manq@hotmail. com; Nadeem Maya: Email: mayanadeem94@gmail.com; Al Hazmi Ali:. Email: aalhazmii@ksu.edu.sa; Ahmed Abdullah MA: Email: shabalah_am@hotmail.com; Ponnamperuma Gominda: Email: gomindap@hotmail.com.

Abstract:

Introduction: Social media has become ubiquitous and has brought a dramatic change in health services. Little is known about its use by family physicians and residents for personal or professional purpose. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the utility of social media among family medicine residents and consultants.

Methods: The collection of data was through the use of a five part questionnaire developed by researchers. The questionnaire was delivered to 70 physicians and 100 residents, out of which 132questionnaires were completed, representing a 78 percent response rate.

Results: Our findings demonstrate that there was an overall high use of social media. Females used social media more for general education and professional purposes. Men, by contrast, used it more frequently for personal purposes. The participants in this study appeared to consider social media as having several useful dimensions, such as: enabling them to accomplish job tasks, improve job performance, productivity and more effective patient care when using social media.

Conclusions: To date, limited studies have compared social media use among family physicians and residents. This study may serve as an initial step for future studies explaining the pattern of use among physicians.

Keywords: social media, family physicians, learning, pattern of use, attitudes and gender differences.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i3.41

Cite as: Irfan KS, Farhana I, Eiad AF, Nassr AM, Al Mohammed AQ, Maya N, Ali AH, Ahmed Abdullah MA, Gominda P, Cees van der V. Family physicians’ utility of social media: a survey comparison among family medicine residents and physicians. Afri Health Sci. 2018;18(3): 817-827. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i3.41