#MissingInAction: a review of the social media footprint of South African interventional radiology practitioners

Abstract

Background: Interventional radiology (IR) is a rapidly developing branch of medicine; however, the general awareness of the subspeciality among patients and medical colleagues is limited. Social media (SM) has become an integral part of information transfer globally, and its utility as an effective communication tool can be leveraged by IRs to bridge this knowledge gap. This study investigated the SM footprint of IR providers in South Africa.

Methods: An online analysis of radiology practices (N = 100) registered on the Radiological Society of South Africa (RSSA) website was performed. The SM footprint of practices offering IR services was audited, and statistical analysis was performed to examine the level of SM uptake, the relationship between SM uptake in urban versus non-urban locations and between practice size.

Results: There were 38 practices offering IR services with 68% (n = 26) located in major metropolitan areas. A systematic online Google search revealed that 84% (n = 32) had a website and the most widely used SM platform was Facebook. There was a statistically significant correlation between the size of the radiology practices and the total number of SM accounts (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Most South African IR practitioners have a SM presence with larger radiology practices establishing a broad digital presence on SM. Poor SM visibility, particularly from smaller practices, on these platforms may limit their ability to reach their target audience.

Contribution: Improving the current usage of SM by IR practitioners may present an opportunity to display their services.