Dentists' Perception Regarding the Use of Social Media for Professional Purpose

Dentists' Perception Regarding the Use of Social Media for Professional Purpose: A Cross-sectional Study

Social Media has significant influence in everyone's life. Social media is considered as one of the biggest revolution in the information technology. It empowers the users to express and share their thoughts, opinions, views, and content to the rest of the world. Entire world id just a click away from the Social Media users. Social media gives an immense opportunity to grow through right connectivity and collaboration. Healthcare professionals are no exception for this. Healthcare professionals can make appropriate use of Social media for public outreach with their content and educate them. Social Media with its tools enables the professionals to create multimedia content to engage the audiences. It also improves professional connectivity and better public display of professional skills. These can enhance the professional growth through public availability and accessibility. Social Media giants in the recent times were also blamed for data privacy and protection. There are issues of excessive indulgence into privacy through access of users' locations and contacts. Overt advertisements and unnecessary tagging to the content by unknown users cannot be ignored. Our cross sectional study is aimed to understand Dentist' perspective at professional level, regarding their use, advantages and disadvantages of Social Media.

Objectives of the Study:

To understand which Social Media platform is used the most by the Dentists for their Professional purpose.

To understand the different uses of Social Media by the Dentists for their Professional purpose.

To understand the Dentists' perspective of the ADVANTAGES of their SOCIAL MEDIA accounts for their Professional purpose.

To understand the Dentists' perspective of the DISADVANTAGES of their SOCIAL MEDIA accounts for their Professional purpose.

Sample Size Sample size calculated using OpenEpi, Version 3, open source calculator. n-384, Confidence Interval 95%, Design Effect -1, anticipated % frequency - 50%.

Methodology This Cross sectional study uses Questionnaire with Closed ended questions. The survey form is designed using Google forms program. Survey initial question seeks CONSENT from the respondent. Survey collects data under 4 sections.

Section I: Demographic details Section II: 6 Questions regarding use of your Social Media for Professional activities.

Section III: 7 Questions regarding the advantages of your Social Media use. Section IV: 5 Questions regarding the disadvantages of your Social Media use.

Section III & IV involves exclusive use of Likert Scale questions.

Inclusion Criteria:

Dentists who currently hold Social Media account/accounts & use for Professional activity.

Dentists who held Social Media account/accounts & used for Professional activity.

Dentists who create their OWN MULTIMEDIA NEW CONTENT in Social Media. Dentists who share &/Post Profession related text posts in Social Media. Dentists who share &/Post Profession related pictures in Social Media. Dentists who share &/Post Profession related videos in Social Media.

Exclusion Criteria:

Dentists who never held social media account. Dentists who use social media exclusive for Personal purpose. Dentists who never used social media for Professional purpose.