#colorectalsurgery

BACKGROUND: The use of social media platforms among healthcare professionals is increasing. A Twitter social media campaign promoting the hashtag #colorectalsurgery was launched with the aim of providing a specialty‐specific forum to collate discussions and science relevant to an engaged, global community of coloproctologists. This article reviews initial experiences of the early adoption, engagement and utilization of this pilot initiative. METHODS: The hashtag #colorectalsurgery was promoted via the online microblogging service Twitter across a 180‐day interval. Data on all tweets containing the #colorectalsurgery hashtag were analysed using online analytical tools. Data included total number of tweets, number of views, and user engagement since registration and launch of the campaign. Content of tweet and user demographic analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: The number of tweets using #colorectalsurgery grew rapidly following the launch on 24 April 2016; #colorectalsurgery was used in 15 708 tweets, which resulted in 65 398 696 impressions and involved 1863 individual Twitter accounts. Increased volumes of #colorectalsurgery tweets were noted in association with the timing of three major international colorectal surgical conferences, and geographical trends were noted. Some 88·4 per cent of all posts were by male users. The top 25 users by volume of #colorectalsurgery tweets had considerable influence and posted 8023 tweets (51·1 per cent). CONCLUSION: Online global communities formed via healthcare‐related hashtags, such as #colorectalsurgery, unify social media posts, scientists, surgeons and authors who have an interest in coloproctology. Furthermore, they facilitate greater connectivity among geographically separate users

Axial CT-scan at the level of the gallbladder, showing a large calculus within the gallbladder and a further small calculus in adjacent dilated CBD

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Biliscrotum and Retroperitoneal Biloma: Spontaneous Rupture of the Biliary System presenting as an Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia"</p><p></p><p>The Ulster medical journal 2006;75(1):85-87.</p><p>Published online Jan 2006</p><p>PMCID:PMC1891787.</p><p>© The Ulster Medical Society, 2006</p

Bile is extravasating from the biliary tree, around the inferior vena cava and right kidney

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Biliscrotum and Retroperitoneal Biloma: Spontaneous Rupture of the Biliary System presenting as an Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia"</p><p></p><p>The Ulster medical journal 2006;75(1):85-87.</p><p>Published online Jan 2006</p><p>PMCID:PMC1891787.</p><p>© The Ulster Medical Society, 2006</p

Randomized controlled trial of plain English and visual abstracts for disseminating surgical research via social media

Background: Patients are increasingly taking an active role in the design and delivery of surgical research. Public communication of results should also be encouraged, but this is often limited to non‐expert commentary. This study assessed the role of plain English abstracts disseminated via social media in engaging patients and clinicians in the communication of surgical research. Methods: A three‐arm randomized controlled trial with crossover of two intervention arms was performed. Manuscripts accepted for publication in BJS were allocated to one of three arms and disseminated via Twitter: plain English abstracts, visual abstracts and standard tweets. The primary outcome was online engagement (a composite of tweets, replies and likes) by members of the public within 14 days. The secondary outcome was online engagement by healthcare professionals. Results: Forty‐one manuscripts were randomized to plain English abstracts (14), visual abstracts (14) and standard tweets (13). The number of public engagements was low, with a mean of 1·8 (range 0–8), 2·5 (0–11), and 1·2 (0–4) for plain English abstracts, visual abstracts and standard tweets respectively. The mean number of engagements by healthcare professionals was 29·4 (6–66), 45·3 (6–161) and 28·8 (10–52) respectively. Overall, visual abstracts attracted a significantly greater number of engagements than plain English ones (P < 0·001). Conclusion: Online, public engagement with surgical research was low. Overall engagement (predominantly from healthcare professionals) was enhanced by the use of visual abstracts