The awareness and usage of orthodontic apps and social media by orthodontists in the UK: A questionnaire-based study

Abstract

Objective:

To assess the awareness and usage of mobile apps and social media among orthodontic clinicians to support patients with orthodontic treatment, support the professional development of orthodontists, and identify any relevant apps and social media platforms currently recommended to patients.

Design:

Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

Setting:

United Kingdom.

Methods:

A questionnaire was developed and distributed to members of the British Orthodontic Society (BOS). To increase the response rate, the questionnaire was circulated at three time points between January and March 2020.

Results:

A total of 149 orthodontists responded to the questionnaire (15% response rate) with 113 orthodontists completing all questions (11.4%). Of those who answered, 81% (n = 111) had been qualified for >10 years, 35% worked in practice (n = 48), 34% worked in a hospital (n = 47) and 26% worked in both hospital and practice (n = 36). The results indicated that 20% of clinicians (n = 22) used apps to support patients and 33% (n = 37) reported using apps for professional purposes. Brush DJ appeared to be the most popular patient focused app (39%, n = 18) whereas the IOTN (17%, n = 8), Invisalign (17%, n = 8) and Dental Monitoring apps (9%, n = 4) were the most popular clinician-focused apps. With regard to social media, 53% (n = 60) of respondents reported that they used social media to communicate generic orthodontic information and promote their practice to patients. The most commonly used social media platforms were Facebook and Instagram. Of respondents, 96% expressed a willingness to recommend an evidence-based mobile app to patients if available, and 88% were willing to recommend an evidence-based social media platform.

Conclusions:

Orthodontic clinicians are utilising mobile apps and social media to support both patients and their own professional development. There is a willingness to increase the use of evidence-based platforms and apps to support patients.