In the Age of Social Media, How Does the Public Choose a Plastic Surgeon? A Crowdsourcing Analysis of Major Deciding Factors

Abstract

Background: Patients consider many factors when selecting a plastic surgeon. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of board certification and reputation in this decision. Despite this, there is a paucity of knowledge on the role that cost of procedure, social media, and surgeon training have on the decision-making process. Methods: The authors’ study used a population-based survey administered by Amazon Mechanical Turk. Adults 18 years and older and residing in the United States were asked to rank the importance of 36 factors from 0 (least important) to 10 (most important) when selecting a plastic surgeon. Results: A total of 369 responses were analyzed. The mean age of respondents was 36.9 years (SD, 10.9 years), and 174 participants (47.2%) were female. Of those surveyed, 216 (55.0%) had previously undergone plastic surgery, and all respondents were considering plastic surgery either at the time of survey or in the future. The most common first step for respondents in identifying a plastic surgeon was a web-based search (32.2%). The top three most important factors in selecting a plastic surgeon were surgeon’s experience with the desired procedure (7.48), surgeon’s board certification (7.38), and surgeon’s years in practice (7.36). The three least important factors were the surgeon’s race (5.43), number of social media posts (5.62), and television appearances (5.64). Conclusions: The authors’ survey provides insight into the role that different elements play in the decision of selecting a plastic surgeon in the United States. Understanding how patients select a plastic surgeon can help surgeons optimize these elements in their practices.