Social media has transformed medicine allowing physicians to connect with their colleagues, share medical knowledge, and promote academic publications [1]. Physicians can also connect with patients, disseminating pertinent medical knowledge [2]. Because of the accessibility of social media and the large number of users posting information, it is important to identify reliable individuals for patients and physicians to follow.
This study identifies the top medical journals, organizations, and physician influencers in ob/gyn and related subspecialties on Twitter. We compared rank with journal impact factor and physician h-index. The purpose of this study is to identify reliable and active ob/gyn influencers. This study will allow physicians and patients to identify key individuals to follow in ob/gyn and have confidence they are reading reliable information.
We modeled our methods on a previous study by Riccio et. al [3], utilizing the Right Relevance API (rightrelevance.com, San Francisco, CA, United States) to collect Twitter influencer scores on June 28, 2022. Right Relevance API assesses Twitter users' followers/followings and engagement (views, likes, retweets) to provide a numerical rank of influence. It uses graph partitioning to determine influence scores for topic searches [4]. We searched "obgyn" and abstracted the top 10 medical journals, top 10 organizations, and top 100 physician influencers.
The following specialties were included: female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, gynecology oncology, maternal–fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology, complex family planning, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, pediatric & adolescent gynecology, and urogynecology. These specialties were included based on their recognition by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
After identifying the top 10 medical journals, we obtained their Journal Impact Factor as reported by the journal. After identifying the top 100 physician influencers, we obtained their academic h-index scores from Google Scholar and SCOPUS. Google scholar was searched first and if the physician did not have a Google Scholar page, we searched SCOPUS after. Practice location was found as reported by the physician on Twitter or by their board certification. Board certification was confirmed for United States based physicians using certificationmatters.org [5]. Two independent reviewers abstracted the table data (LJD & DVV). All data entries were then checked by the first author (SG), who ensured accuracy and resolved any discrepancies. Descriptive statistics were performed and reported. The coefficient of determination (r2) was calculated between (1) journal impact factor and twitter influence rank and (2) physician h-index and twitter influence rank.
The top 10 ob/gyn medical journals are shown in Table 1. The average impact factor of the top 10 ob/gyn medical journals was 5.0, with a median of 5.5. The coefficient of determination (r2) between impact factor and twitter influence rank was 0.0379 (Fig. 1). The top 10 ob/gyn medical organizations are shown in Table 2.
Table 1.
Top 10 ob/gyn medical journals
| Rank | Medical Journal | Twitter Handle | Impact Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obstetrics and Gynecology (The Green Journal) | @greenjrnl | 7.661 |
| 2 | Contemporary Ob/Gyn | @contempobgyn | 0.038 |
| 3 | American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) | @ajog_thegray | 8.661 |
| 4 | An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG) | @bjogtweets | 6.531 |
| 5 | Fertility and Sterility | @fertstert | 7.329 |
| 6 | International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics (IJGO) | @ijgolive | 4.447 |
| 7 | Contraception | @contraceptionjl | 3.051 |
| 8 | Menopause Journal | @menopausejnrl | 3.310 |
| 9 | Journal of Graduate Medical Education (JGME) | @journalofgme | 1.23 |
| 10 | Medical Education | @meded_journal | 7.647 |
Fig. 1.
Correlation between Twitter influence rank and journal impact factor
Table 2.
Top 10 ob/gyn organizations
| Rank | Organization Name | Twitter Handle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) | @acog |
| 2 | Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine (SMFM) | @mysmfm |
| 3 | American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) | @reprodmed |
| 4 | Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists | @rcobsgyn |
| 5 | Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics (APGO) News | @apgonews |
| 6 | MD Edge ObGyn | @mdedgeobgyn |
| 7 | Medscape Ob/Gyn | @medscapeobgyn |
| 8 | International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) | @isuog |
| 9 | American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) | @aagl |
| 10 | Society of Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology (SASGOG) | @sasgog |
Of the top 100 physician influencers, 47% are general ob/gyn physicians, followed by the subspecialties: 11% specialize in maternal–fetal medicine, 9% minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, 6% reproductive endocrinology and infertility, 3% gynecologic oncology, 3% female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, 3% urogynecology, 2% pediatric and adolescent gynecology, 1% family planning and 1% reproductive genetics (Table 3). Of the top 100 physicians, 14% were in non-ob/gyn specialties, including family medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, hematology and oncology, internal medicine, and pulmonology/critical care (Fig. 2).
Table 3.
Top 100 ob/gyn physician influencers
| Rank | Name | Twitter handle | Specialty/subspecialty | Practice Location (City, State, Country) | h-index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camille A. Clare | @cclaremdmph | ob/gyn | Manhattan, New York, United States | 11 |
| 2 | Amanda P. Williams | @kpobgyndoc | ob/gyn | Oakland, California, United States | – |
| 3 | Kelly Wright | @migsrunner | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Los Angeles, California, United States | 8 |
| 4 | Yalda Afshar | @yafshar | Maternal–fetal medicine | Los Angeles, California, United States | 18 |
| 5 | Ruth Ann Crystal | @catchthebaby | ob/gyn | Mountainview, California, United States | 2 |
| 6 | Jane van Dis | @janevandis | ob/gyn | Rochester, New York, United States | 6 |
| 7 | Pietro Bortoletto | @bortolettomd | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | 13 |
| 8 | Diane Horvath | @gynandtonic | Family planning | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | 1 |
| 9 | Meadow Maze Good | @meadowgood | Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery | Orlando, Florida, United States | 11 |
| 10 | Danielle Jones | @mamadoctorjones | ob/gyn | Austin, Texas, United States and Aotearoa New Zealand | – |
| 11 | Joia Crear Perry | @doccrearperry | ob/gyn | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | 10 |
| 12 | Lisa Hollier | @txmommydoc | Maternal–fetal medicine | Houston, Texas, United States | 25 |
| 13 | Jennifer Ashton | @drjashton | ob/gyn | Engelwood, New Jersey, United States | – |
| 14 | Kemi Doll | @kemidoll | Gynecologic oncology | Seattle, Washington, United States | 22 |
| 15 | Amy Lasky | @amylaskymd | ob/gyn | Stony Brook, New York, United States | – |
| 16 | Amy Park | @dramypark | Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | 16 |
| 17 | Cynthia Gyamfi | @drcynthiagyamfi | Maternal–fetal medicine | San Diego, California, United States | 45 |
| 18 | Mallory Stuparich | @malstumd | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Riverside, California, United States | 5 |
| 19 | Leah Torres | @leahntorres | ob/gyn | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | 5 |
| 20 | Roberta Gebhard | @drrgebhard | Family medicine | Grand Island, New York, United States | 3 |
| 21 | Jackie Parchem | @jackie_parchem | Maternal–fetal medicine | Houston, Texas, United States | 10 |
| 22 | Cara R. King | @drcaraking | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | 7 |
| 23 | Jeanne Conry | @conryjeanne | ob/gyn | Sacramento, California, United States | 12 |
| 24 | Maya Hammoud | @maya_michigan | ob/gyn | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | 27 |
| 25 | Danielle Prentice | @dkirch888 | Maternal–fetal medicine | Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States | 4 |
| 26 | Helen Kang Morgan | @helenjkmorgan | ob/gyn | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 11 |
| 27 | Laura Riley | @obdocriley | Maternal–fetal medicine | New York, New York, United States | 31 |
| 28 | Judette Louis | @judettelouis | Maternal–fetal medicine | Tampa, Florida, United States | 28 |
| 29 | Jennifer Ashton | @drjashton | ob/gyn | New York City, New York, United States | – |
| 30 | Mireille Truong | @drmtruong | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Los Angeles, California, United States | 8 |
| 31 | Natasha Bhuyan | @natashabhuyan | Family medicine | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | 4 |
| 32 | Jessica Shepherd | @jshepherd_md | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Dallas, Texas, United States | – |
| 33 | Olga Muldoon | @olgatheobgyn | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Denver, Colorado, United States | 1 |
| 34 | Veronica Pimentel | @drveropimentel | Maternal–fetal medicine | Hartford, Connecticut, United States | 4 |
| 35 | Katherine McHugh | @ktmch | ob/gyn | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | 4 |
| 36 | Tamika Auguste | @obyourself | ob/gyn | Washington D.C., United States | 8 |
| 37 | Kristin Lyerly | @kristinlyerly | ob/gyn | Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States | 0 |
| 38 | Carrie Cwiak | @drcarrieobgyn | ob/gyn | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | 16 |
| 39 | Chase Anderson | @chasetmanderson | Psychiatry | San Francisco, California, United States | – |
| 40 | Jill Grimes | @jillgrimesmd | Family medicine | Austin, Texas, United States | – |
| 41 | Elizabeth Howell | @lizhowellmd | ob/gyn | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | 34 |
| 42 | Fiona Mattatall | @fionamattatall | ob/gyn | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | 3 |
| 43 | Jeff Livingston | @macobgyn | ob/gyn | Irving, Texas, United States | 1 |
| 44 | Jim Thornton | @jimgthornton | ob/gyn | Nottingham, United Kingdom | 65 |
| 45 | Shanna M. Combs | @drshannacombs | Pediatric and adolescent gynecology | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | 1 |
| 46 | Christina Saad | @christinasaadmd | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Los Angeles, California, United States | 1 |
| 47 | Shannon McNamara | @shannonomac | Emergency medicine | New York, New York, United States | 4 |
| 48 | Rebecca Szabo | @inquisitivegyn | ob/gyn | Melbourne, Australia | 9 |
| 49 | Ian Fields | @eeyanmiller | Urogynecology | Portland, Oregon, United States | 5 |
| 50 | Komal Bajaj | @komalbajajmd | reproductive genetics | New York, New York, United States | 19 |
| 51 | Charlene Collier | @chcollier | ob/gyn | Jackson, Mississippi, United States | 6 |
| 52 | Genevieve Eastabrook | @placentadoc | Maternal–fetal medicine | London, Ontario, Canada | 11 |
| 53 | Ariela Marshall | @amarshallmd | Hematology and oncology | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | 18 |
| 54 | Staci Tanouye | @drstacit | ob/gyn | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | 3 |
| 55 | Michelle Owens | @drmichelleowens | Maternal–fetal medicine | Jackson, Mississippi | 18 |
| 56 | Nicholas Fogelson | @academicobgyn | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Portland, Oregon, United States | 5 |
| 57 | Erica Marsh | @ericamarshmd | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | 26 |
| 58 | Serena H Chen | @drserenahchen | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | Livingston, New Jersey | 14 |
| 59 | Cheryl Iglesia | @cheryliglesia | Urogynecology | Washington, D.C., United States | 26 |
| 60 | Aimee Eyvazzadeh | @_eggwhisperer | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | San Francisco, California, United States | 11 |
| 61 | Dani Jackson | @drdanijackson | Psychiatry | New York, New York, United States | 3 |
| 62 | Megan L. Evans | @meganevansmd | ob/gyn | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | 5 |
| 63 | Lesley Regan | @lregan7 | ob/gyn | London, England | 66 |
| 64 | Dr. Brandi Ring | @dr_b_ring | ob/gyn | Aurora, Colorado, United States | 0 |
| 65 | Ghazaleh Moayedi | @dr_moayedi | ob/gyn | Dallas, Texas, United States | 3 |
| 66 | Amanda Selk | @dramandaselk | ob/gyn | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 11 |
| 67 | Pooja Mehta | @poojakmehta | ob/gyn | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | 10 |
| 68 | Lora Shahine | @drlorashahine | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | Seattle, Washington, United States | 14 |
| 69 | Gretchen Winter | @gretchemaben | Pulmonology/ critical care | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | – |
| 70 | Joannie Yeh | @betamomma | Pediatrics | Broomall, Pennsylvania, United States | – |
| 71 | Zoë Julian | @doczo1 | ob/gyn | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | 4 |
| 72 | Payam Katebi Kashi | @payamkashimd | Gynecologic oncology | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | 2 |
| 73 | Vandna Jerath | @drjerath | ob/gyn | Denver, Colorado, United States | – |
| 74 | Rodrigo Muñoz | @drigomunoz | ob/gyn | Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States | 1 |
| 75 | Kelly Doran | @kellymdoran | Emergency medicine | New York, New York, United States | 23 |
| 76 | Sarah Temkin | @temkins | Gynecologic oncology | Washington, DC, United States | 26 |
| 77 | Sarah J. Kilpatrick | @sarah_sjk | maternal–fetal medicine | Los Angeles, California, United States | 19 |
| 78 | Sony S Singh | @drsonysinghmd | Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 25 |
| 79 | Chitra Akileswaran | @chitra_mdmba | ob/gyn | Oakland, California, United States | 4 |
| 80 | Eve Feinberg | @drevefeinberg | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | Chicago, Illinois, United States | 15 |
| 81 | Melissa Simon | @drmelissasimon | ob/gyn | Chicago, Illinois, United States | 71 |
| 82 | Yolanda Kirkham | @dryolandak | Pediatric and adolescent gynecology | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 7 |
| 83 | Michael Chaikof | @michaelchaikof | Urogynecology | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 3 |
| 84 | Beri Ridgeway | @beridgeway | Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | 26 |
| 85 | Riordan Ledgerwood | @ledgemd | Pediatrics | Fort Hood, Texas, United States | 1 |
| 86 | Tricia Wright | @triciaewrightmd | ob/gyn | San Francisco, California, United States | 11 |
| 87 | Katherine Chretien | @motherinmed | Internal medicine | Baltimore, Maryland | – |
| 88 | Kavita Shah Arora | @kavitashaharora | ob/gyn | Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States | 15 |
| 89 | Nathaniel DeNicola | @ndenicolamd | ob/gyn | Washington, DC, United States | 8 |
| 90 | Kristyn Brandi | @drkbrandi | ob/gyn | Montclair, New Jersey, United States | 4 |
| 91 | Christina Salazar | @salazarmigs | ob/gyn | Austin, Texas, United States | 4 |
| 92 | Margaret Russell | @margaret1473 | Family medicine | Chicago, Illinois, United States | 0 |
| 93 | Shawn Tassone | @tassonedoc | ob/gyn | Austin, Texas, United States | 2 |
| 94 | Lisa Kane Low | @kanelow | Family medicine | Rogers, Arkansas, United States | 37 |
| 95 | Amy Alexander | @amyalexmd | ob/gyn | Asheville, North Carolina, United States | – |
| 96 | Amy Tuteur | @atuteur | ob/gyn | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | 1 |
| 97 | Christine Foley | @docfoleygyn | ob/gyn | Providence, RI, United States | 3 |
| 98 | Margaret Polaneczky | @tbtam | ob/gyn | New York, New York, United States | 15 |
| 99 | Adam Balen | @balenadam | ob/gyn | Leeds, England | 77 |
| 100 | Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz | @askdrsuzanne | ob/gyn | Beverly Hills, California, United States | – |
Fig. 2.
Specialties of the Top 100 Twitter Influencers in ob/gyn
The majority of physician influencers worked in the U.S. (91%), and specifically, California (15%), followed by New York and Texas (11%) (Fig. 3). The average h-index of the top 100 physician influencers was 13.6, with a median of 8.5. The coefficient of determination (r2) between h-index and twitter influence rank was 0.0092. All U.S. physicians were board certified (Fig. 4).
Fig. 3.
Locations of the Top 100 Twitter Influencers in Ob/Gyn
Fig. 4.
Correlation between Twitter influence rank and h-index
This study found that of the top ob/gyn medical journals, 80% were ob/gyn or women's health focused, while 20% were education focused. We found a positive correlation between journal Twitter influence rank and journal impact factor. This can be due to higher ranked journals tweeting more frequently about newly accepted articles to increase journal readership.
The majority of influencers were general ob/gyn physicians. The top ob/gyn subspecialties included 9 different specialties, and 7 non-ob/gyn specialties. The majority of influencers were from the United States, and specifically California, New York, and Texas. There was an inverse correlation with Twitter influence rank and influencer academic h-index, where people ranked lower in Twitter influence actually had a higher h-index. This may indicate that Twitter influence rank is not a valid predictor of academic productivity as measured by h-index. This may change with time as more physicians continue to turn to Twitter to promote their academic papers, and as newer generations of physicians who grew up with social media rely more heavily on it. Additionally, h-index alone, does not encompass all forms of academic productivity, including teaching positions (e.g., assistant, associate, and professor of medicine), leadership roles (e.g., clerkship directors, research chairs, deans of medical schools), and advocacy.
Physicians use social media for a variety of reasons, including advancing medical research, advancing clinical practice, communicating with other physicians, and providing health information for patients [6]. Health misinformation spread on Twitter can lead to delays or prevention of necessary care, or even threaten patient lives [7].
The importance of providing patients with reliable information is highlighted by the influx of abortion-related information following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Widespread confusion surrounding new anti-abortion laws resulted in the dispersal of misinformation regarding how herbs or toxins could be used to perform abortions at home [8]. Physicians expressed concerns that online misinformation may cause patients seeking an abortion to try unsafe methods[7]. Patients need to be able to identify legitimate leaders in ob/gyn to receive reliable information on safe abortion practices.
Twitter has become increasingly popular in the medical community to facilitate connections, communication, and academic promotion. During unprecedented times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the post-Dobbs legal climate, more people turn to Twitter for information. Knowing legitimate influencers in ob/gyn permits Twitter users to follow reliable accounts. With the increasing reliance on Twitter by both physicians and patients, medical professionals should embrace Twitter, abide by ethical guidelines, and only promote reliable information.
Acknowledgements
The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.
Author contributions
SG Project development; Data collection; Data analysis; Manuscript writing/editing, LJD Project development; Data analysis; Manuscript writing/editing, DVV Data collection; Data analysis; Manuscript editing, MNW Project development; Data analysis; Manuscript writing/editing.
Funding
The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available in Right Relevance at https://www.rightrelevance.com/.
Declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
N/A.
Consent to participate
N/A.
Consent to publish
N/A
Footnotes
Publisher's Note
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Associated Data
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Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available in Right Relevance at https://www.rightrelevance.com/.