Advancing orthopaedic trauma care through WhatsApp: An analysis of clinical and non-clinical applications, challenges, and future directions

Table 2 Overview of studies on the use of WhatsApp in medical care and education

Ref.	Study context	Sample/methodology	Main findings	Conclusion
Raiman et al[22], 2017	Clinical attachment teaching via WhatsApp	Six WhatsApp groups; thematic analysis of interviews	Benefits in learning, enhanced accessibility of conversations	WhatsApp is a feasible enhancement to problem-based learning
Ellanti et al[24], 2017	WhatsApp for communication in orthopaedic surgery teams	Of 1916 communication events; 5492 messages	Time savings, reliable communication	Superior to traditional pager systems
Stahl et al[8], 2019	Instant messaging app reliability in paediatric orthopaedic trauma	Of 73 cases; evaluation by five paediatric orthopaedic surgeons	“Near perfect agreement” with traditional radiograph interpretations	Reliable for evaluating paediatric limb fractures
Giordano et al[11], 2017	WhatsApp as a supplementary tool for telehealth	Literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library	Of 30 studies identified	Promising for learning and healthcare communication
Jildeh et al[25], 2019	Social media use by orthopaedic surgeons	Analysis of online surgeon-patient contact and ethical adherence	Enhances patient-physician communication	Valuable for practice development
Kapıcıoğlu et al[26], 2019	WhatsApp use for paediatric supracondylar fractures	Retrospective analysis of 90 X-rays; evaluation by orthopaedicians and PACS reevaluation	High intra and inter-observer reliability	Reliable for emergency decision-making
Coleman and O'Connor[7], 2019	Role of WhatsApp in medical education	Review of 23 articles	Improved learners’ understanding	Effective for educational purposes
Dittrich et al[12], 2020	Smartphone apps in trauma and orthopaedic surgery	Survey of 206 doctors	Positive view on medical apps’ future potential	Significant future role anticipated for medical apps
Sahu et al[23], 2021	Patient opinions on teleconsultation for shoulder rehabilitation during COVID-19	Of 30 patients; Telemedicine Usability Questionnaire	High patient satisfaction; preference for Zoom	Patients satisfied with teleconsultation
Sumargono et al[27], 2022	Virtual clinics for postoperative follow-up after TKR surgery	Of 546 TKR procedures; WhatsApp video calls	High patient satisfaction with online consultations	Effective during and potentially after the COVID-19 pandemic
Pamuk[5], 2022	Teleconsultation for proximal humerus fractures	Of 83 patient radiological scans; interobserver and intraobserver analysis	High reliability of WhatsApp images compared to PACS	Teleconsultation is dependable

PACS: Picture archiving and communication system; TKR: Total knee replacement; COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019.