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

Table 1 Advantages and challenges of WhatsApp in clinical setting

Advantages of WhatsApp in clinical settings	Challenges and risks associated with WhatsApp use
Elimination of the need for a computer: Enables rapid access and dissemination of information without being tied to a computer, enhancing mobility and convenience	Unequal urgency of messages: The informal nature of messaging may lead to prioritization issues, with non-urgent communications potentially competing with critical alerts
Enhanced team communication: Fosters a collaborative and responsive environment through improved communication among healthcare team members	Unprofessional behavior: The informal platform might encourage casual or inappropriate exchanges, undermining professional standards
Quick responses and timely intervention: Facilitates timely decision-making and intervention, critical in acute care settings, by allowing for immediate messaging	Increased workload and burnout: The constant stream of messages can overwhelm healthcare providers, leading to burnout and reduced efficiency
Promotion of learning and mentorship: Encourages junior physicians to seek advice and assistance, promoting a culture of learning and mentorship, and aids in swift resolution of patient care queries	Privacy and data protection issues: The transmission of patient information via a non-healthcare-specific platform raises concerns about confidentiality and compliance with data protection laws
Increased sense of efficacy: Bolsters confidence and motivation among the team, leading to improved patient outcomes and team dynamics	Diminished autonomy of junior doctors: Constant oversight and easy access to senior advice may stifle independent decision-making and critical thinking skills

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.

Table 3 Clinical and non-clinical applications of WhatsApp

Category	Clinical applications	Non-clinical applications
Communication & triage	Effective and safe for emergency surgery team communication. Facilitates swift consultations during off-hours	Enhances interdepartmental communication in educational settings. Improves handover procedures in orthopaedic teaching centres
Consultation & diagnosis	Allows remote consultations for simple fractures and dislocations. Enables remote sharing of radiographs and clinical information for diagnosis	Supports teleradiology for remote viewing and analysis of radiological images. Virtual fracture clinics reduce in-person consultations
Patient care	Teleconsultation for rehabilitation showing high patient satisfaction. Patient advice through easy access to medical material - monitoring of post-op patients	Virtual supervision and co-management of traumatic fractures. Online surveys and screening for public health initiatives
Education & training	Use in medical literature for patient involvement through video consulting. Facilitates remote assessments with mobile imaging technologies	Utilized for research collaboration and methodology discussions in orthopaedic surgery. Enables efficient teaching and training through real-time communication
Operational efficiency	Streamlines decision-making on patient admission or discharge. Virtual multi-disciplinary tumour boards for collaborative patient care	Conducts efficient data collection for research and public health surveillance. Minimizes unnecessary hospital visits and reduces healthcare costs