Surgical applications of robotics have experienced significant growth across multiple surgical specialties. Between 2008 and 2017, the number of robotic procedures grew more than sixfold, while the number of trained surgeons using robotic technology quadrupled from 2012 to 2018. However, perspectives on its use vary among different specialties. Research studies primarily focus on adoption data and patient outcomes, while physician views on robotic surgery remain underexplored. Healthcare policies and medical technology integration depend on these perspectives as they directly influence their implementation.
The research examines professional physician opinions about robotic surgery through X (formerly Twitter) discussion analysis. Valuable insights into physicians’ experiences and opinions can be gathered from social media platforms.
Study findings indicate that male surgeons, together with specialists in surgical fields, tend to receive substantial industry payments. This study did not establish a clear link between industry payments and robotic surgery viewpoints expressed through social media by medical professionals. Given the significant investments in robotic technology, this study examines the link between physicians’ expressed opinions and financial support from the industry.
A cohort study was conducted that examined the public posts between March 19, 2009, and April 1, 2024, from 268 physicians who resided in the United States (U.S.) and followed the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons on X. Trainees and physicians with unverifiable clinical practices were excluded. They cross-checked the specialties of physicians with the National Provider Identifier Registry.
Physician payment data were collected from the Open Payments website, which is sourced from Intuitive Surgical Inc., the manufacturer of robotic surgical products. Research showed 177 physicians (66.0%) obtained industry payments, but 91 physicians (34.0%) did not receive payments.
Researchers analyzed social media posts for polarity (ranging from -1 to 1) and their subjectivity, ranging from 0-1. The detected sentiment strength corresponded to the polarity score, with higher scores indicating positive sentiment and lower scores indicating negative sentiment. The subjectivity scores in the analysis reflected the degree of opinion expressed in the posts, increasing as the content became more subjective.
There were 268 physicians in the study, with 154 males (57.5%), 68 females (25.4%), and 46 whose gender was not reported (17.2%). Among these, 113 were general surgeons (42.2%), while 155 were in surgical subspecialties (57.8%).
All combined sentiment scores range between -0.25 and 0.5, with a mean (SD) of 0.1 (0.2) and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.09-0.13. Subjective scores range from 0-0.9. Here, the mean score was 0.4 SD of 0.2, and the 95% CI lies between 0.38-0.41.
In general, posts are objective, but occasionally, they have some personal insights. The average polarity scores showed no significant difference between the 177 physicians who received payments and the 91 who did not (mean [SD]: 0.12 [0.2]; 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.14 vs. 0.1 [0.2]; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.14). Physicians who posted both before and after receiving payments maintained a constant positive sentiment (median polarity: 0.1 [IQR: 0.03 to 0.21]) but showed reduced subjectivity following payment.
Physicians who received payments from industry in their top 25% experienced increased positive subjective expressions, while physicians in their bottom 75% remained unaffected. Physicians maintained positive sentiments post-payment, but their posts became less subjective.
This study analyses physician opinions regarding robotic surgery, which will be conducted through social media assessment combined with studies of potential industrial payment effects. The study demonstrates that physicians who receive greater financial support from the industry show more favorable and emotional assessments of robotic surgery compared to other respondents. Public opinion about healthcare depends greatly on physicians, so ongoing observation of such discussions continues to matter. The establishment of transparency with balanced discussions will assist in developing public health guidelines while sustaining medical information accuracy through healthcare development.
Reference: Loh WS, Ibrahim AM, Sheskey S, Stone CM, Sheetz KH. Industry Payments and Sentiments Toward Robotic Surgery Among US Physicians. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(2):e2458552. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.58552
