Using infodemiology metrics to assess patient demand for oculoplastic surgeons in the United States: insights from Google Search Trends

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare state-by-state concentrations of oculoplastic surgeons against patient demand using Google Search Trends data, in order to identify potential areas of unmet need.

Methods

Google Trends data from 2004 to 2019 was collected to determine relative search volumes for the keyword “blepharoplasty” in each US state and the District of Columbia. Oculoplastic surgeon density was calculated by dividing the number of active American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons members in 2019 by the State Census Bureau population estimates. Relative search volume values were divided by the local concentration of surgeons, and results were normalized between 0 and 100 to obtain a relative demand index for each state.

Results

Oculoplastic surgeon density varied widely across the country. The greatest concentrations of surgeons per 100,000 people were in D.C. (0.708) and Rhode Island (0.378), while the lowest were in Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming (all 0). Relative search volumes were tightly distributed, ranging between 100 (Hawaii) and 45 (Vermont). The highest relative demand was found in low surgeon density states, such as Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The lowest relative demand was found in DC (5), Rhode Island (12), and Utah (12).

Conclusions

Our results revealed vast disparities in surgical concentrations across the US and highlighted a number of areas with a relative undersupply of oculoplastic surgeons. Further investigation is necessary to examine the underlying factors impacting the supply and distribution of oculoplastic surgeons.

KEYWORDS:

• Oculoplastic surgery
• Google Trends
• infodemiology
• internet behavior

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Meeting presentation

Estimating Patient Demand for Oculoplastic Surgeons in the United States Using Google Search Trends, ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract, June 2021.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.