P1.060: Locating Pediatric Surgeons Across the United States: A Challenge for Patient Families

Background: Families of children requiring pediatric surgical care may receive referrals to specific pediatric surgical practices. These families may also seek care on their own, request a second opinion, or consider alternate care sites for multiple reasons. Patients increasingly use the internet as a tool to seek out healthcare resources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential difficulties that patient families may face when using web-based search engines to find pediatric surgical care.

Methods: States were divided into geographical regions (nine eastern states, thirteen western states, sixteen southern states, and twelve midwestern states). The search term “pediatric surgeons in [state]” was utilized in the Google search engine to manually generate a list of pediatric surgeons presumed to be practicing in the state at one or more locations. Links were utilized in succession until no new pediatric surgeons reliably appeared for that Google search. Surgeons were excluded if they were presumed or confirmed by the link not to have board certification or a fellowship in pediatric surgery. Surgeons in fields such as urology, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, and neurosurgery were excluded. In order to be included, an address for each surgeon needed to be provided on the profile. The top three sites for each search term were also collected and categorized as either educational institution, clinical, or third-party sites.

Results: Resources available by the American Pediatric Surgical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Surgeons were not identified in any of these searches. A total of 2,308 provider inputs were identified, of which there were 453 in the East, 373 in the West, 632 in the Midwest, and 850 in the South. Of these 2,308 provider inputs, 1,811 were presumed to be unique when compiled together. A total of 1,263 unique locations were identified, including 232 in the East, 168 in the West, 309 in the Midwest, and 533 in the South. Of the 150 links first available (first three links for each state), 98 were clinical sites, 22 were third-party sites, and 30 were educational institution sites. Of note, many surgeons on third-party websites were noted to be at locations that are not geographically compatible or are otherwise unrealistic, likely not updated from former employments.

Conclusion: The process for searching for a pediatric surgeon may be more difficult and time-confusing for families than previously appreciated. While third-party sites may mislead patients, they were also the only sites to identify providers in lesser-known areas. National organization websites are not prioritized in search results, offering an area for improvement to facilitate access to specialized care. Additionally, artificial intelligence may be a viable tool for assisting in maintaining an updated listing of practicing pediatric surgeons.