LAUSR

BACKGROUND There are many factors patients consider when selecting a plastic surgeon. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of board certification and reputation in making this decision. Despite this, there is a paucity of knowledge on the role that cost of procedure, social media, and surgeon training factor into the decision-making process. METHODS Our study used a population-based survey administered via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Adults 18 years and older and residing in the United States were asked to rank the importance of thirty-six factors from 0 (least important) to 10 (most important) when selecting a plastic surgeon. RESULTS 369 responses were analyzed. The mean age of respondents was 36.9 (SD 10.9) and 174 participants (47.2%) were female. Of those surveyed, 216 (55.0%) had previously undergone plastic surgery and all respondents were considering plastic surgery either at the time of survey or in the future. The most common first step respondents would utilize in identifying a plastic surgeon was a web-based search (32.2%). The top three most important factors in selecting a plastic surgeon were surgeon's experience with the desired procedure (7.48), surgeon's board certification (7.38), and surgeon's years in practice (7.36). The three least important factors were the surgeon's race (5.43), number of social media posts (5.62), and television appearances (5.64). CONCLUSION Our survey provides insight into the role that different elements play in the decision of selecting a plastic surgeon in the US. Understanding how patients select a plastic surgeon can help surgeons optimize these elements in their practices.