Feasibility of developing a Twitter journal club for hematology/oncology education.

Abstract

11004 Background: Medical trainees are increasingly utilizing social media platforms for professional development, networking and education. Twitter chats (TC) are a growing tool to engage health professionals in virtual multi-institutional, cross-discipline discussions. A meta-analysis of Twitter as a tool in residency education demonstrated high rates of satisfaction and concept retention. Despite rapid uptake, few studies address needs for social media use and implementation in graduate medical education. Methods: We created a Twitter account (@HOjournalclub) and registered a certified hashtag (#HOJournalClub) with healthcare symplur. For each monthly TC, a specific tumor type and relevant publication was selected. This information was disseminated and amplified to reach trainees on Twitter. A content expert was invited to each TC to provide additional commentary. During TCs, participants answer questions based on domains of critical journal appraisal. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed. Basic demographics and tracked hashtag use to measure impressions, participants, and tweets per TC were gathered. Responses were collated and general themes were assessed. Participants were surveyed on ease of participation, article accessibility, and prior use of social media for education. Results: Since inception, @HOJournalClub has grown to >650 followers. Most are US-based (83%) medical trainees or healthcare professionals. Additional followers are in South America, Africa, UK, Europe, Middle East, India, East Asia and Australia. Gender is evenly distributed (51% male, 49% female.) Five #HOJournalClub chats have been held to date. Each attracted a mean of 30 participants, generating a mean of 217 tweets. Chats garnered a mean of 270,000 impressions (221,000-319,000) in the 48h after TC. Most participants accessed the chat in real time, with a small subset responding at alternate times. This asynchronous use has enhanced international participation. In post-TC surveys, majority of respondents report being new (48%) or sporadic (48%) users of TCs. Survey participants reported TC participation increased interaction with others in the field, improved literature appraisal skills and led to changes in clinical practice. Conclusions: Implementation of a Twitter-based journal club is feasible and attracts participation from trainees, promoting engagement and networking. It represents a novel educational tool for engagement in multi-institutional, multi-national and cross-discipline discussion of relevant hematology/oncology literature.