Diagnosis in a snap: a pilot study using Snapchat in radiologic didactics

Potential benefits of social media in educating healthcare professionals and students on medical imaging with ionizing radiation: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Advancements in medical imaging with ionizing radiation have significantly transformed the field and enhanced the education and training of medical professionals. A notable development in this educational landscape is the use of social media, which engages millions of users worldwide. This scoping review aims to explore the potential of social media as an educational tool for healthcare professionals and students in medical imaging with ionizing radiation, highlighting its benefits and disadvantages.

METHODS

In March 2024, research was conducted on three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The research equation combined the terms "Social Media," "Education," and "Medical Imaging." Data extraction was based on PRISMA-ScR guidelines for scoping reviews.

RESULTS

Seventeen articles published between 2017 and 2023 were included in this review, all of which were descriptive cross-sectional studies and primarily focused on popular platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The key advantages of social media use for medical imaging education were accessibility, ease of use, and broad reach, while the main limitation was the potential for misinformation.

CONCLUSION

While there is clear potential to integrate social media into medical imaging education, more must be done to understand their effectiveness. This ongoing process requires the active engagement of all stakeholders. While promising, further research is needed to validate social media as an educational tool.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Successfully integrating social media into medical imaging education, thus enhancing learning, communication, and collaboration between healthcare professionals, requires a strong commitment to managing accurate and reliable content sources on social media.

Social media for cardiac imagers: a review

Cardiac imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. In the burgeoning landscape of digital technology and social media platforms, it becomes essential for cardiac imagers to know how to effectively increase the visibility and the impact of their activity. With the availability of social sites like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, cardiac imagers can now reach a wider audience and engage with peers, sharing their findings, insights, and discussions. The integration of persistent identifiers, such as digital object identifiers (DOIs), facilitates traceability and citation of cardiac imaging publications across various digital platforms, further enhancing their discoverability. To maximize visibility, practical advice is provided, including the use of visually engaging infographics and videos, as well as the strategic implementation of relevant hashtags and keywords. These techniques can significantly improve the discoverability of cardiac imaging research through search engine optimization and social media algorithms. Tracking impact and engagement is crucial in the digital age, and this review discusses various metrics and tools to gauge the reach and influence of cardiac imaging publications. This includes traditional citation-based metrics and altmetrics. Moreover, this review underscores the importance of creating and updating professional profiles on social platforms and participating in relevant scientific communities online. The adoption of digital technology, social platforms, and a strategic approach to publication sharing can empower cardiac imaging professionals to enhance the visibility and impact of their research, ultimately advancing the field and improving patient care.

Evolution in Congenital Cardiology Education: The Rise of Digital-Learning Tools

Technology-enhanced learning is now an established part of medical education due to its ready availability and on-demand nature. This offers new opportunities but also challenges to both learners and teachers. This review outlines the current use of social media tools and online resources in medical education with a particular emphasis on congenital cardiology. It provides strategies to the reader on how to optimize learning in the digital environment and offers guidance on how such tools can be incorporated into routine educational practice. Suggestions for developing and assessing educational material online are discussed. Lastly, the concepts of digital professionalism and digital scholarship are explored to aid medical teachers and educators employ these technologies effectively into their teaching and career development.

Role of social and non-social online media: how to properly leverage your internet presence for professional development and research

The internet has become an integral component of daily life, with its content broadly grouped into social media and non-social online content. The use of social media, comprising interactive information sharing and networking tools, has proliferated in radiology, with as many as 85% of radiologists utilizing social media and adoption by both private and academic practices. In radiology, social media has been used to increase patient and public awareness of the specialty, establish a professional brand, share scholarly activity, aid in professional development and recruitment, improve communication, and increase engagement during scientific meetings. Organizations like the Society of Abdominal Radiology have increased the visibility of abdominal and pelvic radiology through their activity on social media; however, individual radiologists are integral to this function as well. In this article, we outline a stepwise approach to the individual use of social media, with practical tips for radiologists interested in effectively engaging the plethora of social media and non-social online content available. We also briefly discuss an approach to performing research using publicly available online media.