A new wave of urologists? Graduating urology residents' practices of and attitudes toward social media

Use of social media for the improvement of safety knowledge and awareness among Saudi Arabian phlebotomists

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of social media for the improvement of safety knowledge and awareness among phlebotomists.

Methods

As this study was intended to arrive at specific conclusions using empirical evidence, a deductive quantitative cross-sectional online survey design was adopted. A total of 521 phlebotomists participated in the survey, and 86 incomplete responders were removed, resulting in a final sample of 435 considered in this study. T-tests and ANOVA were used to analyze the data.

Results

A total of 41.6% stated that social media was very effective, and 31.5% stated that it was somewhat effective in improving safety knowledge and awareness. in addition, this study revealed no major differences between male and female participants (p > 0.05) with respect to the effectiveness of social media. However, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) among the age groups were identified in relation to the effectiveness of social media and the intention to use it in the future.

Conclusion

Social media applications are effective for knowledge dissemination among healthcare professionals.

Twitter and Instagram Use in the Urology Residency Application Process

OBJECTIVE

To define urology applicant attitudes and usage trends of social media (SM) during the 2021 urology match cycle.

METHODS

We emailed an anonymous, de-identified 22-question, multiple choice survey to all applicants to our institution for the 2021 Urology Residency Match. We asked participants about use of SM and which aspects they found useful in the application process. Univariate descriptive analyses were conducted based on survey responses. Chi-square analyses were performed to define significant differences in use of social media and resultant match outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 528 students who registered for the 2021 AUA Match, 398 received our survey (75%), and 144 responded (27% of applicants nationwide). Of survey participants, 49% made a new account on Twitter while 30% had a preexisting account. Most participants (71%) had a preexisting Instagram account, while only 3% made a new account. Most participants agreed Twitter was used as a source to gather information about programs (84%) and learn about events (89%). Participants found SM most helpful for announcing event dates (71%) and highlighting resident social life (59%). Applicants did not match more highly on their rank lists if they used Twitter (P = .427) or Instagram (P = .166) and were not more likely to get more interviews if they used Twitter (P = .246) or Instagram (P = .114) CONCLUSION: Applicants found Twitter to be an important source of information through the virtual interview process. Despite the use of SM by most applicants, published content did not impact rank list decisions nor did SM engagement predict match outcomes.

Use of social media for the improvement of radiation safety knowledge among Saudi Arabian radiographers

BACKGROUND

Radiographers have used social media networks for education, research, professional development and other purposes. However, in Saudi Arabia, there are no studies on the use of social media by radiographers. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the use of social media for the improvement of radiation safety knowledge among Saudi Arabian radiographers.

METHODS

A questionnaire was designed to collect the data from Saudi Arabian radiographers. The questionnaire was created using Google Forms and was sent to 530 radiographers using WhatsApp. In total, 159 participants completed and returned the questionnaire through WhatsApp. The response rate was 30%. Basic descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Most of the participants (79.9%) thought that social media could be used as a tool for the improvement of radiation safety knowledge. Also, almost half of participants (49.7%) employed social media when they needed to obtain information about radiation protection. Similarly, a majority of respondents (69.2%) used social media when they required information related to radiation safety. In addition, 81.7% of participants observed on video the existing information on radiation safety. Also, 71.7% of them were disposed to expand the use of social media to obtain information for radiation protection in their professional activities.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that social media can help to improve radiation safety knowledge among Saudi Arabian radiographers. Consequently, participants were willing to increase the use of these tools in their professional work.

Internal Medicine Physicians and Social media: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes

Objective

Increasing adoption of social media have revolutionized communications between individuals, groups, and organizations This research study was designed to assess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of internal medicine physicians’ awareness and engagement with social media (sometimes referred to as #SoMe) within the digital landscape of healthcare delivery.

Methods

An audience-response survey focused on social media “Social media in Healthcare: Physician Survey,” was administered during the “A Systematic Approach to Medically Unexplained Symptoms” continuing medical education conference. The Conference took place between August 22, 2019 and August 24, 2019. Data was collected on August 23, 2019. A range of 103 (59.5%) to 112 (64.7%) of the total 173 attendees participated in this cross-sectional audience-response survey, depending on the questions answered.

Results

Most responders were between the ages of 35 and 65 years (79.6%) and female (60.2%). A majority of responders were aware of social media terminology (88.7%), and many had used it personally (46.7%), but only 12% knew how to use social media to search medical topics, 18% used it to network professionally and most (68.9%) had a distrust of social media when it came to the protection of their privacy or their patients’ privacy. Overall, about 29.6% indicated an interest in future continued medical education focused on social media (and 27.4% were neutral).

Conclusions

Approximately half of the responders used social media but far less engaged its platforms for professional use likely due to privacy related concerns. Distance from academic institutions, where professional social media use is more common likely, played a role in aversion. Awareness of social media’s role in healthcare has increased among physicians in practice, however their participation and knowledge of opportunities remains limited.

Global Survey of the Roles and Attitudes Toward Social Media Platforms Amongst Urology Trainees

OBJECTIVES

To perform a global survey assessing the role of and the attitudes toward media platforms amongst training Urologists METHODS: We distributed a 21-item online survey on social medial (SoMe) and other media platforms to current Urology trainees by email via individual institutions and multiple Urological associations. The survey acquired data including baseline characteristics, the role of and attitudes toward SoMe and other media platforms in training and assessed the prevalence of Social Media Disorder (SMD) based on the validated 9-item SMD Scale. Stata IC was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Three hundred and seventy-two urology trainees in 6 continents participated in the survey. Overall, 99.4% used SoMe and 27.3% listened to healthcare-focused podcasts. Most trainees (85.5%) are using guideline apps for education purposes, with the top 3 most utilized apps being the EAU, AUA, and UpToDate applications. There was mixed sentiment regarding the impact of SoMe on the patient-physician relationship, wherein most felt it challenges the doctor's authority (56.7%) but also empowers the patient (62.7%) and encourages shared-care (57.3%). Unfortunately, 11.3% of urology trainees met criteria for SMD while 65.4% had not reviewed professional guidelines on appropriate SoMe use.

CONCLUSION

Despite practically all urology trainees using SoMe and guideline applications, the majority of trainees have not reviewed or have been educated on professional guidelines for SoMe usage. There is a small but significant number of trainees who are at risk for SMD which may be contributing to higher rates of physician burnout amongst urologists.

Information behaviour of the millennial generation: a scoping review of medical residents and their use of social media

BACKGROUND

Medical residents can offer ideas for new information services, as most of them are 'digital natives', although reviews of the use of social media in health care settings do not provide data on their information behaviour.

OBJECTIVE

A scoping review aimed at providing a research map for the information behaviour of medical residents and their use of social media, listing the aspects of the information behaviour studied and the theories and methods used.

METHODS

A search was carried out in pubmed, embase, cinahl and lisa in April of 2018, with the results limited to the period from 2010 onwards.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine relevant articles from 38 different studies were identified. The presence and use of social media was the most researched aspect, followed by information sharing, the relationships established and, finally, the search for and use of information. These aspects are researched mainly from the point of view of doctor-patient interactions. Only one study incorporated a theory of its design. Surveys were the most frequently used method.

CONCLUSION

Research does not delve into medical residents' information behaviour on social media, despite the residents themselves using these media (in the context of everyday life, at least). More research is required.

Physicians' Attitude towards The Use of Social Media for Professional Purposes in Saudi Arabia

Purpose

In relation to this research, only a few studies have been carried out around the world. However, in Saudi Arabia, there have been no investigations into this subject. In this sense, the objective of this study was to investigate the physicians' attitudes towards the use of social media for professional purposes in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 235 physicians from different regions of Saudi Arabia. The data were collected by means of a survey. The survey questionnaire was distributed using the WhatsApp application. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results.

Results

The most common social media used by the respondents was Facebook, and the majority of the participants agreed that social media improved their knowledge and skills. However, most of the participants did not interact with patients using these tools, did not feel comfortable conducting an online consultation, and believed that social media affected the choice of the healthcare provider. Similarly, 30.6% of the respondents opined that it is not appropriate to search online information about patients, and 44.3% of them considered that patients would not trust the medical advice if a physician obtained the information from a website.

Conclusion

The results showed that the majority of the respondents considered that social media improved the knowledge and abilities of physicians. In addition, the respondents reflected that there were ethical issues that must be taken into account when using social media and more than half of them did not interact with their patients employing these tools. The outcomes of this research will help to develop programs directed at the physicians in Saudi Arabia to enhance their knowledge, professional skills, medicine practice, patient-doctor interaction, and handle the risks involved in the use of social media.

Guideline of guidelines: social media in urology

The use of social media is rapidly expanding. This technology revolution is changing the way healthcare providers share information with colleagues, patients, and other stakeholders. As social media use increases in urology, maintaining a professional online identity and interacting appropriately with one's network are vital to engaging positively and protecting patient health information. There are many opportunities for collaboration and exchange of ideas, but pitfalls exist without adherence to proper online etiquette. The purpose of this article is to review professional guidelines on the use of social media in urology, and outline best practice principles that urologists and other healthcare providers can reference when engaging in online networks.

Are We Witnessing a Paradigm Shift?: A Systematic Review of Social Media in Residency

As social media's applications continue to evolve, the pitfalls and dangers associated with misuse have been accentuated in the literature. Consequently, academic institutions across the nation have implemented social media policies. This study is aimed to evaluate the state of social media literature examining postgraduate trainees (residents/fellows).

METHODS

A systematic search was performed identifying peer-reviewed publications presenting original research. Studies published through December 8, 2018, focusing on social media use among postgraduate trainees were considered for inclusion.

RESULTS

Fifty-three studies were categorized into 4 domains: (1) resident recruitment, (2) graduate medical education, (3) professional development, and (4) academic scholarship. Thirty-four (64.15%) investigated social media's impact on professional development, of which 16 (47.05%) highlighted the detrimental potential on trainee professionalism. The remaining 18 (52.94%) focused on promoting social media training during residency, and/or enhancing social media competency to benefit professional development. Fourteen (26.42%) rationalized social media use in augmenting graduate medical education. Ten (18.87%) assessed social media's influence on resident recruitment, of which 7 (70%) depicted use as a screening instrument for program directors on resident applicants. Two (3.77%) of the studies introduced social media as a platform for academic scholarship with indicators as altmetrics.

CONCLUSIONS

The well-established disadvantages of social media use by the postgraduate trainee continue to persist in the literature. However, there is recognition of social media as a valuable resource in influencing resident recruitment, graduate medical education, professional development, and academic scholarship, representing a paradigm shift-from cautiously avoidant to thoughtful capitalization on its immense potential.

Use of social media in the Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare in Saudi Arabia

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of social media in the Radiology Department at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

The research was a cross-sectional study in which 90 workers from the staff personnel of the Radiology Department at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare were invited to a web-based survey using Google Forms. Fifty-seven participants responded to the survey (63%). Basic descriptive statistics were used to analyze the responses.

RESULTS

More than half of the participants (54.8%) were technologists. The majority of the respondents (61.4%) had a Bachelor's degree, and 50.8% of them had more than 10 years of experience. Also, 36.8% of the participants were between 30 and 40 years old, and 57.9 of them were males. Similarly, most of the participants (61.4%) were from Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the most frequently used application was WhatsApp (59.6%). Likewise, almost half of the participants (47.4%) managed social media multiple times a day and more than half of them used these tools to communicate with friends (68.4%) and family members (61.4%). As well, 12% of the respondents employed these media to study and 20% used them for professional reasons. Also, 38.6% of respondents had no barriers to use social media. However, the rest considered that time, private matters, negative replies, lack of information and experience, and uncertainty about the usefulness of social media were barriers.

CONCLUSION

According to the survey, most of the personnel of the Radiology Department at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare often used WhatsApp to communicate with family (61.4%) and friends (68.4%), and less than half of them employed these tools for educational purposes (21.1%) and professional issues (35.1%). Additionally, participants considered that there were some barriers related to the use of these tools.