TWITTER-BASED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES #MONDAYNIGHTIBD AND #SCOPINGSUNDAYS ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING, IMPROVE CLINICAL PRACTICE, AND FACILITATE NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION AMONG MEMBERS OF THE GASTROENTEROLOGY COMMUNITY

ABSTRACT

Introduction The use of social media (SM) as an educational and networking platform is rapidly growing among healthcare professionals (HCPs), with Twitter being a preferred media for gastroenterologists. This has led to the development of organized gastroenterology (GI)-focused weekly Twitter chats (GIT) to promote medical education while enhancing user engagement. Methods A survey instrument was designed to evaluate the use and effectiveness of GIT as an educational resource for HCPs and to ascertain its perceived value relative to more traditional sources of education. The survey was distributed via Twitter from the official accounts of #MondayNightIBD and #ScopingSundays. Questions regarding participant demographics, area of clinical practice, participation and effectiveness of GIT were included. Level of agreement was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Results Of the 237 respondents, 49.8% were GI attending physicians, and 32.5% were GI fellows/trainees;75.5% currently practice in an academic medical center/hospital and 21.9% in a community hospital/private practice. 61.4% of respondents reported actively participating in GIT while 21.2% reported leading a weekly discussion/s. Regarding the impact of GIT on practice, majority of the respondents (89.1%) agreed/strongly agreed that it has improved their understanding of evidence-based treatment strategies, and their comfort level in navigating complex cases (90.3%), managing clinical scenarios not discussed in guidelines or textbooks (91.9%), and interpreting the results of new and emerging data and their implications (86.3%;Table 1). Respondents agreed/strongly agreed that GIT enhances expertise (90.3%), promotes decision making based on others’ expertise (88.9%), while also facilitating community building and /collegiality (95.3%), and networking (92.8%). Respondents selected GI journals (61.6%), GIT (62.3%), and conferences/symposia (51.9%) as the most effective tools to help improve their practice (Table 2). They also reported increasing use of the following educational platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic SM including GIT (84.8%), webinars (80%), virtual conferences (65.8%), journals (24.1%), and podcasts (21.5%). Conclusions Among gastroenterologists who use Twitter, organized educational Twitter chats #MondayNightIBD and #ScopingSundays, rank high or highest as compared to other educational resources for evidence-based learning and clinical practice impact, while providing opportunities for community building and networking. The success of these educational platforms is likely due in part to the interactive and open access format that facilitates effective learner engagement. The use of Twitter in medical education is an emerging field of scholarship that merits further study.(Image Presented)