Twitter for Medical Education – What is it and Why Should I Care? Julie K. Hewett International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE)

What is Twitter? Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets . Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers . Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Source: Wikipedia (August 2009)

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets .

Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers . Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access.

Source: Wikipedia (August 2009)

What is Twitter Short & Sweet – Twitter is: An information sharing application that serves as a conduit for connecting people.

Short & Sweet –

Twitter is:

An information sharing application that serves as a conduit for connecting people.

Twitter Basics First Step: Go to Twitter.com And create an account

Twitter Basics Second Step: Customize your Account

Twitter Basics Once you have an account, you will need to “follow” people in order to receive “Tweets” Others need to “follow” you to see your “Tweets”

Twitter Basics Ways to find people to follow:

Ways to find people to follow:

Twitter Basics Click to Follow Subscribe to RSS Feed Send a Direct Message

Twitter Basics Send a Tweet

Send a Tweet

Twitter Basics Receive a Response

Receive

a

Response

Twitter Basics Hashtags Wikipedia Definition (August 2009): In online computer systems terminology, a tag is a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an internet bookmark, digital image, or computer file). This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching. Tags are chosen informally and personally by the item's creator or by its viewer, depending on the system.

Hashtags

Wikipedia Definition (August 2009):

In online computer systems terminology, a tag is a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an internet bookmark, digital image, or computer file).

This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching.

Tags are chosen informally and personally by the item's creator or by its viewer, depending on the system.

Twitter Basics Short & Sweet #Hashtag: Method to add a reference label to a conversation for future searches e.g., #IAMSE10 – IAMSE 2010 Conference e.g., #MedEd – Medical Education

Short & Sweet

#Hashtag:

Method to add a reference label to a conversation for future searches

e.g., #IAMSE10 – IAMSE 2010 Conference

e.g., #MedEd – Medical Education

Twitter in Medical Education Who is using Twitter in MedEd? Medical Schools Hospitals Health Organizations Medical Libraries Medical Journals Faculty Members Students

Who is using Twitter in MedEd?

Medical Schools

Hospitals

Health Organizations

Medical Libraries

Medical Journals

Faculty Members

Students

Twitter in Medical Education Examples of Medical Schools using Twitter Duke - @dukemedicine Yale - @yalemedicine UMDNJ @umdnj_rwms University of Missouri SOM - @mumedicine Ohio State Medical Center - @osumc University of Michigan – @UMHealthSystems University of Texas – Houston - @UTMedSchool Dalhousie Medical School - @DalMedSchool Leiden University Medical Center - @LUMC_Leiden

Examples of Medical Schools using Twitter

Duke - @dukemedicine

Yale - @yalemedicine

UMDNJ @umdnj_rwms

University of Missouri SOM - @mumedicine

Ohio State Medical Center - @osumc

University of Michigan – @UMHealthSystems

University of Texas – Houston - @UTMedSchool

Dalhousie Medical School - @DalMedSchool

Leiden University Medical Center - @LUMC_Leiden

Twitter in Medical Education Top 5 Hospitals Mayo Clinic – 6,639 @MayoClinic Aurora St Luke’s – 4,869 @Aurora_Health St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – 3,595 @StJude Children’s National Medical Center – 3,141 @ChildrensHealth Scripps Memorial Hospital – 3,119 @ScrippsHealth Followers as of August 23, 2009

Top 5 Hospitals

Mayo Clinic – 6,639

@MayoClinic

Aurora St Luke’s – 4,869

@Aurora_Health

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – 3,595

@StJude

Children’s National Medical Center – 3,141

@ChildrensHealth

Scripps Memorial Hospital – 3,119

@ScrippsHealth

Twitter in Medical Education Examples of Health Organizations Using Twitter World Health Organization – @WHONews National Institute of Health - @nih_gov Center for Disease Control - @CDCEmergency @CDCFlu @CDC_eHealth

Examples of Health Organizations Using Twitter

World Health Organization – @WHONews

National Institute of Health - @nih_gov

Center for Disease Control - @CDCEmergency

@CDCFlu @CDC_eHealth

Twitter in Medical Education Examples of Medical Libraries Using Twitter Florida Int’l Univ Medical Library - @fiumedlib Yale Medical Library - @ymedlib Commonweath Medical Library - @tcmclibrary VAMC Medical Library - @vamcmedlib Chiang Mai Thailand University Library - @cmumedlib

Examples of Medical Libraries Using Twitter

Florida Int’l Univ Medical Library - @fiumedlib

Yale Medical Library - @ymedlib

Commonweath Medical Library - @tcmclibrary

VAMC Medical Library - @vamcmedlib

Chiang Mai Thailand University Library - @cmumedlib

Twitter in Medical Education Examples of Medical Journals using Twitter JAMA - @JAMA_current British Medical Journal - @bmj_latest Student BMJ - @StudentBMJ American Journal of Nursing - @AmJNurs PubMed - @ncbi_pubmed Complete Listing - http://laikaspoetnik.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/medical-journals-on-twitter/

Examples of Medical Journals using Twitter

JAMA - @JAMA_current

British Medical Journal - @bmj_latest

Student BMJ - @StudentBMJ

American Journal of Nursing - @AmJNurs

PubMed - @ncbi_pubmed

Complete Listing - http://laikaspoetnik.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/medical-journals-on-twitter/

Twitter in Medical Education Let’s not forget - Faculty Members & Students!

Let’s not forget -

Faculty Members & Students!

Twitter in Medical Education How can Twitter be used? Announcements Helping Students to Study Gathering Resources Sharing Resources Promoting Activities Sharing Employment Opportunities Networking

How can Twitter be used?

Announcements

Helping Students to Study

Gathering Resources

Sharing Resources

Promoting Activities

Sharing Employment Opportunities

Networking

Twitter in Medical Education Example of Tweets

Twitter in Medical Education By Medical Schools

By Medical Schools

Twitter in Medical Education Helping Students Study

Twitter in Medical Education Gathering Resources

Gathering Resources

Twitter in Medical Education Sharing of Resources

Twitter in Medical Education Sharing of Resources

Twitter in Medical Education To Promote Activities

Twitter in Medical Education Promoting Activities

Twitter in Medical Education Sharing Employment Opportunities

Twitter in Medical Education Additional Reading: Pharma Twitterama: Exploring the Use of Twitter in Pharma and Healthcare – Shwen Gwee 140 Health Care Uses for Twitter – Phil Baumann

Additional Reading:

Pharma Twitterama: Exploring the Use of Twitter in Pharma and Healthcare – Shwen Gwee

140 Health Care Uses for Twitter – Phil Baumann

Twitter in the Classroom Ways in which Twitter can be used in the classroom Direct Tweets between Faculty/Students Connect with Fellow Students Collaborate on Project Make Announcements Take a Poll (Twitpol.com) Share Resources Follow Mentors Promote an Event Sharing Pictures (Twitpic.com) Brainstorming Virtual Attendee at Events Source: 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the College Classroom

Ways in which Twitter can be used in the classroom

Direct Tweets between Faculty/Students

Connect with Fellow Students

Collaborate on Project

Make Announcements

Take a Poll (Twitpol.com)

Share Resources

Follow Mentors

Promote an Event

Sharing Pictures (Twitpic.com)

Brainstorming

Virtual Attendee at Events

Source: 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the College Classroom

Twitter Tools Tools to Make it Easier!

Twitter Tools TweetDeck Tool that allows you to sort your followers into groups. Application can be synched to iPhone

Twitter Tools Seesmic Desktop Tool that allows you to sort your followers into groups & to monitor multiple accounts at the same time.

Twitter Tools

Twitter – Final Thoughts Why Should I Care? Your students are tweeting Your institution is tweeting Your colleagues are tweeting What are they saying? What are they sharing?

Why Should I Care?

Your students are tweeting

Your institution is tweeting

Your colleagues are tweeting

What are they saying? What are they sharing?

Twitter – Final Thoughts Is Twitter a waste of time? It depends on how you use it and who you follow !

Is Twitter a waste of time?

It depends on how you use it and who you follow !

Twitter – Final Thoughts Think about how you want to use Twitter before you begin to follow people Tweet with value Use tools such as Tweetdeck or Seesmic to make it easier Use #Hashtags when appropriate Ask questions / solicit feedback Don’t feel obligated to follow back

Think about how you want to use Twitter before you begin to follow people

Tweet with value

Use tools such as Tweetdeck or Seesmic to make it easier

Use #Hashtags when appropriate

Ask questions / solicit feedback

Don’t feel obligated to follow back

@iamse @jkhewett Contact: [email_address]