This document proposes a course to introduce healthcare professionals and trainees to professional uses of social media and new technologies. The course would cover practical and ethical issues of using these tools in clinical roles. It outlines learning objectives like understanding professional guidance and benefits/drawbacks of social media for patients and healthcare. Assessments include engaging with social media through blogs, discussions and online projects. Challenges of the curriculum like design, resources and evaluation are also discussed. The proposal aims to help professionals navigate social media in their work.

1. DIGI-GP: A COURSE PROPOSAL
FOR INTRODUCING
PROFESSIONAL USES OF
SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEW
TECHNOLOGIES
DR NÓRA MURRAY-CAVANAGH
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH MEDICAL EDUCATION FORUM
14/11/2013

2. In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the way society
interacts with the world around them using digital technologies and
social media. This has knock on effects, both positive and negative, on
the healthcare profession and those involved in clinical education.

3. I personally have found the benefits to include
• my experience online is simultaneously enriched and simplified
• my knowledge of both clinical and professional (eg Medical
Education/Politics) topics is developed
• I have built up an international multiprofessional network of colleagues
in Medical Education, Primary Care and beyond

4. Bearing in mind that our audience will be of wildly varying degrees of
experience, confidence, and enthusiasm in this arena, in this course
proposal, I considered how we could "safely" introduce these concepts
to our trainees (in this instance, in my specialty area of General
Practice, but the course would have much wider implications).

5. I proposed to cover practicalities of using social media and the internet
within their healthcare roles and encouraged them to consider the
professional ethical issues thrown up by these new technologies so
they could make informed choices about how they would engage in the
future.

10. WHAT NEXT?

11. SOCIAL
MEDIA
USE
BY
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
Neither
86.2%
9.2%
11%
% of GPSTs who use this
21.3%
50%
-
Social
Media
(n=20)
(n=5)
issues
related
GPSTs
% of GPSTs who have an
account with…
Practice/Training
account
to
for
Medical

12. Barriers to using online discussion (can
select multiple)
% of non-
users
Concerns about confidentiality
36.8
Too busy
48.7
“Not a computer person”
14.5
I value face to face discussion more than
44.7
electronic
Other (see free text comments
15.8

15. CURRICULUM PROPOSAL?

16. LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Be aware of the range and uses of different formats of Social Media*
2. Be familiar with existing professional guidance in this area*
3. Have professionally engaged with Social Media
4. Understand the benefits and drawbacks of Social Media use for patients
5. Understand the benefits and drawbacks of Social Media use for the wider field of
healthcare provision in the UK and internationally
P.
DIGITAL PROFESSIONALISM: GPSTs will have
reflected on engagement with Social Media in order to
make an informed decision about its role in their future
professional career.

18. METHODS
• e-Learning modules
• Online presentations (slideshows/videos)
• Online discussion (using existing tools)
• Blogs (Personal Websites)
• Annual Conference

19. ASSESSMENT

20. ASSESSMENT 3: HAVE PROFESSIONALLY
ENGAGED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
• 3.1
Participate in an asynchronous Discussion Board discussion on at least one
clinical and one professional topic
• 3.2
Participate in a twitter chat on “Confidentiality” and at least 2 other live twitter
chats on a professional topic
• 3.3
• 3.4
Facilitate a live twitter chat and produce a Storify summary
Create >3 reflective and referenced blog posts and presentations during the
module
• 3.5
Participate in peer assessment of group’s blog posts/presentations (number
dependent on amount of participating GPSTs)
• 3.6
Completion of appropriate e-Learning modules

21. TOOLS
DISCUSSION BOARD
TWITTER
STORIFY

25. ASSESSMENT 4: UNDERSTAND THE
BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF SOCIAL
MEDIA USE FOR PATIENTS
•
•
4.1
•
•
•
•
•
4.3
Collect feedback from users using Questback/surveymonkey
4.4
Author/Edit a Wikipedia entry on your patient group topic
4.5
Write a reflective blog entry on the experience
4.6
Peer assessment as 3.5
4.7
Completion of appropriate e-Learning modules
Engage with a patient group on Social Media
4.2 Create a collaborative online resource with a colleague related to this
patient group

26. ASSESSMENT 5: UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS
AND DRAWBACKS OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE FOR
WIDER FIELD OF HEALTHCARE PROVISION IN
THE UK/INTERNATIONALLY
•
5.1 Conduct a project researching and influencing an area of Patient Safety, GP
Training or Quality Improvement in General Practice (may be further developed in
proposed extended 4 year GP Training) using Social Media
•
5.2 Interact with your GPST3 practice or the local GPST Virtual Learning Environment
(Training website) co-ordinator to improve the quality of their online presence (this may
include building a basic website or other sustainable Social Media account if your
Practice does not currently have one)
•
•
•
5.3
Participate in NHS Scotland Hack Day (April)
5.4
Peer Assessment as 3.5
5.5
Completion of appropriate e-Learning modules

27. CHALLENGES
• Design
• Type of Curriculum
• Resources
• Hidden Curriculum
• Technology
• Evaluation and Quality Assurance

28. CHALLENGES
• Design
• Type of Curriculum
• Resources
• Hidden Curriculum
• Technology
• Evaluation and Quality Assurance

31. WIDER IMPLICATIONS
• Trainees
• Educators
• Beyond GP Training (Medicine)
• Postgraduate
• Undergraduate
• Beyond Medicine
• A current example

33. THANKS & QUESTIONS!
Nora.MurrayCavanagh@nes.scot.nhs.uk