Richard Amini, Janelle B. Wang, N. Seth Trueger, Riley Hoyer, Srikar Adhikari
Abstract
Social media has been gaining traction among learners and educators for its ability to stimulate discussion, increase participation, and promote knowledge sharing. Despite the growing research around the benefits of social media in education, there is little evidence on how it is being incorporated into emergency ultrasound (EUS) fellowships. This study aims to determine the preference and use of social media by engaging with program directors across EUS programs in the United States to assess the current landscape of and attitudes toward social media use.
This was a cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was electronically sent to all EUS fellowship directors across the country. The survey consisted of questions regarding current practice patterns, policies, and perceptions regarding the use of social media in EUS fellowship programs.
Ninety-six ultrasound fellowship programs were identified for inclusion into this study. A total of 64 participants completed the survey, representing a 63% response rate. Thirty-eight percent (95% confidence interval [CI] = 26% - 50%) of responding fellowship programs have an official social media outlet and 25% have a separate ultrasound handle for their EM residency program. Fifty-eight percent (95% CI = 46% - 70%) of programs do not provide training to fellows and residents on the social media outlets used by their program. The top two social media outlets currently being used by programs are Twitter and YouTube to disseminate educational content and knowledge sharing. Twenty-eight percent (95% CI = 17% - 39%) of programs create or post new ultrasound content at least once per month. Regarding barriers in the use of social media in EUS fellowships, 57% (95% CI = 45% - 69%) of program directors sited lack of time as the primary reason for decreased usage and implementation. Eighty-four percent (95% CI = 75% - 93%) of responders felt that social media has the potential to impact patient care.
The results of this study indicate that there is perceived value in utilizing social media resources in EUS education; however, certain challenges need to be further evaluated.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 29 July 2018.
All research outputs
#7,273,664
of 26,365,186 outputs
Outputs from AEM Education and Training: A Global Journal of Emergency Care
#273
of 670 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#120,992
of 426,417 outputs
Outputs of similar age from AEM Education and Training: A Global Journal of Emergency Care
#9
of 12 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 26,365,186 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 72nd percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 670 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.1. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 59% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 426,417 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 71% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 12 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 25th percentile – i.e., 25% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
