Electronic and Social Media-based Radiology Learning Initiative: Development, Implementation, Viewership Trends, and Assessment at 1 Year

The growing role of social media for research and education in radiology

While the adoption of social media platforms has become commonplace for personal life use, its practice has tremendously grown for professional usage in medicine, and particularly in the field of radiology. The use of alternative metrics, or altmetrics, scores have developed in an effort to quantify the impact of research beyond traditional metrics, such as citation rate and journal impact factor, particularly to recognize the impact of social media on dissemination and promotion of research. Social media usage in the realm of radiology has expectedly been adopted for the purposes of medical education, research, networking, and advocacy. However, some platforms have been used as a medium to discuss and share the day-to-day nature in the field of radiology, burnout in radiology, as well as radiology-themed humor. The purpose of this review article was discuss the role of altmetrics, as well as the specific uses of social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and more. The role of ethics in social media practice related to radiology are discussed.

A Gamified Social Media-Based Head and Neck Radiology Education Initiative of the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology: Viewership and Engagement Trends at 3 Years

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Social media has made inroads in medical education. We report the creation and 3-year (2018-2021) longitudinal assessment of the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology Case of the Week (#ASHNRCOTW), assessing viewership, engagement, and impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on this Twitter-based education initiative.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Unknown cases were tweeted from the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology account weekly. Tweet impressions (number of times seen), engagements (number of interactions), and new followers were tabulated. A social media marketing platform identified worldwide distribution of Twitter followers. Summary and t test statistics were performed.

RESULTS

#ASHNRCOTW was highly visible with 2,082,280 impressions and 203,137 engagements. There were significantly greater mean case impressions (9917 versus 6346), mean case engagements (1305 versus 474), case engagement rates (13.06% versus 7.76%), mean answer impressions (8760 versus 5556), mean answer engagements (908 versus 436), answer engagement rates (10.38% versus 7.87%), mean total (case + answer) impressions (18,677 versus 11,912), mean total engagements (2214 versus 910), and total engagement rates (11.79% versus 7.69%) for cases published after the pandemic started (all P values < .001). There was a significant increase in monthly new followers after starting #ASHNRCOTW (mean, 134 versus 6; P < .001) and significantly increased monthly new followers after the pandemic started compared with prepandemic (mean, 178 versus 101; P = .003). The American Society of Head and Neck Radiology has 7564 Twitter followers throughout 130 countries (66% outside the United States).

CONCLUSIONS

Social media affords substantial visibility, engagement, and global outreach for radiology education. #ASHNRCOTW viewership and engagement increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A narrative review of e-learning in professional education of healthcare professionals in medical imaging and radiation therapy

OBJECTIVES

This literature review attempts to explore the characteristics of e-learning tools used to develop the qualifications and skills of healthcare professionals in medical imaging and radiation therapy, and to promote the effectiveness and acceptance of e-learning through highlighting the outcomes of its implementation where applicable.

KEY FINDINGS

From the literature search in the PubMed and ResearchGate databases we concluded to 21 articles, which were included in the qualitative synthesis. Acceptance of e-learning tools was confirmed. Also, e-learning can be part of healthcare professionals' blended learning. The acquisition of new or improvement of existing knowledge, the improvement of clinical skills and the increase of the self-confidence of healthcare professionals in their daily practice were recorded, as outcomes of the e-learning implementation. The importance of human-computer interaction for the comprehension of theoretical concepts and practical aspects using multimedia was also captured. No significant findings emerged among the 21 articles against the adoption of the e-learning for the training of healthcare professionals. The Internet is the channel used for synchronous and asynchronous interaction of trainees with instructors.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that e-learning is an attractive training method, equally or occasionally more effective than the traditional educational methods for the lifelong training of healthcare professionals in the field of medical imaging and radiation therapy. Also, many collaborative web-based applications provide the necessary means to build an e-learning program, according to the training needs of each professional team.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This new knowledge corroborates the perspective of e-learning beneficial contribution to remote interaction and collaboration of healthcare professionals in medical imaging and radiation therapy. Collaborative web-based tools are already available to decision makers and stakeholders, who want to develop an e-learning program.

Role of social and non-social online media: how to properly leverage your internet presence for professional development and research

The internet has become an integral component of daily life, with its content broadly grouped into social media and non-social online content. The use of social media, comprising interactive information sharing and networking tools, has proliferated in radiology, with as many as 85% of radiologists utilizing social media and adoption by both private and academic practices. In radiology, social media has been used to increase patient and public awareness of the specialty, establish a professional brand, share scholarly activity, aid in professional development and recruitment, improve communication, and increase engagement during scientific meetings. Organizations like the Society of Abdominal Radiology have increased the visibility of abdominal and pelvic radiology through their activity on social media; however, individual radiologists are integral to this function as well. In this article, we outline a stepwise approach to the individual use of social media, with practical tips for radiologists interested in effectively engaging the plethora of social media and non-social online content available. We also briefly discuss an approach to performing research using publicly available online media.

Using Online Survey Software to Enhance Radiology Learning

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Online educational modules can augment radiology learning by creating opportunities to interact with images in more dynamic ways than with static presentation of images in lectures or journal articles. Building these modules on an online survey platform allows for quantitative assessment and learner feedback, without requiring programming knowledge or need for new website creation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Interactive online tutorials were built on a web-based survey platform (Qualtrics, Provo, Utah) accessible by computer or mobile device to teach radiology imaging findings of selected high-morbidity diagnoses. Topics included congenital-type internal hernias (module 1), acute appendicitis in the pregnant patient (module 2), and unintentionally retained surgical instruments (RSI; module 3). Modules consisted of pretest, educational module, and post-test components. For modules 1 and 2, graphics interchange formats were utilized to show CT and MRI image stacks for the diagnosis of congenital-type internal hernias and acute appendicitis in pregnant patients, respectively. For module 3, the "Heat Map" format was chosen to showcase intraoperative radiograph cases, which allowed participants to click on the potential RSI in the image. Pre- and post-test scores were evaluated. To determine statistical significance, an alpha level of 0.05 was utilized.

RESULTS

Module 1 (Internal Hernia): Twenty-one radiology trainees completed the module. The mean pretest score was 3.66 (±1.13) points out of a total 6 possible points (61%), compared to 4.52 (±1.03) points on the post-test (75%). This was a statistically significant increase on the post-test of 0.87 points (95% CI [confidence interval] 0.36, 1.38), t(20) = 3.53, p= 0.002. Module 2 (MR Appendicitis): Seventeen radiology trainees completed the module. The mean pretest score was 3.18 (±1.42) points out of a total 6 possible points (53%), compared to 5.12 (±0.86) points on the post-test (85%). This was a statistically significant increase on the post-test of 1.94 points (95% CI 1.12, 2.76), t(16) = 5.00, p< 0.001. Module 3 (RSI): One hundred seven participants completed the module. The mean pretest score was 3.60 (±1.53) points out of a total 6 possible points (60%), compared to 4.54 (±1.36) points on the post-test (76%). This was a statistically significant increase on the post-test of 0.94 points (95% CI 0.67, 1.21), t(106) = 6.84, p< 0.001.

CONCLUSION

An online survey platform can be used to build interactive education modules. Post-test scores significantly improved from pretest scores with these educational modules.

Nuclear Medicine Education Via Instagram: A Viable Method for Informal Lifelong Learning

Formal and informal lifelong learning allows nuclear medicine professionals to grow and change over time within this dynamic field. Over the past 2 decades, Internet-based websites have provided instantaneous access to informal learning opportunities, including nuclear medicine reference articles, videos and webinars, and case-based learning. More recently, medical educators have explored social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to provide nuclear medicine education. This article discusses the use of Instagram as a platform for lifelong learning in nuclear medicine. Several nuclear medicine Instagram sites are introduced and user characteristics and participation for a representative site are presented in an effort to learn more about this educational forum, which is increasingly being recognized among academic educators.

How to Use YouTube for Radiology Education

YouTube, the most commonly used free video-sharing platform globally, is increasingly being used as an educational tool in Radiology. Trainees worldwide now have the opportunity to learn about medical imaging at their own pace in the comfort of their homes, without geographical and financial constraints. Unfortunately, because YouTube is an easily accessible platform, it also incurs the risk of disseminating erroneous medical information or low-quality educational content. This article outlines the primary considerations when creating educational content on YouTube, including technical aspects, best practices, and measures to maximize effectiveness and success. Additionally, we discuss the current usage of the platform for Radiology education and its advantages and disadvantages and list some of the most popular Radiology YouTube channels.

Radiology podcasting as a model for asynchronous remote learning in the COVID-19 era

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

We aimed to create an open access online radiology podcast to educate listeners at any time, from anywhere. To meet learner needs and improve the likelihood of successful implementation and utilization, we assessed radiology trainee attitudes and experiences of podcasts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We developed an educational podcast, From the Viewbox, focused on evergreen themes and practical approaches to radiology. Content categories included Diagnostic Approach, Specific Imaging Diagnoses, Noninterpretive Skills, and Special Topics. We released and promoted episodes on multiple digital platforms. Radiology trainees were surveyed and data were analyzed to assess listener preferences and usage trends.

RESULTS

Only 19% of our trainees had previously listened to a radiology podcast, yet 81% expressed interest in listening routinely. After initial release, 86% of trainees listened to the podcast and 62% listened routinely. Episodes gained the most plays immediately following release but retained and continued to attract more listeners. The most popular episode discussing COVID-19 diagnosis and imaging, emphasized the importance of selecting high yield content to match listener needs. Most trainees felt the podcast had "very high" or "high" value in educational value, accessibility, and time efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

From the Viewbox offers efficient and accessible audio-only learning modules that can be used independently or effectively paired with traditional resources to decrease barriers in radiology education and enhance learner productivity. Podcasting is an underutilized asynchronous remote learning tool that can help overcome current challenges of social distancing, and more importantly address the diverse preferences and needs of our learners.

Radiology, Mobile Devices, and Internet of Things (IoT)

Radiology by its nature is intricately connected to the Internet and is at the forefront of technology in medicine. The past few years have seen a dramatic rise in Internet-based technology in healthcare, with imaging as a core application. Numerous Internet-based applications and technologies have made forays into medicine, and for radiology it is more seamless than in other clinical specialties. Many applications in the practice of radiology are Internet based and more applications are being added every day. Introduction of mobile devices and their integration into imaging workflow has reinforced the role played by the Internet in radiology. Due to the rapid proliferation of wearable devices and smartphones, IoT-enabled technology is evolving healthcare from conventional hub-based systems to more personalized healthcare systems. This article briefly discusses how the IoT plays a useful role in daily imaging workflow and current and potential future applications, how mobile devices can be integrated into radiology workflows, and the impact of the IoT on resident and medical student education, research, and patient engagement in radiology.