Social media use by cardiovascular healthcare professionals in Portugal

Improving the health literacy of persons with epilepsy

Improving health literacy can improve health. This essay reviews the resources available to help improve epilepsy health literacy, including websites, drug inserts/labels/information leaflets, patient educators, handouts, plain language, lay summaries, and other efforts to close the gaps between research and epilepsy health literacy.

Training and attitudes concerning cardiac rehabilitation in Portugal: A national survey of physician members of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a central component in the management of cardiovascular disease. While its potential benefits have been extensively explored and confirmed, its implementation is still suboptimal, due to various possible barriers. This study aimed to assess training and attitudes concerning CR among physicians in a Portuguese setting.

METHODS

An online questionnaire structured in three parts (participant characteristics, training and attitudes concerning CR, and a brief general knowledge assessment) was developed and sent to members of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology. The study population encompassed physicians with a medical specialty or residents from the third year onward of a specialty program.

RESULTS

A total of 97 individuals (57.7% male, 61.9% aged ≤50 years) presented valid answers. CR was available at the workplace of 54.6% of participants. Most of them considered that the time allocated to CR training during residency was inadequate, and thought that more time was needed for this purpose. Most had not dedicated (or intended to dedicate) time for CR training, with lack of time being the most frequently attributed reason. In terms of referral, a substantial proportion of subjects did not refer patients, with lack of CR centers and human resources being the most frequent reasons.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey provides contemporary data on CR training and attitudes, highlighting areas of potential improvement, such as time allocated to training in this area. These results could provide a useful pragmatic framework for optimization of training and awareness in this pivotal field of cardiovascular medicine.

Social media for cardiac imagers: a review

Cardiac imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. In the burgeoning landscape of digital technology and social media platforms, it becomes essential for cardiac imagers to know how to effectively increase the visibility and the impact of their activity. With the availability of social sites like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, cardiac imagers can now reach a wider audience and engage with peers, sharing their findings, insights, and discussions. The integration of persistent identifiers, such as digital object identifiers (DOIs), facilitates traceability and citation of cardiac imaging publications across various digital platforms, further enhancing their discoverability. To maximize visibility, practical advice is provided, including the use of visually engaging infographics and videos, as well as the strategic implementation of relevant hashtags and keywords. These techniques can significantly improve the discoverability of cardiac imaging research through search engine optimization and social media algorithms. Tracking impact and engagement is crucial in the digital age, and this review discusses various metrics and tools to gauge the reach and influence of cardiac imaging publications. This includes traditional citation-based metrics and altmetrics. Moreover, this review underscores the importance of creating and updating professional profiles on social platforms and participating in relevant scientific communities online. The adoption of digital technology, social platforms, and a strategic approach to publication sharing can empower cardiac imaging professionals to enhance the visibility and impact of their research, ultimately advancing the field and improving patient care.

Digital health and cardiovascular healthcare professionals in Portugal: Current status, expectations and barriers to implementation

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Digital health (DH) is a broad concept, bringing together technology and healthcare, that is playing an increasingly important role in the daily routine of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and promises to contribute to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. There are no solid data on the position of Portuguese HCPs toward the implementation of DH in cardiovascular medicine. This national cross-sectional study aims to provide a snapshot of DH implementation in Portuguese cardiovascular HCP routines and to identify both expectations and barriers to its adoption.

METHODS

An 18-question survey was created specifically for this study and distributed to 1174 individuals on the Portuguese Society of Cardiology mailing list.

RESULTS

We collected 117 valid responses (response rate 10%). Almost all participants had smartphones and laptops, and two-thirds had tablets. Electronic medical information systems were the most used DH tool (84% of respondents) and were considered the most important for improving cardiovascular care. Implantable technologies (sensors and devices), telemedicine and social media were used by more than two out of three respondents and considered «very important» or «extremely important» by most of them. Most participants showed positive expectations regarding the impact of DH in cardiovascular medicine: 78% agreed that DH could improve health outcomes, 64% that it promotes health literacy and 63% that it could decrease healthcare costs. The top-rated barriers were patients' inability to use smartphones, limited access to electronic devices, and lack of legal regulation of DH.

CONCLUSION

Most Portuguese cardiovascular HCPs had at least three electronic devices (mainly smartphones, laptops and tablets) and showed positive expectations regarding DH's current and future impact on cardiovascular medicine. Patient DH literacy, technology adoption, and DH regulation were identified as the most important barriers to increasing the adoption of DH tools in cardiovascular medicine.