pathCast : An Interactive Medical Education Curriculum That Leverages Livestreaming on Facebook and YouTube

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of social media among healthcare workers in an attempt to identify how it affects the quality of patient care. Results An anonymous survey of 35 questions was conducted in South Texas, on 366 healthcare workers. Of the 97% of people who reported owning electronic devices, 87.9% indicated that they used social media. These healthcare workers indicated that they spent approximately 1 h on social media every day. The healthcare workers below the age of 40 were more involved in social media compared to those above 40 (p < 0.05). The use of social media among physicians and nurses was noted to be identical (88% for each group), and both groups encouraged their patients to research their clinical conditions on social media (p < 0.05). A higher number of physicians reported awareness of a social media policy in their hospital compared to nurses (p < 0.05). However, a large proportion of healthcare workers (40%) were unaware of their workplace policy, which could potentially cause a privacy breach of confidential medical information. Further studies are required to evaluate specific effects of these findings on the quality of patient care.

Introduction In Uganda, an estimated 120 obstetrician/gynecologists serve a population of 30 million people demonstrating the need to train additional skilled clinician leaders in reproductive health. In 2012, a partnership was formed with the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in southwest Uganda and the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, USA, in part to increase access to specialist training. This report presents an update in the development of a teaching conference between the institutions. Methods In June 2012, a didactic teleconference between the institutions was instituted. Various conferencing tools were tried: direct telephone connection, Ventrilo™ conferencing system and Skype™ via personal computer or smart phone. In Mbarara, Internet was accessed via cellular data. In Boston, Internet was accessed via hospital network or cellular data. All lectures were HIPAA compliant. PowerPoint lectures were stored in a collective Dropbox™ that could be accessed and downloaded prior to lecture dates. Results Over 30 months, 30 lectures were given. Lecturers included faculty and fellows from maternal fetal medicine, gynecology oncology, urogynecology, family planning, psychiatry and obstetric anesthesia. A patient case pertinent to the teaching topic framed the discussion. About 20 participants attended each lecture. Internet connectivity was the biggest challenge. Ultimately audio Skype via cellular data proved the most successful modality and became the method of choice. Conclusion A successful collaboration in medical education via teleconference is sustainable, low cost, and beneficial to both resource-rich and resource-poor institutions. Expertise can be shared bilaterally and internationally by individuals potentially unable travel.