Will Podcasting and Social Media Replace Journals and Traditional Science Communication? No, but...

The digital world in which we live is changing rapidly. The evolving media environment is having a direct impact on traditional forms of communication and knowledge translation in public health and epidemiology. Openly accessible digital media can be used to reach a broader and more diverse audience of trainees, scientists, and the lay public than can traditional forms of scientific communication. The new digital landscape for delivering content is vast, and new platforms are continuously being added. In this article, we focus on several, including Twitter and podcasting, and discuss their relevance to epidemiology and science communication. We highlight 3 key reasons why we think epidemiologists should be engaging with these mediums: 1) science communication, 2) career advancement, and 3) development of a community and public service. Other positive and negative consequences of engaging in these forms of new media are also discussed. The authors of this commentary are all engaged in social media and podcasting for scientific communication, and we reflect on our experiences with these mediums as tools to advance the field of epidemiology.

COVID-19 in school settings: webinar aimed at both teachers and educators.

Background: In the COVID-19 era, we designed the webinar "COVID-19: instructions for use" with the aim of providing clear and actionable information to school staff about the characteristics of the disease, the preventive measures to adopt and the path for early detection and control of COVID-19 in primary schools of Modena province. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey using a 7-item closed-ended satisfaction questionnaire self-administered to webinar participants among school staff of the Modena Municipality and neighbouring. Results: A total of 103 out of 152 (68%) participants delivered the questionnaires. The participating staff came from 29 schools. Most of respondents (83.5%) were primary school teachers following by kindergarten teachers and educators. The overall webinar assessment index was "very good" for 51% of attendees and "good" for the remaining. Nevertheless, 25.2% highlighted the need to have more time dedicated to the discussion. Conclusions: Our project promotes a virtuous circle between school-family and community; so that the benefits can be sustained and enhanced. This may improve the effectiveness of the preventive measures in terms of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other virus.

Storytelling in Acoustic Spaces: Podcasting as Embodied and Engaged Scholarship.

Health Communication launched the "Defining Moments" feature of the journal in 2009, including essays that showcase the social and material power of storytelling. Over the past 10 years, essays have enlarged academic conventions and offered diverse entry points for refiguring the experience of living well in the midst of inescapable illness, trauma, and disability. Health Communication builds on this legacy by introducing a podcast by the same name. In this essay, I position podcasting as embodied and engaged scholarship that connects health communication scholars, physicians and other care providers, patients and families, and general publics interested in illness and healthcare, vulnerability and well-being.

[Neurological podcasting : A project by students for students]. / Neurologie-Podcasts : Ein Projekt von Studierenden für Studierende.

BACKGROUND: Podcasts are a very popular learning material among medical students. Currently only a few neurological podcasts exist, which do not include relevant neurological diseases or neuroanatomical contents. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this project was to help medical students understand neurological topics and to integrate them into the educational program. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The project started in 2014. The podcasts were written and produced by medical students. So far ten podcasts about neuroanatomy and clinical neurology have been created. The podcasts were published in summer 2015 at the University of Witten-Herdecke followed by an internal evaluation. In addition to questions about the listening experience and intelligibility, the students were asked to give an individual evaluation of the different topics and to express their opinion in a free text field. RESULTS: A total of 100 medical students participated. They listened to the podcasts in particular to prepare themselves for medical examinations (47.4 %) and because of a special interest in neurology (26.3 %). The different podcasts were mainly evaluated as "good" or "very good". Of the students 76.8 % wanted to listen to the podcasts again and 93 % planned to recommend the podcasts to friends. Only the length of some of the podcasts as well as technical faults were criticized and should be improved. CONCLUSION: The neurological podcasts of the University of Witten-Herdecke are a very successful and well-received project. The results of the survey will help to improve the next podcasts and integrate new topics. More than 15 new podcasts are being edited at the moment. The release date for the new podcasts will be in spring 2016.

Innovative technology offers virtual visitation for families.

Parents of preterm infants and infants with congenital anomalies requiring treatment must begin their relationship with their infant in the unfamiliar and often stressful neonatal intensive care unit, full of strange sights and sounds. Innovative technology such as webcams offers virtual visitation, which holds potential to improve parent-infant bonding and reduce parents' self-perceived stress.

Student adoption and perception of lecture podcasts in undergraduate bachelor of science in nursing courses.

The current study reports student use and perceptions of podcasted course lectures in an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Prior to the current study, the majority of students were not familiar with the use of podcasts in education. Student use of the podcasts grew as they became familiar with the format. Students reported that podcasts helped them study and improved their grades. Faculty reported increased class absenteeism, although students reported no change in course attendance as a result of the availability of podcasts.

CREOGs Over Coffee: Feasibility of an Ob-Gyn Medical Education Podcast by Residents.

BACKGROUND: Podcasts and other digital resources are increasingly popular among medical learners and allow the dissemination of research to larger audiences. Little is known about the feasibility of graduate medical education trainees developing podcasts for their own and others' learning. OBJECTIVE: We described the development and implementation of a medical education podcast series by residents for obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn) resident learning, and demonstrated feasibility, sustainability, and acceptance of this series. METHODS: We used the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) educational guidelines to create a weekly study podcast for Ob-Gyn residents over 10 months. Costs and donations (for feasibility), downloads over time (for sustainability), and number of reviews on Apple iTunes and followers on Twitter (for acceptability) were measured. RESULTS: Sixty episodes were released from September 30, 2018, to July 28, 2019 (43 weeks). Initial costs included $3,150 startup and $29 monthly. Online donations through Patreon amounted to $200 a month, which covered 58% of startup costs at 10 months and are projected to cover full costs by 1.5 years. The podcast had 173 995 downloads as recorded through Podbean (39 a month in September, increased to 31 206 a month in July). It gained 644 followers on Twitter and 147 ratings on iTunes, with an average of 4.86 out of 5 stars. CONCLUSIONS: Medical podcasts created by Ob-Gyn residents during their training appear feasible and highly acceptable over a sustained period.

Twelve tips for using podcasts in medical education.

There is increasing use of podcasts by young people, including medical students. Podcasts offer small packages of educational material that allow selective replay to consolidate learning, especially for exam revision. Podcasts can be provided in a variety of formats and played on a range of devices, both static and mobile. Maximum educational impact requires careful attention to production and editing.

Página web de casos clinicorradiológicos para la enseñanza de la radiología / Web site of clinical radiological cases for teaching of Radiology

INTRODUCCIÓN: En el contexto de la implantación del Plan Bolonia en nuestras universidades, la enseñanza tradicional va incorporando nuevas técnicas de formación, muchas de ellas sustentadas en las nuevas tecnologías. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se ha creado www.radiologiaparaestudiantes.com, página de acceso libre con casos clinicorradiológicos reales, dirigidos a estudiantes de medicina y escogidos por su interés docente. Cada caso consta de una pequeña historia clínica, una imagen problema y una respuesta comentada. Incorpora también una sección de anatomía. RESULTADOS: La página consta en la actualidad de 237 casos distribuidos en diferentes secciones. Ha recibido 240.000 visitas con 1.230.000 páginas visualizadas. España, México y Argentina son los países de donde proceden la mayoría de los usuarios. CONCLUSIÓN: Esta página, combinada con otras formas de docencia, permite el desarrollo de competencias en radiología y acerca a los estudiantes a su actividad médica posterior

INTRODUCTION: In the context of the 'Bolonia Plan' establishment in our universities, traditional education is incorporating new training techniques, many of them underpinned by new technologies. MATERIAL AND METHOD: For this purpose, www.radiologiaparaestudiantes.com has been created. A free access website with clinical-radiological real cases, aimed to medical students and chosen by its teaching interest. Each case consists of a brief medical history, a problem picture and a discussed answer. It also incorporates an anatomical section. RESULTS: The website currently consists of 237 cases divided in different sections. It has received 240.000 visits with 1.230.000 visualized pages. Spain, Mexico and Argentina are the countries where most users come from. CONCLUSION: This website, in combination with other teaching resources, allows the development of radiological skills bringing students closer to its later medical practice

Redes sociales online y enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal / Online social networks and inflammatory bowel disease

No disponible

Online platforms to teach Nutrition Education to children: a non-systematic review / Plataformas online para enseñar Educación Nutricional a niños: una revisión no sistemática

Introduction: Childhood obesity is now considered a worldwide problem. Nutrition Education (NE) has been identified as a key factor in preventing overweight and obesity in children. In recent years, there has been an increase in the interest in innovative ways to teach this knowledge to children, mainly through the use of the Internet. Objective: Review and analyze the available evidence about programs focused on NE for children through the use of the Internet. Results: Three different ways were found to deliver NE over the Internet to children: platforms designed to communicate with other peers or professionals; platforms designed to provide NE through the contents included in the web tool; and platforms designed to provide NE through the contents included in the web tool and automated feedback. Most of these programs were effective in achieving the objectives established. Conclusion: Although the use of Internet platforms to teach NE to children has been shown to be effective, the amount of evidence is still scarce. Some of the main advantages the Internet provides are: the opportunity to put the children in contact with education and health professionals; children can keep a record of the food consumed; and it is a more attractive and interesting way for children to learn NE, compared to traditional methods (AU)

Introducción: la obesidad infantil es actualmente considerada un problema a nivel global. La educación nutricional (EN) ha sido identificada como un factor para prevenir el sobrepeso y la obesidad en los niños. Durante los últimos años se ha incrementado el interés en métodos novedosos para enseñar este conocimiento a los niños, especialmente a través del uso de Internet. Objetivo: revisar y analizar la evidencia disponible con respecto a los programas de EN dirigidos a niños a través del uso de Internet. Resultados: se identificaron 3 formatos para transferir EN a niños a través del uso de Internet: plataformas diseñadas para comunicarse con otros niños o con profesionales, plataformas diseñadas para ofrecer EN a través de los contenidos incluidos en la herramienta web, plataformas diseñadas para proveer EN a través de los contenidos incluidos en la herramienta web y además retroalimentación automatizada. La mayoría de estos programas fueron efectivos para conseguir los objetivos establecidos. Conclusión: aunque el uso de plataformas de Internet para enseñar EN han demostrado su efectividad, la cantidad de evidencia es todavía escasa. Entre las principales ventajas que ofrece Internet, se encuentran la oportunidad de poner en contacto a los niños con profesionales de la salud, llevar a cabo un registro de los alimentos consumidos, y también es una forma más atractiva e interesante para que los niños aprendan EN, en comparación con métodos tradicionales (AU)

Comunicación científica (XXXIV). Cómo hacer una estrategia social media para pediatras (I). Diseño de una estrategia de posicionamiento local en internet / Scientific communication (XXXIV). How to make a social media strategy for paediatricians (I). Strategy design for a local internet positioning

Hoy en día es muy importante tener visibilidad en internet, ya que los pacientes potenciales que necesitan nuestros servicios suelen buscarlos en la web, usando su portátil, tablet o teléfono móvil, a través de motores de búsqueda. En España, más del 95% de los usuarios lo hacen utilizando Google. Una parte de esas búsquedas son geolocalizadas, es decir, búsquedas en las que el usuario expresa en qué ciudad está buscando servicios de pediatría. Por ello, este trabajo pretende dar unas pautas básicas y unas mejores prácticas para dar visibilidad online geolocalizada a través de buscadores (lo que se conoce como «local SEO» [search engine optimization, o «posicionamiento en buscadores»]) a una clínica pediátrica que desee ser encontrada por este tipo de búsquedas relacionadas con los servicios que presta. De esta manera podrá mejorar su relación con los usuarios y otros sitios web, así como aumentar las probabilidades de obtener visitas de pacientes a través de sus contenidos web (AU)

Today it is very important to have visibility on the Internet, because potential patients who need our services usually find them on the web, using laptop, tablet or mobile phone, through search engines. In Spain, more than 95% of users do using Google. A portion of these queries are geolocated. Local queries occur when the user includes in the query keywords, the name of the city where is looking for pediatrics services. Therefore, this paper aims to provide some basic guidelines and better practices to improve chances of online visibility when geographic location is related to the expressed information need, what is known as «Local SEO» (search engine optimization). This advice is adapted to a pediatric clinic wanting to be found by geo queries related to the services provided, by improving the relationship with users and other websites and a set of techniques, increasing likelihood of visits and potential patients through their web content (AU)

Salud ubicua para gestantes / Ubiquitous health for pregnant women

INTRODUCCIÓN: El rápido incremento del número de smartphones disponibles para la población general con acceso a internet ha hecho posible que la sanidad ubicua (uSalud) pase de ser una ficción a una realidad tangible. Su aplicación en el proceso del embarazo afecta a la calidad asistencial que se ofrece a la gestante, sobre todo a las que tienen embarazos de riesgo, complicados con patologías como la diabetes o los estados hipertensivos. OBJETIVO: Comprobar si la uSalud es una herramienta válida para conseguir mejoras en aspectos clave de la calidad asistencial ofrecida a la gestante. MÉTODO: Revisión bibliográfica realizada entre enero de 2000 y 2015 en las bases de datos PubMed, Cochrane (en inglés y español), Cuidatge, MEDES y CUIDEN. También se consultaron la aplicación Scholar Google y las bases de datos de SciELO, ScienceDirect y Elsevier. RESULTADOS: Los estudios de Gracia (2009), Hirst (2015) y Pérez-Ferré (2009), entre otros, obtienen grados de aceptación elevados (85, 92 y 82,7%) respecto a la utilización de sistemas ubicuos o de telemedicina en mujeres con diabetes gestacional. Las investigaciones de Seguranyes (2013) y Cormick (2012), entre otras, pusieron de relieve altos grados de interés por la atención telemática ubicua (del 89,8-95% el primero y del 96% el segundo). CONCLUSIONES: La búsqueda realizada permite afirmar que la uSalud mejora aspectos clave de la calidad asistencial ofrecida a las gestantes, como son la disminución del número de visitas a los servicios de urgencia, la satisfacción percibida y la calidad de vida, especialmente en gestantes de riesgo. En gestantes sin problemas de salud, las mejoras no son tan evidentes y no existe bibliografía relativa a su cuantificación económica

INTRODUCTION: The rapidly increasing number of smartphones available for the general population with Internet access has become ubiquitous healthcare (uHealth) go from being a fiction a reality. Its application in the process of pregnancy affects the care quality offered to pregnant women, especially pregnant risk, complicated by conditions such as diabetes and hypertensive states. OBJECTIVE: Check the uHealth a valid tool for improvements in key aspects of health care quality offered to pregnant. METHOD: Literature review between January 2000 and 2015 in the databases PubMed, Cochrane (English and Spanish), Cuidatge, MEDES and CUIDEN. The application and Google Scholar databases SciELO, and Elsevier Science Direct were also consulted. RESULTS: Grace (2009), Hirst (2015) and Perez-Ferre (2009) studies among others obtain high degrees of acceptance (85%, 92% and 82.7%) compared with systems using ubiquitous or women telemedicine with gestational diabetes. Seguranyes investigations (2013) and Cormick (2012) among other highlighted high degrees of interest by the ubiquitous telematics attention (89.8-95% and 96% one another). CONCLUSIONS: The search performed to suggest that uHealth improves key aspects of quality healthcare offered to pregnant women such as the reduction of the number of visits to the emergency services, perceived satisfaction and quality of life, especially in pregnant women at risk. In normal pregnant improvements are not so obvious and there is no literature in their economic quantification

Análisis comparativo de los sellos de calidad de páginas web sanitarias / Comparative analysis of quality labels of health websites

Introducción. La búsqueda de información sanitaria en Internet es un fenómeno creciente, siendo su principal inconveniente el desconocimiento de la fiabilidad de las páginas consultadas. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue analizar y comparar los principales sellos vigentes de calidad de páginas web sanitarias. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio observacional transversal mediante una búsqueda en Medline, IBECS, Google y Yahoo realizado los días 8 y 9 de marzo de 2015 tanto en inglés como español. Se utilizaron diferentes palabras clave en función de si la búsqueda se realizaba en bases de datos médicas o en buscadores genéricos. Los sellos se clasificaron en función de su origen, analizando su carácter, año de implantación, existencia de proceso de acreditación, número de categorías, criterios y estándares, posibilidad de autoevaluación, número de niveles de certificación, ámbito de certificación, vigencia, análisis de la calidad de contenidos, cuota, resultados del proceso de acreditación o solicitud, número de webs con sello concedido y sellos obtenidos por el organismo acreditador. Resultados. Se analizaron siete sellos, cinco de origen nacional (WMA, PAWS, WIS, SEAFORMEC y M21) y dos internacional (HONcode y Health Web Site Accreditation). Existía disparidad en la forma de llevar a cabo el proceso de acreditación, llegando algunos a no detallar aspectos fundamentales de dicho proceso o proporcionar información incompleta, desactualizada e incluso inexacta. Los más rigurosos garantizaban el nivel de confianza que las páginas web poseían en relación con los contenidos de información, pero ninguno revisaba la calidad de los mismos. Conclusiones. Aunque los sellos de calidad rigurosos pueden llegar a ser útiles, las deficiencias detectadas en algunos de ellos pueden hacer dudar de su finalidad (AU)

Background. The search for health related information on the Internet is a growing phenomenon, buts its main drawback is the lack of reliability of information consulted. The aim of this study was to analyse and compare existing quality labels of health websites. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study was performed by searching Medline, IBECS, Google, and Yahoo, in both English and Spanish, between 8 and 9 March, 2015. Different keywords were used depending on whether the search was conducted in medical databases or generic search engines. The quality labels were classified according to their origin, analysing their character, year of implementation, the existence of the accreditation process, number of categories, criteria and standards, possibility of self-assessment, number of levels of certification, certification scope, validity, analytical quality of content, fee, results of the accreditation process, application and number of websites granted the seal, and quality labels obtained by the accrediting organisation. Results. Seven quality labels, five of Spanish origin (WMA, PAWS, WIS, SEAFORMEC and M21) and two international ones (HONcode and Health Web Site Accreditation), were analysed. There was disparity in carrying out the accreditation process, with some not detailing key aspects of the process, or providing incomplete, outdated, or even inaccurate information. The most rigorous guaranteed the level of confidence that the websites had in relation to the content of information, but none checked the quality of them. Conclusions. Although rigorous quality labels may become useful, the deficiencies in some of them cast doubt on their current usefulness (AU)

Promoting clinical competence using social media.

A critical task for nursing students is learning to synthesize knowledge and disseminate it to their patients in an understandable format, often in the form of posters or pamphlets for a lay audience. With the Internet becoming the place of choice for information for the lay audience and the use of social media almost universal among undergraduate nursing students, the authors discuss a knowledge synthesis activity that allows students to use familiar tools to create a 3- to 5-minute video in lay terms and the use of YouTube to display the videos.