Clicks for Credit: An Analysis of Healthcare Professionals’ Social Media Use and Potential for Continuing Professional Development Activities

Medical Education Online (02/15/2024) Van Ravenswaay, Logan; Parnes, Alex; Nisly, Sarah A.

Researchers conducted a survey of healthcare professionals' (HCP) use of social media, with an eye toward using social media to support continuing professional development activities. The online and anonymous survey, conducted in early 2023, received 2,615 responses. Overall, 71.2% of the respondents said they used social media. These individuals were largely physicians (50.6%) who worked in an urban setting (59.6%), with 70.5% practicing for more than 15 years. Some 70% of the respondents said they used Facebook. Approximately 44.5% of the respondents who use social media said they used it to access continuing professional development-certified content. Concerns included privacy, time constraints, institutional barriers and potential legitimacy of the information. "As the CPD industry continues to evolve, the findings of this survey underscore the importance of recognizing and enacting social media-based strategies to engage with HCPs," the authors conclude. "These strategies will be vital for ensuring safe and credible dissemination of medical information in the digital age."

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