INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The use of social media tools to share knowledge has been gathering pace in recent times. This is especially true with Twitter emerging as one of the foremost among those tools. The medical community has taken to Twitter in a big way to connect with peers, debate and spread knowledge and information on breaking news and trials in the field of medicine. It is interesting to note that within this community, Nephrologists have taken to twitter like fish to water and have been a force to reckon with. Various tools of learning have been developed within the twitter world and these include journal clubs, quiz sessions, blogs and essays, slide and video presentations. Missing from this list is Case Conferences.
METHODS: We developed the “Everyday Cases in Nephrology” conference series (denoted #ECNeph). Twitter case conferences are unique and, to our knowledge, have not been attempted or sustained in any medical specialty. The event occurred weekly each Thursday for one hour duration and was attended by Nephrologists, Nephropathologists, Radiologists, students and trainees from around the globe. We have now included other nephrologists and pathologists as discussants in a bid to increase our reach.
RESULTS: We have conducted 22 Twitter case conferences in the last 6 months. Our reach has extended to 18 countries. A total of 3957 tweets were composed during these conferences. On an average, 22 attendees joined each #ECNeph case conference with a total of 96 participants over the course of analysis. The number of tweets per case conference ranged from 110 to 316 (see figure) with a mean of 180 tweets. The percentage of tweets that were associated with media in the form of slides of laboratory findings, radiological investigations and renal biopsies was 10.45% (423 tweets, see figure). In order to further study the best manner by which the #ECNeph case conference should be conducted, we made a change in the start time from 8PM Indian Standard Time to 10 PM. This change resulted in the following changes. The number of participants changed from 16 to 22. Another course change consisted of live streaming of case discussions. Twitter links were provided and enabled 1242 viewers to view case discussions live through Periscope video of 5 case discussions on two different days.
CONCLUSIONS: Twitter case conferences are a unique effort that helps the growing community of nephrologists to learn from each other. As an online learning tool, Twitter case conferences have an international reach and myriad possibilities.
Comments