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abstract
Purpose: Cancer
management requires coordinated care from many health care providers,
and its complexity requires physicians be up
to date on current research. Web-based social
media support physician collaboration and information sharing, but the
extent
to which physicians use social media for these
purposes remains unknown. The complex field of oncology will benefit
from increased
use of online social media to enhance physician
communication, education, and mentorship. To facilitate this, patterns
of
social media use among oncologists must be
better understood.
Methods: A nine-item
survey investigating physician social media use, designed using online
survey software, was distributed via e-mail
to 680 oncology physicians and physicians in
training in Canada. Responses were analyzed using descriptive
statistics.
Results: A total of
207 responses (30%) were received; 72% of respondents reported using
social media. Social media use was highest,
at 93%, in respondents age 25 to 34 years and
lowest, at 39%, in those age 45 to 54 years. This demonstrates a
significant
gap in social media use between younger users
and mid- to late-career users. The main barrier to use was lack of free
time.
Conclusion: The
identified gap in social media use between age cohorts may have negative
implications for communication in oncology.
Despite advancements in social media and efforts
to integrate social media into medical education, most oncologists and
trainees
use social media rarely, which, along with the
age-related gap in use, may have consequences for collaboration and
education
in oncology. Investigations to further
understand barriers to social media use should be undertaken to enhance
physician collaboration
and knowledge sharing through social media.
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