Evaluating the satisfaction and utility of social networks in medical practice and continuing medical education.
Marion Bendayan, Claire Bonneau, Mai Thi Delespierre, Emine Sais, Fanie Picard, Laura Alter, Florence Boitrelle, Laure Cazabat
Author Information
Marion Bendayan: Service de Biologie de la Reproduction- Andrologie- CECOS, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy Saint Germain en Laye, 10 rue du Champ Gaillard, 78300, Poissy, France. marion@bendayan.eu. ORCID
Claire Bonneau: Département de chirurgie, Institut Curie- Saint-Cloud, 35 rue Dailly, 92210, Saint Cloud, France. ORCID
Mai Thi Delespierre: Département de Médecine Générale, Faculté de médecine de Montpellier-Nîmes, Nîmes, France.
Emine Sais: Service de Biologie de la Reproduction- Andrologie- CECOS, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy Saint Germain en Laye, 10 rue du Champ Gaillard, 78300, Poissy, France.
Fanie Picard: Service de Biologie de la Reproduction- Andrologie- CECOS, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy Saint Germain en Laye, 10 rue du Champ Gaillard, 78300, Poissy, France.
Laura Alter: Service de Biologie de la Reproduction- Andrologie- CECOS, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy Saint Germain en Laye, 10 rue du Champ Gaillard, 78300, Poissy, France.
Florence Boitrelle: Service de Biologie de la Reproduction- Andrologie- CECOS, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy Saint Germain en Laye, 10 rue du Champ Gaillard, 78300, Poissy, France. ORCID
Laure Cazabat: UMR 1198 BREED, équipe RHuMA, UFR Simone Veil Santé, Université Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, Université Paris Saclay, Paris, France. ORCID
BACKGROUND: Digital health has surged during the Covid health crisis, and the use of social media, already prevalent in medicine, has significantly increased. There are Social Networks groups dedicated to physicians with an educational purpose. These groups also facilitate peer discussions on medical questions and the sharing of training materials. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to assess the value of these new tools and their contribution to medical education. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was conducted among members of a Social Networks community group for physicians. The survey received responses from 1451 participants. RESULTS: The majority of participants believed they had enriched their medical knowledge and accessed documents they would not have accessed without the group. Subgroup analysis showed that the contribution of this tool is more pronounced for general practitioners and doctors practicing in limited healthcare access. CONCLUSION: It is essential to develop digital tools that enhance physician training, and social networks represent a valuable educational tool.
