Leveraging the use of a social media app as a collaborative medical information and knowledge sharing tool—insights from experiential use and survey of a CME WhatsApp community

Continuing Medical Education (CME) is crucial for physicians to stay current in the rapidly advancing field of medicine. A WhatsApp (WA) based community of physicians was initiated in 2016 ‘WhatsApp CME India Group’ to facilitate learning, knowledge sharing, and discussion among physicians. Due to participant size constraints of the technology, it evolved into seven distinct WA groups, overseen by a central administrator. A survey undertaken in the group’s 7th year aimed to evaluate its effectiveness in achieving its goals, measure participant engagement, and uncover the primary factors driving its usage.

The survey questionnaire was distributed to 3500 members across the 07 WhatsApp CME groups for voluntary participation. Data collected was analysed using SPSS version 24.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and reported using descriptive statistics.

Among the 581 survey respondents, the study found 43% of physicians use the WhatsApp academic groups for CME content, with 32% accessing their group over four times daily. The primary motivation for 77% was to discuss challenging cases and to gain knowledge updates from fellow physician (70%). Medical websites (57%), referral books (49%), and Google (43%) were other significant resources. Every participant (100%) found the WhatsApp CME India group the most beneficial resource for daily medical science updates. A significant portion (57%) of the respondents found the group valuable for real-time information exchange. Over 78% stated it kept them current with knowledge and guidelines. Notably, 94% viewed WhatsApp CME as complementary to physical conferences, not a replacement. The post-conference/webinar summaries were appreciated by 81% participants. Case discussions (31%) and update posts from fellow physicians sharing their insights and learnings (24%) were noted as activities of great academic interest.

This study underscores the potential of digital platforms like WhatsApp in supplementing CME in India and potentially other comparable settings. The blend of digital and traditional resources suggests a balanced learning approach. While real-time engagement is a strength, challenges like information overload and privacy concerns require careful management. Striking a balance is crucial for ensuring content quality, structured discussions and privacy. As the digital age advances, professionals must critically assess shared information on these platforms to guarantee evidence-based and reliable knowledge dissemination.

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