Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for reliable information, especially around vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern and a great threat to broader public health. The prevalence of social media within our daily lives emphasizes the importance of accurately analyzing how health information is being disseminated to the public. TikTok is of particular interest, as it is an emerging social media platform that young adults may be increasingly using to access health information. Objective The objective of this study was to examine and describe the content within the top 100 TikToks trending with the hashtag #covidvaccine. Methods The top 250 most viewed TikToks with the hashtag #covidvaccine were batch downloaded on July 1, 2021, with their respective metadata. Each TikTok was subsequently viewed and encoded by 2 independent reviewers. Coding continued until 100 TikToks could be included based on language and content. Descriptive features were recorded including health care professional (HCP) status of creator, verification of HCP status, genre, and misinformation addressed. Primary inclusion criteria were any TikToks in English with discussion of a COVID-19 vaccine. Results Of 102 videos included, the median number of plays was 1,700,000, with median shares of 9224 and 62,200 followers. Upon analysis, 14.7% (15/102) of TikToks included HCPs, of which 80% (12/102) could be verified via social media or regulatory body search; 100% (15/15) of HCP-created TikToks supported vaccine use, and overall, 81.3% (83/102) of all TikToks (created by either a layperson or an HCP) supported vaccine use. Conclusions As the pandemic continues, vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to lifting restrictions, and discovering reasons for this hesitancy is important to public health measures. This study summarizes the discourse around vaccine use on TikTok. Importantly, it opens a frank discussion about the necessity to incorporate new social media platforms into medical education, so we might ensure our trainees are ready to engage with patients on novel platforms.

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for reliable information, especially, around vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern and a great threat to broader public health. The prevalence of social media within our daily lives emphasizes the importance of accurately analyzing how health information is being disseminated to the public. TikTok is of particular interest as it is an emerging social media platform that young adults may be increasingly using to access health information. OBJECTIVE To examine and describe the content within the top 100 TikToks trending with the hashtag #covidvaccine. METHODS The top 250 most viewed TikToks with the hashtag of #covidvaccine were batch downloaded on 01/07/2021 with their respective metadata. Each TikTok was subsequently viewed and encoded by two independent reviewers. Coding continued until 100 TikToks could be included based on language and content. Descriptive features were recorded including health care professional (HCP) status of creator, verification of health care provider status, genre and myths addressed. Primary inclusion criteria were any TikToks in English with discussion of a covid vaccine. RESULTS Of the 102 videos included, the median number of plays was 1700000, with median shares of 9224 and followers 62200. Upon analysis, 14.7% of TikToks included HCPs (n=15) of which 80.0% (n=12) could be verified via social media or a google search. 100% of HCP TikToks supported vaccine use, and overall 81% of all TikToks (created by either a layperson or HCP) supported vaccine use. CONCLUSIONS As the pandemic continues, vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to lifting restrictions and discovering reasons for this hesitancy is important to public health measures. This study summarizes the discourse around the vaccine use on TikTok. Importantly it opens up a frank discussion about the necessity to incorporate new social media platforms into medical education so we might ensure our trainees are ready to engage with patients where they receive information. CLINICALTRIAL N/A (not a clinical trial)

Objective Clinical interactions demand a balance of structure and flexibility in response to unpredictable situations. Medical improv is a form of experiential learning that applies techniques from improvisational theater to the healthcare setting, deliberately targeting clinical skills of communication, teamwork, and cognitive abilities. Psychiatry Education through Play and Talk ( PEP Talks ) is a novel medical improv program designed specifically for psychiatry residents with the goal of improving communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills, as well as enhancing residents’ well-being and capacity for self-reflection. Methods PEP Talks was delivered virtually by an experienced medical improv facilitator in spring 2021 to a self-selected group of psychiatry residents at a Canadian university. Aligned with the context-input-process–product (CIPP) evaluation model, outcomes were assessed through mixed methods surveys, recorded debriefings, and a focus group. Results PEP Talks enhanced residents’ self-reported well-being, reflective capacity, and communication skills. Participants made qualitative connections between PEP Talks and their well-being, inter- and intra-personal skills, and clinical experiences in psychiatry. Processes in PEP Talks that led to these outcomes included the following: joy, building community, personal reflection and discovery, going off-script, immersion, and virtual engagement. Conclusions Virtual medical improv offers an innovative solution to the pedagogical challenges of training psychiatrists to be proficient communicators, collaborators, and professionals capable of reflective practice. Additionally, this innovation demonstrates that medical improv can be delivered in a virtual format and may offer a unique solution to support resident well-being and foster connection amid remote learning during a global pandemic.

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