Educational Utility of Social Media for Laparoscopic Surgery in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Popular Indian Communities on Facebook

Abstract

Introduction:The Covid pandemic and social distancing has adversely impacted the conventional apprenticeship method of postgraduate training in laparoscopic surgery. Social media may be a useful adjunct for laparoscopic training, but its utility in developing countries like India has not been studied carefully. This paper describes an observational, cross-sectional study on the educational utility of Facebook groups based in India and which focus on laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. Methods: The most popular Facebook groups involving Indians and focusing on laparoscopic gynecology were identified using appropriate search terms as well as inclusion and exclusion criteria. Demographic data related to the groups, the authors of posts as well as descriptive statistics of all the posts during the study period were collected and appropriate statistical analysis was performed. Results: All the groups in this study were large and growing steadily. Posts related to laparoscopy were more likely to be videos, dealing with operative techniques and having educational value for postgraduate residents (p value < 0.001) compared to posts unrelated to laparoscopic surgery. The majority of posts (88.2%) presented original content created by group members rather than material shared from other sources. Members preferred to share laparoscopic content using links to their personal YouTube channels rather than using institutional YouTube channels, dedicated websites for laparoscopic surgery or direct posts on Facebook. Group members liked educational content and laparoscopic surgery-related content significantly more than other content. Only 16.7% of the laparoscopic surgeons could be identified to be working in academic institutes. Conclusion: Social media for medical education has inherent advantages and disadvantages. This article provides objective data regarding its utilisation in a developing country in the midst of the Covid pandemic, and provides a guide for further research and development of innovative teaching methods.

Using a Facebook Virtual Examination Room to Enhance ROP Training in Armenia

“… 28 Other studies have shown that participants preferred engaging with content that includes videos and pictures rather than text alone. 7 , 29 , 30 Overall, our findings are consistent with existing evidence that social media is a positive contributor to medical education in terms of engagement. It allows physicians to actively engage with meaningful content, feel supported by a clinical community, and leverage a convenient platform which allows for organic conversations without geographic and economic barriers.…”

Unlocking the Potential of Facebook as a Versatile Platform for Knowledge Sharing

“…The cost of internet access was identified as a significant challenge. Organisations and users go to all the expense of content creation, advertising and technical resources (Tseng et al, 2022;Rajan et al, 2021). Tomaszek and Muchacka-Cymerman (2021) assert that a great deal of time is invested in managing and maintaining a presence on Facebook, in effecting regular updates, in monitoring interactions, and in responding to queries.…”

“…The study found an outstanding cost associated with Facebook usage in knowledge sharing. Users must pay to use the site (Tseng et al, 2022;Rajan et al, 2021).…”

Educational Utility of Social Media for Laparoscopic Surgery in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Popular Indian Communities on Facebook [Response to Letter]

“…The authors appreciate the interest shown by Denise Tan in our recent research article on the educational utility of social media for laparoscopic surgery. 1 The correspondent has correctly pointed out the importance of newer learning approaches for postgraduate training in surgical specialties. Our article is the first one, to the best of our knowledge, to explore the learning potential of Facebook groups for laparoscopic surgery in India.…”