Social Media Guidelines for Anatomists

Abstract

Social Media has changed the way that individuals interact with each other-it has brought considerable benefits, yet also some challenges. Social media in anatomy has enabled anatomists all over the world to engage, interact and form new collaborations that otherwise would not have been possible. In a relatively small discipline where individuals may be working as the only anatomist in an institution, having such a virtual community can be important. Social media is also being used as a means for anatomists to communicate with the current generation of students as well as members of the public. Posting appropriate content is one of the challenges raised by social media use in anatomy. Human cadaveric material is frequently shared on social media and there is divided opinion among anatomists on whether or not such content is appropriate. This article explores the uses and challenges of social media use in the field of anatomy and outlines guidelines on how social media can be used by anatomists globally, while maintaining professional and ethical standards. Creating global guidelines has shown to be difficult due to the differences in international law for the use of human tissue and also the irregularities in acquiring informed consent for capturing and sharing cadaveric images. These nuances may explain why cadaveric images are frequently shared on social media. This article proposes that as standard practice, anatomists obtain informed consent from donors before sharing images of cadaveric material on social media and ensure posts include a statement stating the same. Anat Sci Educ 13: 527-539.

Using Instagram as a tool to enhance anatomy learning at two US dental schools

“…This study aimed to examine students’ perspectives of utilizing Instagram as a supplement to their anatomy learning at UNMC and UTSD. Similar to previous reports on the benefits of integrating Facebook and Twitter in an anatomy course, 10 the majority of students at both dental institutions agreed that Instagram was a useful educational tool that could help reinforce content learned and engage them outside of class. In the free response section, most students commented that their faculty's Instagram anatomy posts were “good review,” “solidified things studied,” and “helps retention.” The features of Instagram as an ideal platform to supplement delivery of anatomy content are similar to Shafer et al's report on the benefits of Instagram for radiology education 29 .…”

“…They have the highest social media consumption compared to previous generations 7 and are informally incorporating social media into their learning 8,9 . Because of social media's potential advantages in education and the learning preferences of Generation Y and Z students, health professional educators have begun to explore ways in which digital technology can be integrated into anatomy education 10 …”

“…The incorporation of current technology and flexibility in the delivery of anatomy content is crucial as faculty navigate ways to best engage students and help them navigate the remote learning experience. To this end, recent reports have investigated the pedagogical value of integrating various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram in anatomy education 10,13–14 …”

Development of a Novel Peer‐sharing Application to Supplement Learning from Cadaveric Dissection

“…The course director explained that donors give permission for the use of their bodies for educational purposes and that the greatest sensitivity and care needed to be exercised in doing so through secure and authorized use of AnatomyShare. Emerging guidelines for the use of cadaveric images in social media posts (Hennessy et al, 2020) provide clear standards for the constraints that should be in place when such images are shared in a public setting. While AnatomyShare is fundamentally different from existing social media platforms in that its use is restricted to students and faculty who partake in the anatomy curriculum at one institution only, the use of AnatomyShare reported here remains consonant with these emerging guidelines, in that a) the instructions given to the students during the laboratory orientation emphasize the importance of a respectful environment among colleagues and with donor bodies, and restricts AnatomyShare use to educational content, and not personal or political views; b) the body donor program gathers explicit consent from donors to the use of their bodies for educational purposes; c) AnatomyShare is restricted to use by faculty and students at one institution, not the public at large––moreover, technical restrictions are in place that prohibit downloading and saving images from the application; d) students are instructed that any breaches of confidentiality relating to images of cadaveric specimens (i.e., sharing with the general public) would result in class‐wide cessation of AnatomyShare use and the issuance of a professionalism citation to the students responsible for the breach; and e) students sign a “Cadaver Use Agreement” prior to beginning laboratory sessions, which indicates their agreement to abide by the rules and regulations above.…”

Evaluation of the shift to emergency remote learning of veterinary anatomy during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A global students’ perspectives

“…The availability and popularity of YouTube makes it an effective educational tool for studying medical anatomy (Jaffar 2012, Barry, Marzouk et al 2016, Mustafa, Taha et al 2020. Social media platforms operated by anatomy teachers are considered as promising education tools through which trusted information are delivered, meanwhile, students can interact, inquire, and discuss with experts (Barry, Marzouk et al 2016, Hennessy, Royer et al 2020. WhatsApp and Facebook were the most favorite social media platform for learning of computing education in Nigeria.…”