Twitter and Public Health (Part 1): How Individual Public Health Professionals Use Twitter for Professional Development

Abstract

BackgroundThe use of social networking sites is increasingly being adopted in public health, in part, because of the barriers to funding and reduced resources. Public health professionals are using social media platforms, specifically Twitter, as a way to facilitate professional development.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify public health professionals using Twitter and to analyze how they use this platform to enhance their formal and informal professional development within the context of public health.MethodsKeyword searches were conducted to identify and invite potential participants to complete a survey related to their use of Twitter for public health and professional experiences. Data regarding demographic attributes, Twitter usage, and qualitative information were obtained through an anonymous Web-based survey. Open-response survey questions were analyzed using the constant comparison method.Results“Using Twitter makes it easier to expand my networking opportunities” and “I find Twitter useful for professional development” scored highest, with a mean score of 4.57 (standard deviation [SD] 0.74) and 4.43 (SD 0.76) on a 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of the qualitative data shows the emergence of the following themes for why public health professionals mostly use Twitter: (1) geography, (2) continuing education, (3) professional gain, and (4) communication.ConclusionsFor public health professionals in this study, Twitter is a platform best used for their networking and professional development. Furthermore, the use of Twitter allows public health professionals to overcome a series of barriers and enhances opportunities for growth.

Expanding Opportunities for Professional Development: Utilization of Twitter by Early Career Women in Academic Medicine and Science

“…While it is unlikely that women in these fields will hold positions at the same institution, they can identify one another and build relationships online (@WomenInThoracic). Similar relationships and their value in professional development have been described by public health professionals who have connected despite geographic distance and learners experiencing the “3C’s of Twitter”—Community, Communication, and Casual (informal) Learning—and contribute positively to building social capital [ 20 , 27 , 28 ].…”

“…Educators have also realized the need to draw on informal learning networks to complement formal supports and institutions and have turned to Twitter and other social media platforms as extensions of the learning environment [ 18 ]. Relationships developed on Twitter may help fill the gaps in more traditional methods of face-to-face role modeling, mentoring, and sponsorship [ 19 , 20 ]. One #EWIMS participant described presenting her poster to a prominent physician at a conference.…”

“…Intra- and interdisciplinary peer-to-peer connections may develop through participation in Twitter-based movements, chats, journal clubs, and other educational platforms. These allow individuals to create personal learning networks (PLNs), systems of “interpersonal connections and resources that support informal learning” [ 20 , 21 , 31 ]. Teachers have used similar PLNs as accessible and transformative alternatives to traditional modules for professional development [ 21 ].…”

“…Messages must be concise, despite a recent doubling of the length, as tweets are limited to 280 characters. Most of this work is often performed before or after hours and on personal devices as many organizations block the use of social media sites [ 20 , 21 ]. Those who use Twitter often rate themselves higher on measures of general technology proficiency [ 21 ].…”

Twitter and Public Health (Part 2): Qualitative Analysis of How Individual Health Professionals Outside Organizations Use Microblogging to Promote and Disseminate Health-Related Information

“…In a recent paper published in JPHS we described how public health professionals use Twitter for professional development [ 1 ]. In the current paper, we describe how public health professionals disseminate health related information using Twitter.…”