Clinical snapshots. Results from the PCDS survey series: Social media

Social media entered the mainstream more than 10 years ago, with the introduction of websites such as MySpace and Facebook. Over the past 5 years, social media has become a news source, a way of communicating with friends, family, colleagues and a tool for individuals and organisations to share their thoughts and musings of the day.

Like the previous PCDS surveys, this survey was completed by a wide range of healthcare professionals, with practice nurses the most common responders (29%). We asked PCDS members about the three main social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Facebook was mostly used for social use – 75% of respondents have an account for this reason. LinkedIn was used most infrequently – only a third of respondents have a social or professional account.

The PCDS are always considering the most effective and efficient ways to provide education for members, and this includes exploring whether social media has a role to play. Therefore, it is crucial to determine whether clinicians can access social media sites at work, as often hospital, clinic or university networks can block such sites. The majority of respondents were either unable or unsure of whether they are able to access social media platforms at work.

The PCDS has recently launched a Twitter account (@PCDSociety) with the aim of reaching out to members more frequently, with more up-to-date news. With this in mind, the survey enquired how members use Twitter (Figure 1), and in particular how they used Twitter for their educational and continuing development needs. In total, 48% answered they do use it for their educational needs.

Interestingly, in the additional comments section of the survey, many respondents said that social media was helpful in providing patient support or that they belonged to private groups of clinicians where they discussed topics and shared links on social media. 

The results of this survey suggest that the majority of respondents would like to know how to safely and appropriately use social media in a professional or social nature, and we plan to cover this in the Journal in the future. PCDS members and Journal readers can access education via the Journal, the national and home nations’ annual conferences, and the CPD centre. Social media is now being used as an additional tool to highlight resources to a wider audience, as well as a quick source of news and information. If you have experience of using social media for education and would like to write for us, please email [email protected].