Episode Details

Episode 178: Social Media in Medicine

Dr. De Luna and Dr. Song explain the role of social media in medical education and how online journal clubs have become more useful in recent years.  Dr. Arreaza offers insights into our role as educators and sources of truth.

Written by Patrick De Luna, MD. Comments by David Zheng Song, MD, and Hector Arreaza, MD

You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.

Intro to episode (voiceover): Get ready to listen to a great conversation between three doctors diving into the impact of social media on medicine. It’s no secret that social media shapes our lives—not just as professionals, but also as humans and members of our society. Every second, new information floods our feeds, and with the rise of artificial intelligence, it’s becoming harder to separate fact from fiction. As doctors, we have a crucial role in clearing up confusion and supporting evidence-based practices. You’ll hear insightful tips from Dr. De Luna, Dr. Song, and Dr. Arreaza—but remember, you also have a role in spreading the truth, you must be a reliable source of online truth and correct misinformation quickly. Also, use reliable sources, recommend fact-check websites, including Snopes, and FactCheck.org, and avoid “back-and-forth” arguing about fake news online, because as you keep arguing, fake news will continue to spread.

Social Media in Medicine.

Patrick: Social media has helped both physicians and patients obtain and expand their knowledge of medicine. This role in medical knowledge expansion has been more prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the form of podcasts (like this one), medical content creators, and personalities.  This growing medium has helped physicians to deliver medical knowledge in an efficient, but layman, format which can become a great outreach and educational tool. 

Arreaza: This podcast was created 3 days before the lockdown. It has been an educational tool for those who record and hopefully for those who listen to us.

Patrick: In today’s episode, we will explore a little about how this more accessible approach to medical learning has shaped our medical education landscape. We’ll explore a recent study that shows the breakdown of how social media is used among medical professionals and the concerns that physicians have about medical education through social media. We will discuss how platforms such as X/Twitter have “Journal Club” threads and their implications. Furthermore, will discuss how online personalities have been able to bring medical education discussion to the broader population, and what we can learn from their work. 

David: Who is your favorite medical educator?

Patrick: Dr. Mike (YouTube FM), Dr. Glaucomflecken (ophthalmologist comedian), and HealthyGamerGG (gamer), and yours?

David: Curbsiders (THE internal medicine podcast)

Arreaza: I like Dr. Glaucomflecken as well. He is a comedian but he is becoming a little more political. The AFP podcast is my favorite.

David: We will explore and discuss how we could make quality and accurate medical education content and, hopefully, mitigate concerns about creating future educational content for physicians and patients alike. 

Analysis of Healthcare Professional Social Media Use

Patrick: Social media has traditionally been used to share about your social life (posting pictures of your cat and family vacation), stay up to date on news and what is happening among your peers, as well as (for some select folks) a platform for content