Social Media and EMS Education

Michael Abernethy MD FAAEM

Disclosures:• I have conflicts in my life• I have interests in my life• The two do not overlap…

Questions regarding current use of spinal immobilization for

trauma

This is not unique to just one area

• Advanced Airway• Trauma resuscitation• Cardiac resuscitation• Prehospital CC• Stroke• Sepsis• CC pediatrics• And on and on and on……..

MEDIA

The problem with Traditional Media

AM radio in the 1960sSmall Town America

But was it always ?

Tom AbernethyWSTV Radio

“Phone Party”1960-1988

Social Media: Definition

The interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks

Social Media –How do we use it?

• Keep in touch with family/friends• News, Current events• Gaming• Blogs –personal publishing to the masses• Networking Business E-commerce• Politics Social Conscience • Marketing• Education!

Twitter

Twitter itself contains limited info –Its value is as a link to definitive

blogs, scholarly references, journal articles. It also provides almost worldwide instant contact with

many of their authorsFind people with similar interests –

follow them. If their tweets are uninteresting and not pertinent to your

interests –Unfollow them

Twitter 101 - Create a Profile

Twitter 101 –What is a Tweet?

• 120 characters - a message• Can also contain a hashtag ie #UWEM• Link to any internet address/webpage• Photos

Twitter 101• Handle – your Twitter name. Starts with a @• Followers – Those people who choose to

receive your tweets• Following – Those people whose tweets you

choose to receive = Twitter feed• Followers does not always equal Following• Retweet- how your tweet can reach thousands• How many can you truly follow?

If you think you are special/famous because you have 1000+ Twitter followers

– Just remember Justin Beiber has 51,000,000

Twitter 101 – Find someone with similar interests –See who they are

following and start following

Twitter• You can follow ANYONE –no “friending”• You don’t have to use your name – you can be

relatively anonymous • But –Anyone can follow you• It can totally be one way – you can follow

hundreds and never post your own tweet• Think before you post –it will be out there

forever for anyone to see

Social Media Conduct Rules

• Never discuss patient specific issues• Never be anonymous in any opinions or

postings (anonymous lurking OK)• Remember – EVERYONE is watching. Assume

your posts will go on a billboard in front of your place of employment and your Mom will be able to read it

• You can be controversial, even edgy but BE NICE

We need to stop re-inventing the wheel in every department, in every

hospital, in every state, in every country…[@precordialthump]

Slaying Medical Dogma

Very smart people with extensive experience who have a command of

the medical literature

#FOAMed –What is it?

• Free Open Access Medical Education• FOAM is independent of platform or media• Not a teaching philosophy or strategy• It is a globally accessible crowd-sourced

educational adjunct

FOAM is a useful way of disseminating, dis-cussing, dissecting and deliberating over the products of that research – as well as exploring issues where research findings do not apply, or simply do not exist

Christopher Nickson & Mike Cadogan

FOAM is the concept

#FOAMed is the Twitter hashtag

I don’t have/want a Twitter account. Can I still access the

benefits of FOAMed?

ABSOLUTELY !

lifeinthefastlane.com

Hundreds of EMS blogs

Peer Review? It Ain’t All That

FOAMed – No Formal Peer Review

• 24/7 Near instantaneous, post publication commentary by anyone with an internet connection

Twitter/Online relationships, are they real ?

It Depends……

My one year Social Media experience

(thus far)

DevelopingEM Havana

FOAMedWhat are you waiting for !

Questions ???

Thomas the Tank EngineThe crystal meth years….