Impact of a digital education platform to combat global inequity in oncology education amongst healthcare professionals in lower socioeconomic areas.

Abstract

140 Background: Studies have shown that lower socioeconomic (LS) status contributes to heavier disease burden. While finances and infrastructural challenges have contributed to these inequities, access to the latest medical information has been cited as an equally important contributor. To address this, MedNews Week (MNW), a free, digital education platform was developed to provide global oncology education through its programming featuring Keynote presentations from oncology’s global leaders. To reach healthcare professionals (HCP), MNW has partnered with VuMedi, a global video education platform for physicians. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of MNW’s oncology programming on VuMedi’s education platform for HCP. Methods: From September 2022 to February 2023, MNW hosted 37 global oncology leaders and their Keynote Presentations were showcased on VuMedi. Data including viewership, global reach, page views, tumor subtype views, unique visits, and audience occupation demographics. In collaboration with VuMedi, descriptive analysis was performed, and a mixed-methods approach was employed to assess engagement. Results: During this 6-month period, the MNW channel on VuMedi demonstrated increased linear growth. Programming generated 4,387,213 total page views and 206 channel views with viewership from 22 countries— 12 of which are from LS areas, including Nigeria, Sudan, Georgia, and Bangladesh. Viewers were largely surgeons compared to Allied HCP (11:2). Solid tumors had high viewership [706 (0.012%) page views and 9717 (7%) impressions] compared with heme malignancies [689 (0.001%) page views and 1688 (1.22%) impressions]. Within solid tumors, GI oncology presentations were the most viewed— generating 3755 (0.06%) page views and 28067 (20%) impressions, and the highest number of registrations recorded for this category. During this period, the channel had 1,750,161 total visits with 44,982 new registrants. Conclusions: MNW has demonstrated an ability to attract and sustain a diverse, global, growing physician audience— especially within LE areas. While previous studies have identified internet access, cost, and infrastructural challenges as barriers to high-quality medical information, MNW has experienced steady growth and reachability especially within these limited areas. The platform’s ability to showcase global leaders to HCP offers an effective and practical approach to combat educational inequity, while positively impacting oncology education globally.[Table: see text]