Social Media and Mobile Technology Use Among Physical Therapist Students: A Multisite Descriptive Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONOver the past decade, the explosion of social media sites and the rise of mobile internet access through devices such as smart phones and tablets has changed the way that individuals access and share information. In 2005, 8% of Americans used a social networking site. By 2013, over 70% accessed at least 1 social networking site, and the majority of those did so daily. Furthermore, 42% of Americans use more than 1 social networking site.1 In 2011, less than 10% of Americans owned a tablet and approximately one-third owned a smart phone. By early 2014, 42% of Americans owned a tablet and 58% owned a smart phone.2Rapid and easy access to information via the Internet and social networks has impacted health care, influencing the flow of health information to and from consumers, institutions, organizations, and providers. Patients and caregivers frequently use search engines for health information, googling symptoms and often self-diagnosing conditions.3 Increasingly, consumers are using mobile devices to access health information or to track their own health using health-related mobile apps.4 Studies reveal that mobile devices and social media sites such as Facebook increasingly provide patients and caregivers with forums for support and information sharing related to topics such as long-term disability,5 diabetes,6,7 breast cancer,8 and preterm birth.9Health care organizations and institutions have responded to the consumer demand for online information and support. Nearly every hospital in the United States has a website, and there are thousands of hospital-run social media sites on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.10 Individual health care providers and students are also using mobile devices and social media sites in increasing numbers, both in their personal and professional lives.11-17There is a growing of body of evidence outlining both the challenges and opportunities associated with mobile device use and online professionalism among health care providers, including physical therapists (PTs).18-29 As health information has become increasingly mobile and social, attention has turned to how technologies are being used by students in training programs for health professions such as physical therapy. Recent research suggests that large numbers of health professional students use technologies such as social media sites and mobile devices in their daily lives, and these students are beginning to use (or are interested in using) these technologies for educational or professional purposes.30,31 Specifically, Maloney and colleagues recently found that 85% of PT students feel that using social media sites is beneficial for learning and 73% believe it may be appropriate to use social media in professional settings. However, these students also expressed unease with maintaining personal and professional boundaries,30 and there are well-documented concerns that personal mobile technology use may not translate into skills needed for academic or professional use by future health care providers.32-37 There seems to be a growing consensus that professional practice requires use of technology, but there is lack of evidence on the range of technology use among PT students. Information about usage patterns and perception of ability can provide a launching point for future investigation and inform the development of instructional strategies that explore the use of mobile technologies and social media in PT education. Thus, the purpose of this study is to describe social media and mobile device use and comfort among PT students.METHODSParticipantsFirst, second, and third-year students in 3 PT education programs in the Midwest and Southwest regions of the United States who were on campus during the spring 2013 semester were invited to participate in a survey on technology use. Because third-year students were not on campus at 2 of the institutions during the survey administration, participants were primarily in years 1 and 2 of their respective PT education programs. …