The Impact of a Virtual Platform to Reduce Hematology-Oncology Educational Disparities Amongst Healthcare Professionals in Lower Socioeconomic Regions Globally

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown that lower socioeconomic (LS) areas are associated with increased disparities in healthcare access and outcomes leading to increased cancer mortality. While delayed diagnosis, suboptimal access, infrastructural challenges, and finances have contributed to these inequities, access to the latest medical knowledge and advancements has been cited as an equally important contributor responsible for cancer treatment outcomes. In response, MedNews Week (MNW), a free, digital platform was developed to provide global oncology education through its programming featuring Keynote presentations from the field's global leaders. To effectively reach a wider audience of healthcare professionals (HCP), MNW formed a strategic alliance with VuMedi- a global video education platform for physicians. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of MNW's hematology-oncology programming on VuMedi's educational platform for HCP. Methods: Between September 2022 and July 2023, MNW featured 11 prominent global hematology-oncology leaders in leukemia (mean H-index = 67.82), and their Keynote presentations were prominently presented on VuMedi. This study assessed viewership, global reach, page views, tumor subtype views, unique visits, and audience occupation demographics. In conjunction with VuMedi, a descriptive analysis and mixed-methods approach were utilized to evaluate the level of engagement with the content. Results: Over this 11-month period, MNW demonstrated increased linear growth with programming generating 4,387,213 total page views and 138,288 impressions (Figure 1 a, b). The platform drew 1,750,161 new visitors and 44,982 new registrants during this time ( Figure 1a). The Leukemia Channel and Video pages demonstrated linear growth over this time with 139 channel and 891 total video page views (Figure 2 c-e). The listed videos had 746 starts with a total playing time of 8,610 minutes (Figure 1 a, g). The audience was comprised primarily of surgeons (78.57%) compared to allied healthcare professionals (14.29%) from 22 countries- 12 of which are from LS areas, including Nigeria, Sudan, Georgia, and Bangladesh, and 10 of which are from high socioeconomic areas ( Figure 1 a & h). Conclusions: MNW has demonstrated an ability to attract and retain a diverse and expanding audience of physicians globally, particularly in lower-resource areas. Despite previously identified barriers such as limited internet access and high costs hindering access to quality medical information, MNW has exhibited consistent growth and success, particularly in regions facing these challenges. By hosting Keynote presentations from global leaders to HCP, MNW provides an effective and pragmatic solution to address educational disparities, while impacting hematology-oncology education in leukemia on a global scale.