Free Open Access Meducation Research Articles

A Fork in the Road for Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Blogs and Podcasts: Cross-sectional Study.

Free open-access meducation (FOAM) refers to open-access, web-based learning resources in medicine. It includes all formats of digital products, including blogs and podcasts. The number of FOAM blog and podcast sites in emergency medicine and critical care increased dramatically from 2002 to 2013, and physicians began to rely on the availability of these resources. The current landscape of these FOAM sites is unknown. This study aims to (1) estimate the current number of active, open-access blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine and critical care and (2) describe observed and anticipated trends in the FOAM movement using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation by Christensen as a theoretical framework. The authors used multiple resources and sampling strategies to identify active, open-access blogs and podcasts between April 25, 2022, and May 8, 2022, and classified these websites as blogs, podcasts, or blogs+podcasts. For each category, they reported the following outcome measures using descriptive statistics: age, funding, affiliations, and team composition. Based on these findings, the authors projected trends in the number of active sites using a positivist paradigm and the Theory of Disruptive Innovation as a theoretical framework. The authors identified 109 emergency medicine and critical care websites, which comprised 45.9% (n=50) blogs, 22.9% (n=25) podcasts, and 31.2% (n=34) blogs+podcasts. Ages ranged from 0 to 18 years; 27.5% (n=30) sold products, 18.3% (n=20) used advertisements, 44.0% (n=48) had institutional funding, and 27.5% (n=30) had no affiliation or external funding sources. Team sizes ranged from 1 (n=26, 23.9%) to ≥5 (n=60, 55%) individuals. There was a sharp decline in the number of emergency medicine and critical care blogs and podcasts in the last decade, dropping 40.4% since 2013. The initial growth of FOAM and its subsequent downturn align with principles in the Theory of Disruptive Innovation by Christensen. These findings have important implications for the field of medical education.

High Yield Pedagogy and FOAM as Dynamic Drivers of Building Human Capital and Successful Pandemic Rapid Responses in a Low Middle Income Country

PurposeWe hypothesized that utilizing a High Yield Pedagogy Model of our own design would result in a successful self-sufficient pandemic response capacity in a Resource Limited Environment by promoting rapid upscaling of skilled clinician-educators and complex knowledge translation into clinical practice.Methods & MaterialsIn response to the eruption of SARS-CoV2 in Guyana, which resulted in a surge of patients combined with a paucity of trained Critical-Care Medicine / Pulmonology Providers, we developed a blended learning Mechanical Ventilation course to rapidly upscale Human Capital and Critical-Care Medicine capacity. Our course primarily utilizes U.S. Special Operations Medicine Force Multiplier Train the Trainer strategies combined with a dynamic flipped classroom High Yield Pedagogy approach based in cognitive neuroscience to optimize rapid knowledge acquisition, retention and translation into clinical practice. We incorporated two on-line Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM) resources (one purely didactic and the other a ventilator simulator), several novel self-study clinical scenarios that dynamically progressed in tandem with assigned learning, and we culminated with an in person clinician-student driven intensive scenario based training (SBT) exercise in which each student was not only required to present a variety of complex cases, but also to effectively conduct training in an environment emphasizing Psychological Safety, Dynamic Process Improvement and a continuum of 360 degree feedback mechanisms.ResultsOur High Yield Pedagogy model rapidly and successfully produced a sustainable and self-sufficient Critical-Care Medicine Capacity. We were able to provide comprehensive just in time, turnkey SARS-CoV2 Mechanical Ventilation didactic and clinical training for Guyana's Ministry of Health, which in turn allowed them to dynamically pivot, rapidly upscale human capital, and successfully manage their initial surge of COVID-19 patients.ConclusionHigh Yield Pedagogy with a focus on sustainable self-sufficiency utilizing a flipped classroom, FOAM, and Psychological Safety is an effective mechanism to promote rapid knowledge translation and upscaling to increase critical-care capacity and optimize complex clinical outcomes under pandemic surge conditions in Low Middle Income Countries and severely Resource Limited Environments.

Medical students’ pattern of self-directed learning prior to and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic period and its implications for Free Open Access Meducation within the United Kingdom

PurposeSelf-directed learning (SDL) has been increasingly emphasized within medical education. However, little is known about the SDL resources medical students use. This study aimed to identify patterns in medical students’ SDL behaviors, their SDL resource choices, factors motivating these choices, and the potential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on these variables.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey comprising multiple-choice, ranked, and free-text response questions were disseminated to medical students across all 41 UK medical schools between April and July 2020. Independent study hours and sources of study materials prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. Motivational factors guiding resource choices and awareness of Free Open Access Meducation were also investigated.ResultsThe target sample was 75 students per medical school across a total of 41 medical schools within the United Kingdom (3,075 total students), and 1,564 responses were analyzed. University-provided information comprised the most commonly used component of independent study time, but a minority of total independent study time. Independent study time increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.001). All sub-cohorts except males reported a significant increase in the use of resources such as free websites and question banks (P<0.05) and paid websites (P<0.05) as a result of the pandemic. Accessibility was the most influential factor guiding resource choice (Friedman’s μrank=3.97, P<0.001).ConclusionThe use of learning resources independent of university provision is increasing. Educators must ensure equitable access to such materials while supporting students in making informed choices regarding their independent study behaviors.

370TF Teaching Toxicology to Emergency Medicine Residents: A Flipped Classroom Approach

Poisonings are relatively rare presentations to the emergency department (ED), but knowledge of how to treat the poisoned patient is crucial for emergency physicians. Emergency medicine (EM) residents often learn toxicology via a lecture-based format. While this presents necessary information that residents need to learn, retention can be limited due to lack of interaction with the material. Current residents are more likely to turn to Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM) resources such as blogs, podcasts and online videos, rather than textbooks, to supplement lecture-based learning. The objective of this curriculum is three-fold. By the end of this curriculum, EM residents will be able to 1) assess and manage poisoned patients, 2) evaluate FOAM resources, and 3) design modules to teach various topics to both peers and faculty. EM residents will be assigned to one of three groups. This curriculum has six sessions spread over a three-year period. One month before each session, topics will be assigned by the Didactics Director to each group. Groups will be provided with a list of resources, including Web sites/blogs, podcasts, videos, etc to learn about their assigned topics, but are not limited to this list. It is expected that each resident will spend approximately two hours prior to didactics learning about their assigned topics, and residents will receive two hours of Individualized Interactive Instruction (III) credit for their preparation. Each of the six sessions will be two hours long. During the first 45 minutes, groups will meet to discuss their topics and plan a module to present their assigned topics to the larger group of residents and faculty. Each group will then have 20 minutes to present their topics. At the end of each session, residents will be asked to list the FOAM resources used and provide ratings in the following categories on a 5-point scale: learner engagement, readability or audiovisual quality, and usefulness of information presented. After each session, residents will receive a quiz based on that session’s topics. Annually, residents will be assigned a toxicology-based quiz from a commercially available board review course. Residents will be asked to evaluate each session immediately after the session, providing feedback to both the Didactics Director and each individual group, and to evaluate the entire curriculum on the annual program spring survey. After completing this curriculum, residents will have a deeper understanding of toxicology in emergency medicine. In addition, residents will learn how to identify useful FOAM resources and how to present information in different ways to adult learners.

Paediatric Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM): behaviours, trends and implications

IntroductionFree Open Access Meducation (FOAM) describes online resources assisting learning in medicine. Little is known about users or their behaviours.MethodsUsing Google Analytics for a popular FOAM site (www.paedatricfoam.com), we explored...

Learning in the Digital Era - Awareness and Usage of Free Open Access Meducation among Emergency Department Doctors.

IntroductionInformation and communication technology has revolutionized the space of medical education by providing a multitude of up-to-date evidence-based data to healthcare practitioners. Despite the increasing popularity of FOAM - Free Open Access Meducation (Medical Education) globally - data relating to its awareness and usage in Africa is lacking. In this study, we explore the awareness and usage of FOAM among doctors working at select emergency departments in Johannesburg.MethodsThe study comprised a prospective, questionnaire based, cross-sectional survey of medical doctors working at five academically affiliated emergency departments in Johannesburg. Data was described and compared.ResultsOne-hundred and four participants completed the survey. Most of the respondents were aged between 31 and 39 years (n = 40, 43.9%). There were no significant differences between the proportion of females and males that used FOAM (p = 0.56). Most participants (n = 91, 87.5%) were aware of FOAM, while 82 (78.8%) used FOAM, 13 (12.5%) were unsure if they used FOAM and nine (8.7%) did not use FOAM. Majority of those that used FOAM, only used it once a week (n = 47, 57.3%). Most participants spent between one and two hours per day on FOAM (n = 29, 35.4%). Smartphones were by far the most commonly used device to access FOAM (n = 91, 87.5%).ConclusionThe level of awareness of FOAM is high and its usage is prevalent among emergency medicine healthcare professionals in Johannesburg. As technology becomes more prominent, institutions must aim to adapt to the digital era in their teaching methods.

Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM) – Wissenstransfer 2.0?

Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM) – Wissenstransfer 2.0?

#FOAMems: Engaging paramedics with free, online open-access education.

BACKGROUND AND AIM:Twitter® use among paramedics and other prehospital care clinicians is on the rise and is increasingly being used as a platform for continuing education and international collaboration. In 2014, the hashtag #FOAMems was registered. It is used for the sharing of emergency medical services, paramedicine, and prehospital care-related content. It is a component of the ‘free open-access meducation’ (FOAM) movement. The aim of this study was to characterize and evaluate the content of #FOAMems tweets since registration.MATERIALS AND METHODS:An analytical report for #FOAMems was generated on symplur.com from February 4, 2014, to April 30, 2017. A transcript of all #FOAMems tweets for a randomly selected 1 month period (October 2015) was generated, and quantitative content analysis was performed by two reviewers. Tweets were categorized according to source (original tweet/retweet) and whether referenced. The top 92 tweeters were analyzed for professional identity.RESULTS:During the study period, there were over 99,000 tweets containing #FOAMems, by over 9,200 participants. These resulted in almost 144 million impressions. Of the top 92 tweeters, 50 were paramedics (54%). Tweets were mainly related to cardiac (23%), leadership (19%), and trauma (14%). The 1-month period resulted in 649 original tweets, with 2110 retweets; 1070 of these were referenced.CONCLUSION:Paramedics are engaging with both clinical and nonclinical content on Twitter® using #FOAMems. Social media resources are widely shared, which is in line with the FOAM movement's philosophy. However, opportunities exist for paramedics to share further diverse resources supported by referenced material.

Recommendations from the Council of Residency Directors (CORD) Social Media Committee on the Role of Social Media in Residency Education and Strategies on Implementation.

Social media (SM) is a form of electronic communication through which users create online communities and interactive platforms to exchange information, ideas, messages, podcasts, videos, and other user-generated content. Emergency medicine (EM) has embraced the healthcare applications of SM at a rapid pace and continues to explore the potential benefit for education. Free Open Access Meducation has emerged from the ever-expanding collection of SM interactions and now represents a virtual platform for sharing educational media. This guidance document constitutes an expert consensus opinion for best practices in the use of SM in EM residency education. The goals are the following: 1) Recommend adoption of SM as a valuable graduate medical education (GME) tool, 2) Provide advocacy and support for SM as a GME tool, and 3) Recommend best practices of educational deliverables using SM. These guidelines are intended for EM educators and residency programs for the development and use of a program-specific SM presence for residency education, taking into account appropriate SM stewardship that adheres to institution-specific guidelines, content management, Accreditation Council for GME milestone requirements, and integration of SM in EM residency curriculum to enhance the learner’s experience. Additionally, potential obstacles to the uptake of SM as an educational modality are discussed with proposed solutions.

Implementing peer review at an emergency medicine blog: bridging the gap between educators and clinical experts.

Emergency physicians are leaders in the ''free open-access meducation'' (FOAM) movement. The mandate of FOAM is to create open-access education and knowledge translation resources for trainees and practicing physicians (e.g., blogs, podcasts, and vodcasts). Critics of FOAM have suggested that because such resources can be easily published online without quality control mechanisms, unreviewed FOAM resources may be erroneous or biased. We present a new initiative to incorporate open, expert, peer review into an established academic medical blog. Experts provided either pre- or postpublication reviews that were visible to blog readers. This article outlines the details of this initiative and discusses the potentially transformative impact of this educational innovation.

Five Strategies to Effectively Use Online Resources in Emergency Medicine

EDUCATION/RESIDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE Five Strategies to Effectively Use Online Resources in Emergency Medicine Brent Thoma, MD, MA*; Nikita Joshi, MD; N. Seth Trueger, MD; Teresa M. Chan, MD; Michelle Lin, MD *Corresponding Author. E-mail: brent.thoma@usask.ca, Twitter: @Brent_Thoma. 0196-0644/$-see front matter Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Emergency Physicians. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2014.05.029 [Ann Emerg Med. 2014; - :1-4.] INTRODUCTION For health professions learners of all levels, staying abreast of the literature can seem like an insurmountable task as the number of clinically oriented articles continues to grow at an increasing rate. 1,2 Fortunately, there has been a veritable explosion of online secondary resources that endeavor to digest the expanding medical literature and present it in a format that is optimized for adult learners. Particularly in emergency medicine, these resources have been dubbed “free open access medical education,” also known as free open access meducation (FOAM). 3 The FOAM movement has figured prominently in the proliferation of blogs and podcasts made available online by practicing clinicians. 3,4 As an unintended consequence, learners must now contend with an exponentially expanding library of both primary literature and secondary online resources. To make effective use of this stream of knowledge, learners must filter and choose from myriad resources. Simple digital tools can be used to organize and manage this otherwise overwhelming amount of information. This article outlines 5 strategies to help learners and practicing physicians stay abreast of both foundational and cutting-edge literature by using digital solutions. Table 1 provides an overview of each step. STRATEGY 1: USE A REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION READER Following FOAM by visiting individual Web sites can be time consuming and overwhelming. Rich Site Summary, also know as Really Simple Syndication (RSS), feeds allow the latest content from specified Web sites to be exported directly to a personalized reader. Rather than going to each site to check for updates, content is automatically synced when it is published and presented in a magazine-like format that is easy to read. There is a variety of free or inexpensive RSS readers available. A video tutorial demonstrating how to use Feedly, a popular multiplatform reader, is available (Video E1, available online at http://www.annemergmed.com). The flexibility of an RSS reader, however, can be a double- edged sword. This strategy works well when an appropriate amount of content is added by a user. However, new users can have difficulty finding good content, whereas experienced users Volume no. may add so much over time that they cannot keep up with the reading list. New users should consider asking trusted colleagues for recommendations or an exported list of the Web sites they follow. Additionally, they can look at the list of recommended blogs or podcasts that their favorite blogs or podcasts follow, which can often be found on the home page (sometimes referred to as a “blog roll”). STRATEGY 2: USE A PODCAST APPLICATION Downloading, formatting, and organizing podcasts can be time consuming and overwhelming. Podcast applications are to podcasts as RSS readers are to blogs. In both cases, the user specifies the content, and the software automatically acquires and queues the content for consumption. Podcast applications notify users when new podcasts have been released, download them, and play them. There is a variety of free and inexpensive podcast applications available for all models of smartphones. As with RSS readers, users must specify which podcasts they want to download, leading to the same potential problems. Again, a good place to start is to ask for recommendations from a trusted colleague, as well as recommended sites on blog rolls. STRATEGY 3: USE COMPILATIONS TO FIND QUALITY RESOURCES The difficulty of identifying good resources has long been recognized. We have compiled and categorized a list of recommended resources in Table 2. Several innovators have developed unique solutions to help collate and curate content: The Life in the Fast Lane Review 5 outlines the top FOAM content published each week. It is written by an international team of authors that identifies quality resources in 5 categories (emergency medicine, critical care, pediatric emergency medicine, toxicology, and medical education). FOAM EM is a blog that simply reposts content from most of the popular FOAM blogs and podcasts. The aggregated content is linked to the original Web site. A recent survey of Canadian residents found that faculty recommendations are highly valued by residents selecting online resources. 6 It may be worthwhile for residency programs to compile internal lists of resources that have been vetted by faculty. Annals of Emergency Medicine 1

Integration of Social Media in Emergency Medicine Residency Curriculum

INTRODUCTION As education moves away from the age of pen and paper, the digital platform has become a rapidly growing resource for both emergency medicine educators and learners. Social media are any Internet-based applications that enable content sharing and rapid interactions between large populations. The growth and influence of social media technologies have allowed the distribution of ideas far beyond geographic borders. During the past decade, an estimated 141 blogs and 42 podcasts related to emergency medicine and critical care have been developed in 24 countries. Free open access meducation (FOAM), defined as a community of open access resources for learning in medicine, leverages the powerful sharing and interactive qualities of social media to rapidly disseminate educational materials and expert insights. Social media resources are being used frequently by emergency medicine training programs; a recent survey of 226 emergency medicine residents at 12 different residency programs showed that almost 98% use some form of social media for learning for at least 1 hour per week. Many emergency medicine residency programs across the United States and Canada have started their own Twitter accounts (Table), largely through the work of the group at Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM). Despite the strong tendency to use social media for learning, there remains a lack of understanding or science of how to implement it effectively. Our primary goal is to describe the different social media modalities and how our program and others have created a presence in these platforms.Wewill also offer specific examples of how these modalities can be integrated asynchronously or in conjunction with didactic sessions. Last, wewill highlight the potential struggles and barriers that may be associated with the implementation and integration of social media in residency education. We hope that this article will spark further discussion on social media use and inspire future studies to examine the effectiveness of its integration in emergency medicine residency curricula.

Dispatches from the Free Open Access Meducation frontier

Dispatches from the Free Open Access Meducation frontier

Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM): the rise of emergency medicine and critical care blogs and podcasts (2002–2013)

Disruptive technologies are revolutionising continuing professional development in emergency medicine and critical care (EMCC). Data on EMCC blogs and podcasts were gathered prospectively from 2002 through November 2013. During this...

Create a free online educational resource

This article in the 'How to' series explains how one could create a free online educational resource by sharing a collection of links or creating a basic informational web site. It briefly discusses FOAM (free open access meducation) and some of the issues that arise, such as copyright.