Media Blogs Research Articles

Effects of a social media website on primary care givers’ awareness of music therapy services in a neonatal intensive care unit

Due to time constraints experienced by clinical staff in the hospital environment, traditional methods of educating and disseminating information about new services and treatments, for example music therapy, are often difficult and cumbersome. Social media blogs are emerging as a preferred option for healthcare professionals when needing to disseminate updated clinical and research information in a timely manner. The purpose of this pilot study was to gain information about the effect of a music therapy blog on (1) awareness of NICU music therapy services, and (2) usefulness of the blog as an information source for primary care givers working in a neonatal intensive care unit. Participants included 12 primary care physicians and practitioners working in a level three neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a large tertiary care facility in the South Eastern United States. Participants were randomized to two groups; group A received an email stimulus intervention for the first two weeks of the study while group B received the stimulus the last two weeks of the study. Results showed that there were significant results between the mid/post-test and pre/post-test for group A, but not for group B suggesting that the stimulus intervention helped motivate group A participants to visit the blog site even without the stimulus intervention the last two weeks of the study. Both groups reported high scores for the usefulness of the blog for acquiring information about NICU music therapy services.

Shifting from classic learning environment to digital learning environment in Arab culture

Social media discussion forums, blogs, wikis and three-dimensional virtual worlds are the current new techniques for learning. External social media sites, including Facebook (Facebook, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA), YouTube (YouTube, LLC, San Bruno, CA, USA), Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA), Flickr (Yahoo Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA), Twitter (Twitter, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA), LinkedIn (LinkedIn, Mountain View, CA, USA) and Second Life (Linden Lab, San Francisco, CA, USA), have been considered as very useful learning and teaching tools in recent years. This provides a chance for student-centred and social constructivist pedagogies in an online environment, and enables students to easily contribute and collaborate to e-learning environments. The influences of social media have reached Arab culture and are quickly spreading. This study highlights the use of these media for self-directed learning (SDL) purposes among medical students. This is a cross-sectional study and the questionnaire was constructed using the Delphi technique at Google (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) documents and was uploaded to different social media sites. The questionnaire comprised 28 questions, which included information relating to demographic features and utilization of social media during SDL time. The data were entered into Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 21 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) and Pearson chi-squared tests were applied for comparison. We received a total of 103 responses in 1 week, 52 of which (50.5%) were from men. The greatest proportion of responses came from students in their fifth year (35%), followed by those in their fourth year and first year (18.4%). Most students (63%) scored a grade-point average of 4–5 points. Out of the total, only eight students (7.8%) responded that they do not use social network sites at all. Almost one-third of responders (33%) utilized social networks for SDL for 2–3 hours daily, and 84 responders (81%) declared that these social media sites are helpful during preparation for their examinations. Age, sex and academic year have a significant association ( P <0.05) with the use of social media. In conclusion, it is reported that the culture of using of social media is increasing in Arab society; however, we need to provide the guidance for its proper utilization for SDL purposes.

A stroll through the medical blogosphere

Medical blogs are a very popular way of communicating health-related information. They can be written by medical professionals or laypeople, and topics include diseases, procedures, health policies, and personal topics such as everyday experiences. In this article, we provide examples of medical blogs that illustrate the language used, which can be technical, semi-technical, or informal. Medical blogs need to be accurate and well written because they provide precious information about health-related issues.

Penerapan Project Based Learning (PBL) dengan Media Blog Pembelajaran Kimia untuk Meningkatkan Keaktifan dan Hasil Belajar Materi Redoks pada Peserta Didik Kelas X MIPA SMA Negeri 1 Kedungwuni Kabupaten Pekalongan Semester 2 Tahun Pelajaran 2014/2015

The outline of this research issues are how the learning process, how much the liveliness and the result of learning chemistry improve through the application of PBL as media blog for chemistry’s studies. This research are carry out in two cycles, there are 3 meetings in cycle 1 and in cycle 2 there are 2 meetings. The subject of this research are students of class X MIPA 2 of SMAN 1 Kedungwuni Pekalongan semester 2 school year 2014/2015. There is improvement on average grades in periodical test from 71, 08 to 80, 94 and classical completeness increase from 55% to 85, 29%.

Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Inquiri dan Team Teaching dengan Media Blog untuk Meningkatkan Aktivitas dan Hasil Belajar

ABSTRACT This study aims to find a model and effective media of learning to the teach materials of the straight-line for students Cambridge program increases activity and learning outcomes in the SMP Al Izzah Batu by applying the model of inquiry learning and team teaching with media blog. This classroom action research conducted through two cycles and in each cycle includes planning, implementation, observation and reflection. Being to enable the students in this study, researchers used a media blog and work sheets given to students in the group. Subjects in the study of this class action is students graders 8C Cambridge program Junior High School Al Izzah Batu being the object is a set of learning materials in mathematics are taught in a way to enable students in the group. From research conducted by examining the initial conditions of students as measured by means of a written test and the results of classroom action research with two cycles seen an increase in students' results achieved be master in the material equation straight line was given. Increased mastery of this material from the first cycle, students can be increased by 2% from the initial conditions were of the conditions in the first cycle after the action on the second cycle increased by 24%. The results of this class action, the researchers recommend the taker executive positions or teaching in this case the teachers to teach the material by applying a set of models of inquiry learning and team teaching with media blog. Keywords: Model Inquiry, Team teaching, media blogs, activities, learning outcomes.

Are you cup of joking? The “latte salute”, American President Barack Obama’s Visual Rhetoric

The “latte salute” as it has been coined is a highly publicized image taken in 2014 made popular by media outlets ranging from big news stations to online social media blogs. Depicting United States President Barack Obama exiting Air Force One, the presidential plane, the “latte salute” entered media channels and quickly became a social media phenomenon. It has been mentioned on television by Sarah Palin, Hannity and Colmes, Bill O'Reilly and Rosie O’Donnell. The incident has been popularized again and again by political cartoonists, activists, and artists. Backlash has ranged from social media outrage to creation of websites petitioning for public support to rise against the President’s actions in the photo. This research seeks to address the visual rhetoric of the latte salute photograph. The rhetorical implications of the presidency's visual spectacle deserve elucidation.

Acceso, uso y preferencias de las tecnologías de información y comunicación por médicos de un hospital general del Perú

We assessed the access, use and preferences of information and communication technology (ICT) by physicians who practice at Cayetano Heredia National Hospital. The questionnaire explored the availability and skills of ICT, time, educational activities, search engines and technological applications most used as well as ICT preferences in education.211 physicians were surveyed; laptop use was 93%, tablet and smartphone use was 66% and 88%.68% have mobile Internet. Differences were evident in the frequency of use of ICT in 25-34 year old age group as well as a higher level of skills (p<0.05). 86% use PubMed, Facebook and WhatsApp as a means of exchanging images and data related to health, 50% participated in medical blogs, online courses or videoconferences. The use and access of ICT is common among doctors in this hospital and there is positive interest in its use in education.

A Study on Contents Channel Integration on Facebook Fan Pages Using a Third Party App

Many companies use various avenues to increase their marketing activities, including SNS, blogs, and Internet webpages. What they need is to be able to consolidate these efforts through their Facebook Fan Page, however linking the SNS APIs has proved difficult, companies lack manpower as well as the necessary skills, a long development cycle, and maintenance difficulties have effectively blocked consolidation efforts. In order to help overcome this obstacle, we researched 3rd party Apps that can quickly and easily channel Facebook’s custom tab. We analyzed 5 Third Party App: Tabfusion, TabSite, Woobox, FnGAGE and SOCG. We discovered that there are 15 types of Apps: Social Media Apps, Blog Apps, Photo Apps, Music Apps, Video Apps, Lottery Apps, Quiz Apps, Puzzle Apps, Contest Apps, Events Apps, Coupon &Lead Capture Apps, Information Apps, Poll Apps, Contact Apps and Web Apps. This research will be of great practical benefit for Marketing and PR managers in conducting business, especially regarding the features of the 5 Third Party App covered, as well as the 15 types of Custom Apps. Further research that compares the main functions, items needed in preparing for setup, and items that need special attention for Third Party Apps utilizing specific channels such as YouTube, Pinterest, and other types of SNS is needed.

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.

Translinguistic apposition in a multilingual media blog in Rwanda: Towards an interpretive perspective in language policy research

AbstractResearchers have called for studies that link the macro and the micro in language policy research. In turn, the notion of ‘micro’ has been theorised as referring either to the micro implementation of macro policies or to micro policies. In this article, a third way of thinking about the relationship between the macro and the micro in language policy—referred to as the interpretive perspective—is proposed. In this perspective, macro language policies and micro language choice practices are seen as interdependent, as shaping each other. The article substantiates this view drawing on a practice I call translinguistic apposition and that I have observed in a variety of ‘most highly regulated’ texts in Rwanda. However, for an in- depth understanding, the practice is described drawing on data from a single source, namely the Rwandan multilingual media blog www.igihe.com. The article demonstrates how this practice can be seen as shaped by the Rwandan macro language policy and, conversely, how the same macro policy can be seen as written into being through the same micro level practice. (Language policy, micro language policy, micro implementation of macro policy, translanguaging, translinguistic apposition, interpretive perspective)

Analysis of Pharmacy Student Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Web 2.0 Tools for Educational Purposes.

Background: The use of Wikis, blogs, and podcasts can engage students in collaborative learning, allow peer feedback, and enhance reflective learning. However, no survey to date has been performed across all professional years of pharmacy students in order to obtain a comprehensive overview of student perceptions. Objectives: To identify the familiarity of pharmacy students with Web 2.0 resources available for medical education, and what barriers exist. Methods: This study surveyed students enrolled in the professional program of a US-accredited pharmacy school to assess their knowledge and current use of available online resources and attitudes toward the use of Web 2.0 technologies for educational purposes. Results: Of the 836 surveys distributed, 293 were collected and analyzed (35.0% response rate). Students reported using the following Web 2.0 technologies in the didactic and experiential settings, respectively: Wikipedia (88%, 70%), YouTube (87%, 41%), Khan Academy (40%, 5%), and medical or scientific blogs (25%, 38%). Although these technologies were more commonly used in the classroom, students agreed or strongly agreed such resources should be used more often in both the didactic (n = 187, 64%) and experiential settings (n = 172, 59%). The barriers associated with the use of Web 2.0 in both the didactic and experiential settings that were ranked highest among students included accuracy and quality of information and lack of familiarity among faculty members and preceptors. Conclusion: Pharmacy students across all professional years actively use Web 2.0 tools for educational purposes and believe that opportunities exist to expand use of such technologies within the didactic and experiential settings.

Impression management in doctor-patient communication: experience in Taiwan

In a physical healthcare environment, a doctor's time for each patient is limited. The rise of internet technology has brought new opportunities. Using information gathered from a survey, this study attempted to use the communication platform of medical blogs to explore how impression management, health trust, and online social support affect the impacts of health communication. The partial least squares method was used to analyse these different constructs. According to the empirical results of this study, when doctors use impression strategies to respond to visitor questions on blogs, patients feel that they can understand health information better, and at the same time, patients' usage intention for doctor blogs will increase. In addition, when people receive more social support online, the communication effects of blog use are elevated. This study also demonstrated that health trust can influence medical blog usage intention and health communication.

Imbalance of opinions expressed on Twitter relating to CT radiation risk: an opportunity for increased radiologist representation.

The purpose of this study was to assess perspectives and information relating to CT radiation risk on Twitter, a popular microblogging social network. Publicly available posts on Twitter ("tweets") containing both the words "CT" and "radiation" were identified from the 1st week of each month in 2013. Type of user posting and source of linked articles were recorded. Two reviewers assessed the content of tweets and links regarding CT's benefit-to-risk ratio (favorable, unfavorable, etc.). Six hundred twenty-one relevant tweets were tweeted by 557 unique users, of whom 90 (16%) were physicians (17 of these were radiologists), 30 (5%) were medical practices or hospitals, 34 (6%) were patients, 8 (1%) were physicists or technologists, and 395 (71%) were other types of users. Two hundred twenty-seven tweets included user commentary regarding CT's benefit-to-risk ratio, of which 134 (59%) were unfavorable or concerned, 65 (29%) were neutral, 22 (10%) were informative regarding CT dose reduction strategies, and only 6 (3%) were favorable. Four hundred seventy-two tweets (76%) included links to a total of 99 unique articles, of which 25 (25%) were unfavorable or concerned, 10 (10%) were favorable, 25 (25%) were neutral, and 39 (39%) were informative regarding CT dose reduction. Article types were non-peer-reviewed medical sources (n = 50), lay press (n = 15), peer-reviewed medical journals (n = 13), blogs (n = 12), advertisements (n = 5), and informational websites (n = 4). The large majority of content on Twitter was either unfavorable or concerned regarding CT radiation risk. Most articles were not peer-reviewed and were posted by nonphysicians; posts by physicians were largely by nonradiologists. More active engagement on Twitter by radiologists and physicists and increased dissemination of peer-reviewed articles may achieve a more balanced representation and alleviate concerns regarding CT radiation risk on social networks.

From Blog to Facebook Your Voice Matter? An Insight into the Surge of Citizen Media in Vietnam

London July 2005 - On the first day after the tragic bombing in the city, over 1,000 images and 20 videos were sent into the newsroom of BBC. Featured on the front pages of several mayor newspapers was an iconic image by Alexander Chadwick, a survivor who photographed the chaotic scene in the London underground. The growth of user-generated content from this tragedy, as noted by Jeff Borenstein (2009), marked “a watershed moment” in the journalism industry: passive victims of a terrorist action became participants in the news making process. Hanoi October 2013 - Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnam's legendary general who masterminded victories against France and the US, has died in Hanoi. The news of his death broke on social media sites on Friday evening and the landmark event was quickly followed by the country's swelling ranks of Internet users. Facebook, the most popular social media platform in Vietnam was erupted into tributes and condolences since Friday after users heard of the military strategist's death. The above examples are only two among hundreds of similar events that we are seeing every day. Across much of the world, thanks to the development of communication technologies especially the Internet, the one-way interaction between readers and news-makers has been ruptured; who and what constitutes the news has considerably changed, particularly in the emerging public zones of the blogosphere and social media. This phenomenon of consumers increasingly participating in the process of making and circulating media leads to a remarkable change in how media is made and consumed; how the meaning of media text and the status of professional journalistic labor is now conceived. During the last few years in Vietnam, social media have risen as an important source of information besides state-controlled media and played an important role in defining and promoting new forms of citizen media in the country. However this is still a fairly new concept in Vietnam and there is little literature written about this phenomenon in the country. Therefore, my aim is to conduct an exploratory research into this field, to provide a preliminary insight into the surge of citizen media in Vietnam. In this paper, after reviewing theoretical background of media and citizenry especially citizen media, I analyze recent developments in the blogging movement and Facebook with a focus on their role in promoting citizen journalism as well as re-shaping the country's media landscape. Specifically, I would like to explore “what are the main contributions of social media (blogs and Facebook) in Vietnam?” and from that to find out “how can citizen journalism in Vietnam progressively integrate itself into today's differentiated media ecology?” In order to answer the key questions, I apply mainly qualitative method as primary sources and related material as secondary sources. A short survey of ten questions has been sent to 100 young Vietnamese people age 18-35. I also carried out deeper interviews with three young people currently living in the cities that have better access to the Internet and also account for the majority of bloggers and social network users in Vietnam. From my research, it shows that social media in Vietnam has seen a spectacular rise in the last few years, which made certain changes to the country's media landscape and to some extent helped facilitate various forms of citizen led initiatives. One of the key contributions of blogs and Facebook in the country is to promote grassroots reporting of “untouched” issues and to provide alternative viewpoints from state-controlled official media outlets. This new genre of media has progressively integrated itself into today's differentiated media ecology of the country, inspiring people to learn, debate and participate further in political discourse. Opening further opportunities for political discussion among citizen, the rise of citizen journalism in Vietnam has contributed to facilitating and sustaining a healthy democratization process. Thus, we see the capacity of social media to bolster critical discussions on public affairs among different groups of the public. However, the facts that both mainstream media and social media in Vietnam still being under rather tight control directly and indirectly from the state, and the narrowing impact of citizen journalism only within a small group of young, urban Internet users remind us that heading to a democratic media is never an easy and overnight story. In the years to come, press freedom, digital divide, media literacy is still complex questions for each and all of us....

Analysis of the accuracy of weight loss information search engine results on the internet.

We systematically identified and evaluated the quality and comprehensiveness of online information related to weight loss that users were likely to access. We evaluated the content quality, accessibility of the information, and author credentials for Web sites in 2012 that were identified from weight loss specific queries that we generated. We scored the content with respect to available evidence-based guidelines for weight loss. One hundred three Web sites met our eligibility criteria (21 commercial, 52 news/media, 7 blogs, 14 medical, government, or university, and 9 unclassified sites). The mean content quality score was 3.75 (range=0-16; SD=2.48). Approximately 5% (4.85%) of the sites scored greater than 8 (of 12) on nutrition, physical activity, and behavior. Content quality score varied significantly by type of Web site; the medical, government, or university sites (mean=4.82, SD=2.27) and blogs (mean=6.33, SD=1.99) had the highest scores. Commercial (mean=2.37, SD=2.60) or news/media sites (mean=3.52, SD=2.31) had the lowest scores (analysis of variance P<.005). The weight loss information that people were likely to access online was often of substandard quality because most comprehensive and quality Web sites ranked too low in search results.

Blog code(s) of conduct: some legal considerations for health librarians

This is the fourth installment of the social media column for the Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association / Journal de l’Association des bibliotheques de la sante du Canada (JCHLA / JABSC). It is a brief look at the legal issues associated with blogging and what might constitute a more ethically informed use of blogging technologies. However, its main purpose is to explore the parameters of free speech on blogs and some important legal concepts such as defamation of character, compensatory damages (where someone has injured another’s reputation), and using the facts as a defense. The challenge here is to strike a balance between adopting judicious restraint on blogs while permitting ample freedom for fair comment. To summarize, the goal is to move health bloggers (and readers) towards an ethical code of conduct – a timely issue for our field. In 2011, the use of health and medical blogs, – not to mention Facebook, Twitter, and other social media,– has made it easier to communicate with health professionals from around the world [2]. Library blogs are used in many library settings to push information out to users about library services and community events that causes some critics to refer to them as ‘‘shovelware’’ [3]. But blogs are used for multiple purposes, such as requesting feedback from library users and talking about important issues of the day. For many in the information sphere, the exchange facilitated by blogs is critical to forging relationships with users and building a ‘‘digital brand’’.

About a Bot: Hoax, Fake, Performance Art

About a Bot: Hoax, Fake, Performance Art

Medical student storytelling on an institutional blog: A case study analysis

Background: Despite the proclivity and proliferation of blogs on the Internet, the use of blogs at medical institutions is not well documented.Aims: In examining the structured stories that medical students share with the digital community, we may better understand how students use institutional blogs to discuss their medical school experiences while maintaining their role as a medical student ambassador for the program.Methods: We conducted a case study to analyze the stories within 309 medical student blogs from one medical institution in the United States.Results: In an attempt to communicate their experiences to different benefactors, student bloggers engaged in structured and personal storytelling. Structured stories offered medical school advice to prospective students, while personal stories embodied features of a personal diary where students recounted significant milestones, talked about personal relationships and engaged in emotional reflection and disclosure.Conclusion: Institutional blogs may provide social marketing for medical institutions, as students strategically framed their experiences to reflect a positive attitude about the medical institution and focused on providing advice to prospective students. Although these structured stories limit complete disclosure, students may still achieve benefits by engaging in emotional disclosure and personal reflection.

The Scholarly Merit of Social Media Use Among Clinical Faculty.

Background: Social media (SoMe) platforms such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook are increasingly becoming incorporated into education and scientific communities. In fields such as emergency medicine, clinicians have established communication channels through SoMe to engage in academic and clinical discussions for the purposes of professional growth. While the use of SoMe as an educational tool within the classroom has been previously described, its use as a professional tool has not been adequately investigated. Objective: To assess the perception of SoMe as an academic tool among deans of accredited health care professional schools in the United States. Methods: An electronic cross-sectional survey was distributed to deans of accredited medical, nursing, and pharmacy schools across the United States to assess the knowledge of SoMe, attitudes toward academic merit, and challenges to incorporating SoMe into scholarly activity. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of 188 responses (response rate = 22%), 162 (86%) agreed publication in a peer-reviewed journal ranked highest in academic merit, followed by publishing in medical Web sites (157, 84%), publication in a university-based newsletter (147, 78%), and personal medical education blog (150, 80%). Fifty-one (31%) of respondents stated that volume of viewership would improve academic merit, while 85 (52%) believed a peer-review process would improve academic merit. Conclusion: Although professional SoMe activities should not replace traditional publications, the result of this study suggest establishing a peer-review process to improve validity of such activities.

The importance of social media to clinical practice

One of the most fundamental elements of the practice of medicine is communication. Medical professionals have to communicate with colleagues, patients and sometimes even with digital tools and information. As the internet has changed several parts of our lives, it has had a huge impact on medical communication as well. Patients motivated by symptoms become e-patients who use digital technologies and online resources in strategically managing their health. These patients are empowered, engaged and experts in their own conditions therefore they have special questions and require a different approach from their caregivers [1]. E-patients mine support groups for new information about their treatments; launch their own biotechnology companies [101] and keep themselves up-to-date. Based on these reasons and the exponentially growing amount of clinical information, it is inevitable now to use the online world in practicing medicine. Compared to traditional methods, keeping ourselves up-to-date on the internet without running after the information is simple, as Really Simple Syndication provides us with the opportunity of getting updates from all medical journals and news sites in one place or even receiving automatic e-mail alerts from Pubmed.com, the biomedical database, focusing on our particular fields of interest. Search operators let us find accurate clinical or scientific content online rapidly without browsing the internet for hours wasting time and effort. Patients previously asked about books and articles focusing on their conditions, now they ask about medical websites and blogs; therefore they should receive proper recommendations about either books or blogs from their caregivers. Moreover, there are no collaborative barriers any more as crowdsourcing is now an option to find a solution for a complicated medical problem on medical community sites. I successfully used my international medical Twitter community for crowdsourcing a difficult diagnosis owing to the fact that I knew my 'followers' in a professional manner [2]. This underscores the notion that we have to use a hub of international expertise to solve critical issues and social media provides us with the right tools for that. The final goal for a healthcare professional is to spend the least possible time online but make that time period as efficient as possible. The trend of patients taking matters into their own hands by using digital solutions is imminent and will become even more massive whether Bertalan Mesko* Opinion