Medical Podcasts Research Articles

Introducing a short-medium format, paediatric surgical podcast into the formal teaching resources of a medical school

BackgroundPodcasts are a popular form of extracurricular education. They provide a range of benefits for listeners including an opportunity for learning whilst mobile. We aimed to assess the interest of medical students in a podcast series as a part of their formal paediatric surgery teaching resources; to determine the optimal format for such a podcast and, following their introduction, if they were considered to have a beneficial effect on student learning. MethodWe conducted focus groups with medical students to explore interest in a podcast series and to determine the optimal format. Our findings guided production and introduction of 5 short-format podcast episodes as an adjunct to available formal learning resources. We ran student focus groups to evaluate the podcasts until data saturation was reached. Transcripts were analysed through thematic analysis by two researchers, who used the constant comparison process to produce a coding framework, through which they identified relevant themes. ResultsMedical students utilised outsourced medical podcasts as an adjunct to formal medical school curricula. All students supported the introduction of a podcast series into formal teaching resources to extend paediatric surgical teaching. The preferred medical podcast format was a short, conversational style podcast that begins with a clinical case and ends with a summary. The introduction of podcasts increased student engagement in, and understanding of, podcast topics. ConclusionMedical students enthusiastically embraced paediatric surgical podcasts in their curriculum. The addition of short-medium format podcasts enhances learning and engagement. Medical schools should utilize the teaching benefits that podcasts offer.

MedPodGPT: A multilingual audio-augmented large language model for medical research and education.

The proliferation of medical podcasts has generated an extensive repository of audio content, rich in specialized terminology, diverse medical topics, and expert dialogues. Here we introduce a computational framework designed to enhance large language models (LLMs) by leveraging the informational content of publicly accessible medical podcast data. This dataset, comprising over 4, 300 hours of audio content, was transcribed to generate over 39 million text tokens. Our model, MedPodGPT, integrates the varied di-alogue found in medical podcasts to improve understanding of natural language nuances, cultural contexts, and medical knowledge. Evaluated across multiple benchmarks, MedPodGPT demonstrated an average improvement of 2.31% over standard open-source benchmarks and showcased an improvement of 2.58% in its zero-shot multilingual transfer ability, effectively generalizing to different linguistic contexts. By harnessing the untapped potential of podcast content, MedPodGPT advances natural language processing, offering enhanced capabilities for various applications in medical research and education.

Global interest in podcasts designed for medical oncology trainees.

9019 Background: Audio podcasts allow for medical education to be disseminated in an on-demand format and are globally accessible. There are currently a limited number of trainee-directed medical oncology podcasts and their global impact has not been shown. “Talking about Tumors with Ryann and Ryan” is an English language, evidence-based, free-to-use podcast that was initiated in April 2022 with a focus on education of trainees new to the field. Methods: Geographic statistics were collected for podcast episodes with greater than 30 days of availability. The proportion of listeners from different regions was compared between episodes. Trends in listeners from North America and global audiences were descriptively analyzed. Results: 34 episodes were included in this analysis, with content in gastrointestinal, breast, thoracic and cutaneous malignancies. Episodes had a median of 115 downloads, with consistently >30% from outside of Canada and the United States (median 37.3 +/- 6.4%). Twenty-four countries had greater than 10 downloads. The largest audience beyond North America was Australia (13%), Israel (4%), United Kingdom (3%), Pakistan (3%), Sweden (2%), India (1%), and Hong Kong (1%). A review of individual cities within countries was relatively constant, suggestive of persistent listenership. Conclusions: There is a global interest for introductory medical oncology education. Presentation in an evidence-based format and awareness of variation in regional approaches to systemic therapy can increase the impact of podcasts, which by their design can reach a global audience. The development of an index for early education oncology podcasts may improve visibility and access to those interested in this medium.

Integration of a focused podcast curriculum (PC) to improve hematology oncology fellow (HOF) knowledge: A multi-center cluster randomized controlled trial.

9041 Background: Several studies demonstrate widespread use of medical podcasts as learning resources. Utility of integration of educational podcasts in fellowship curricula remains unknown. Here we describe a multicenter cluster randomized trial comparing a supplemental PC with standard curriculum (SC) to SC alone for HOF. Methods: HO fellowship programs in the United States were eligible. One HOF from each program was invited via email to participate as a local PI. The trial protocol was reviewed by program directors for approval. Programs were cluster randomized to novel PC with SC (intervention) or SC alone (control). Permuted block randomization stratified by program size was performed using STATA. The PC arm was given access to a website developed by the study team with links to podcasts episodes (PE) covering 4 topics: breast oncology, myeloma, bleeding disorders, and HIT. Written show notes (SN) were provided as separate links. PE and SNs were previously developed employing an inductive approach and released by The Fellow on Call and Two Onc Docs podcasts and are freely available. Pre and post qualitative surveys (QS) and knowledge assessments (KA) were administered via REDCAP. QS utilized a 7-point Likert score. KAs were peer reviewed by expert disease-specific faculty. QS and KA links were included on the PC website. To maintain blinding, the SC arm was given a separate website with these links. HOF participation was voluntary. To improve enrollment, at minimum, QS completion was required; KA was optional. Baseline data was obtained from October to November 2023. Post data cut off will be June 2024. Power calculation was based on mean difference in comfort level and knowledge. Assuming a mean improvement by 0.5 points for QS, a total sample size of 210 HOF, 11 clusters in each arm would provide at least 80% power assuming a standard deviation (SD) of 1, intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.05, and coefficient of variation of cluster sizes of 0.7. For improvement in KA by 10%, a total sample size of 60 HOF would provide the same power assuming SD of 15%. We therefore planned to recruit 30 HO programs to account for non-response rates. IRB review deemed the study exempt. Results: Baseline characteristics from 28 randomized programs are presented below. Conclusions: This is the first randomized education trial in graduate medical education of its kind with a priori power calculations. Our innovative use of HOF as local PIs may have led to increased participation in KAs. Recruited sites will serve as a consortium for future multicenter education research. Interim analysis will be presented at ASCO 2024. [Table: see text]

What About Empathy? A Qualitative Study Exploring the Role of a Podcast as an Asynchronous Empathy Teaching Tool.

Though medical education podcasts are fast gaining popularity, they are overwhelmingly focused on teaching the medical expert role of physicians. We explored how medical learners and educators engaged with and learned from an empathy and communication-focused podcast and sought their recommendations for integrating the podcast into medical curricula. Six virtual, semi-structured focus groups were conducted with educators and learners within a large urban hospital and university setting. Participants were asked to listen to pre-selected episodes of the About Empathy podcast in advance. Thematic analysis was used to explore experiences and perceptions of empathy teaching and learning. There were 24 participants. We identified six themes related to the podcast and empathy learning: (1) forging connection through stories, (2) creating space to reflect on empathy, (3) shifting perspectives and biases, (4) feeling validated and enabling self-compassion, (5) gaining knowledge and building skills through empathetic communication, and (6) translating new knowledge and skills into practice. Participants highlighted that the podcast's portability and asynchronous nature allowed them to be more fully present, reflective, and intentional in their learning. The About Empathy podcast was experienced as a flexible, just-in-time tool that promoted self-agency over one's learning, reflective practice, and knowledge and skill acquisition, particularly with respect to empathic communication. Benefits of asynchronous e-learning tools such as podcasts support a shift to a blended learning model. Challenges finding a curricular home for this empathy-focused podcast require further consideration.

Twelve tips for integrating podcasts into medical education curricula

Engagement with medical education podcasts among health professions learners has been increasing steadily over the last several years. Prior ‘12 Tips’ publications have focused on helping medical educators create and publish their own podcasts. However, there is a gap in available resources to help educators incorporate an already existing and growing library of medical education podcasts into their curriculum rather than create their own. In this paper, the authors provide medical educators ‘12 Tips’ on how to integrate podcasts into their teaching sessions grounded in fundamental principles of curriculum development, cognitive science, and accessibility.

Needs Assessment of Non-core Content for Podcasts in Emergency Medicine.

Study objective The purpose of this study was to assess the use of podcasts among emergency medicine (EM) students, residents, and attending physicians for non-core content. Methods A survey was administered to medical students interested in emergency medicine, current residents of emergency medicine, and attending physicians to determine which podcasts, if any, they listen to and how often. The purpose of listening to these podcasts was also evaluated and determined it was to learn the non-core content of the specialty. The survey was administered online via multiple platforms including Google Forms (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA), email, and Twitter (San Francisco, CA). The survey was also distributed via messaging application and word of mouth. Results There were 52 responses that were received on the survey. Of the respondents,73.1% (N = 38) stated that they do listen to medical podcasts. Of these listeners, 21.2% (N= 11) stated that they listen to them once a year, 15.4% (N= 8) once a month, 11.5% (N= 6) once every two weeks, 19.2% (N= 10) weekly, 11.5% (N= 6) 1-2 days per week, 5.8% (N= 3) 3-4 days per week, 5.8% (N= 3) 5-6 days per week, and 9.6% (N= 5) daily. Based on the 52 responses received, 30.8% (N= 16) stated that they listen to them as a supplement to other sources of foundational content, 25% (N= 13) for general interest, 28.8% (N= 15) for entertainment, 7.7% (N= 4) as a primary resource to learn foundational content in their specialty, and 7.7% (N= 4) other. Based on the data metrics, 51.9% (N= 27) stated that 1-5 of the medical podcasts they listen to discuss the practice of emergency medicine, 44.2% (N= 23) stated that none do, and 3.8% (N= 2) stated that more than 10 do. The list of emergency medicine podcasts being listened to are as follows: EMplify, EM:RAP, EM Over Easy, EM Clerkship, Core EM, EM Basic, EMA, EM Cases, Internet Book of Critical Care, Pharm So Hard, EMCRIT, EM Board Bombs, PEM Rules, and REBEL CAST. When asked how important medical podcasts are for learning within the specialty, 44.2% (N= 23) reported not important, 26.9% (N= 14) reported somewhat important, and 28.8% (N= 15) reported very important. When asked how important medical podcasts are for learning outside the specialty, 40% (N= 20) reported not important, 48% (N= 24) reported somewhat important, and 12% (N= 6) stated very important. When asked if their program includes medical education podcasts as part of their curriculum, 18.4% (N= 9) responded yes, while 81.6% (N= 40) responded no. When asked if they believe medical education podcasts should be included as part of their curriculum, 52% (N= 26) stated yes, while 48% (N= 24) stated no. Conclusion Based on the results of the survey, roughly three-quarters of the surveyees listen to medical podcasts. Of the respondents,38.5% (N = 20) stated that they listen to these podcasts as some form of supplement to learning content (7.7% (N = 4) primary and 30.8% (N = 16) supplementary), which explains the rising availability of the number of podcasts related to emergency medicine. Of the respondents stating that medical podcasts should be included in their curriculum, 52% (N = 26) signifies the importance of quality learning that these medical podcasts provide to their listeners.

Creation and cost-evaluation of a student-run podcast in ophthalmology.

Podcasts are an increasingly popular medical education modality, especially in surgical fields. However, the cost of developing a high-quality medical education podcast presents a barrier to many content creators. The authors developed the podcast series 'The Lenspod,' designed to be a cost-efficient but high-quality education resource in ophthalmology. The REC financial framework has been previously used to estimate the financial costs of technology-based medical education. Using this framework, costs were competitive with other medical education podcasts. It is our hope that similar methodology may be used to create and disseminate future podcasts for medical education.

Efficacy of a hematology/oncology podcast curriculum at a community-based internal medicine program.

11036 Background: Medical podcasts have gained increasing popularity; however, there is limited evidence regarding their utility as an effective learning resource in Graduate Medical Education. Community-based internal medicine (IM) residents often have less exposure and education in hematology and oncology. To address this barrier, we developed a novel trainee-level hematology/oncology podcast curriculum to improve foundational knowledge for IM residents. Methods: A hematology/oncology podcast curriculum was implemented for IM residents at a community-based residency program in the 2022-2023 academic year. We developed ten episodes regarding workup and management of cytopenias, oncologic emergencies, and hematologic emergencies. We distributed anonymous pre- and post-intervention surveys to understand the impact of the podcast curriculum on a 5-point Likert scale on residents’ self-perception of their knowledge. Two sample paired t-test was used to compare mean differences in surveys. Results: A total of 17/27 residents (63%) completed the pre-intervention survey, and 9/27 residents (33%) completed the post survey. The pre-survey was more heavily weighted towards residents earlier in their training with 53% PGY1s, 29% PGY2s, and 18% PGY3s. With 5 being entirely comfortable, there was a statistically significant increase in mean comfort level in the workup and management of various cytopenias (2.65 to 4.0, p < 0.01) and the management of oncologic emergencies (2.29 to 4.2, p < 0.01). Comfort level in the management of hematologic emergencies numerically improved from 3.35 to 3.57 but was not statistically significant. Most residents (90%) agreed or strongly agreed that the fundamentals of hematology/oncology were amenable to a podcast platform. Many residents found this modality convenient and performed other activities while listening to the podcast including driving (82%) and exercising (55%). The majority of residents who completed the post-survey (64%) reported that they will continue to use podcasts to supplement their medical education. Conclusions: Community based IM residents’ comfort with the field of hematology/oncology improved following the medical podcast educational intervention. Residents found the learning platform amenable to the fundamentals of hematology/oncology and will continue to utilize medical podcasts to supplement their education. Our successfully piloted podcast curriculum can be adapted to other IM programs to improve foundational knowledge in hematology/oncology.

A case for lifelong learning in emergency medicine: The perspective from a rural state.

The expansive practice of emergency medicine cannot be fully taught or learned in 3 or 4 years. Lifelong learning, self-assessment,1 and ongoing skill acquisition and retention are necessary. How do we teach and acknowledge this during residency training and how do we support our isolated, rural colleagues? Importantly, there is a growing shortage of rural emergency physicians and many of our trainees may work in these environments.2 As educators, we must study potential solutions and bridge these gaps for our trainees entering independent practice and for our colleagues far removed from formal training. Recent cases, and many like them, illustrate this point. A rural emergency physician expertly places a small-bore chest tube for an atraumatic pneumothorax, the pneumothorax resolved, they requested transfer to a larger center for ongoing management. The tertiary care center is at full capacity. A phone consultation with a specialist recommends removal of the chest tube in the emergency department (ED) and discharge home if a follow up chest x-ray shows sustained resolution. The emergency physician has never removed a chest tube before and the patient is transferred to a larger regional ED for uncomplicated removal. In a second case, a patient is transferred from an hour away, during a snowstorm, for a peritonsillar abscess. The procedure is within an emergency physician's scope of practice. The referring physician had never performed this procedure in their decades of practice. The patient is transferred to the tertiary care center where it is drained by the attending emergency physician and emergency medicine resident. On a winter night, an emergency physician intubates a patient with a head injury in their critical-access emergency department. They request lifesaving medications and the respiratory therapist to set the ventilator. It is nighttime; there is no respiratory therapist or pharmacist. The physician must assist in mixing the medications and setting up the ventilator. The skills required for an emergency physician are ever expanding, particularly as access to tertiary care becomes more difficult. Lifelong learning and practice development to best serve our patients is a necessity in our specialty. Solutions may include regional conferences, collaborative case reviews, real-time peer-based decision support with telemedicine, maintenance of board certification, asynchronous, self-directed learning through free open-access medical education (FOAM), podcasts, textbooks or journal articles, and academic–rural partnerships that create shared faculty positions between rural and tertiary sites and rural rotations for trainees. Each of these has its limitations and time represents a major barrier.3-5 The American Board of Emergency Medicine requires continuous learning for maintenance of certification; this is beneficial but is not tailored to the physician's practice environment.6, 7 Our own work in the rural state of Vermont and upstate New York has led us to offer high-acuity, low occurrence (HALO) courses at the regional academic center twice a year for both residents and practicing emergency physicians within our region and create a rural-specific simulation lab at one of our critical-access sites. Additionally, we established a tele-emergency medicine program to offer a virtual resource from the tertiary care center in times of high-acuity, high-complexity care, or volume surge. The skill of delivering and accepting tele-emergency medicine assistance must also be learned and taught. Our education must continue to adapt to meet the needs of our unique and evolving practice environments. We must also acknowledge that many scenarios cannot be predicted. Instilling the motivation for lifelong learning, self-assessment1 and exposure to resource limited settings during training may help prepare trainees for these challenges. Although these issues are not unique to emergency medicine, we are a specialty that prides itself on adaptability. We must confront this challenge with creative solutions. Skyler Lentz, Ashley Weisman, Jordan Ship, and Matthew S. Siket conceived the idea for this manuscript and contributed substantially to the content, design, writing and editing of the commentary. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Using Podcasts to Study Efficiently and Increase Exposure to Medical Specialties.

To the Editor: As medical students and avid podcast listeners, we read with great interest Kelly and colleagues’ study, which sought to improve understanding of podcast use in medical education. 1 To speak to the utility of podcasts as accessible and flexible learning tools, below we present empirical observations related to medical student podcast usage. We agree with Kelly and colleagues that a significant benefit of medical education podcasts is their portability and efficiency. 1 Students often have unproductive periods of time, such as commuting, where traditional study methods may be impractical. Using podcasts to study whenever possible can increase efficiency and free time, leading to an improved work–life balance and decreased stress levels. At our respective institutions, podcasts were incorporated into our first-year curriculum. Our experiences support Kelly and colleagues’ finding that medical education podcasts provide flexible, learner-specific, and entertaining content. 1 Listening to information-dense podcasts, rather than attending in-person lectures, allows us to maximize our time. Because podcasts split information into digestible portions, we find it easier to focus compared with traditional didactic lectures. We observe that many of our peers also value the ability to pause and customize the playback speed of podcasts, allowing for personalized learning. In addition to functioning as learning tools, podcasts offer exposure to specialties that are less encountered in medical education. For example, The Undifferentiated Medical Student (https://www.undifferentiatedmedicalstudent.com) has helped us learn about specialties that are not well represented at our institutions. Podcasts like this one are especially pertinent for medical students who may not experience a robust and diverse clinical curriculum. We thank Kelly and colleagues for sharing their insights and encourage future studies to similarly assess podcasts featuring medical specialty information. Learning about medical specialties is as important as learning about medical practice. For specialties that are facing shortages of physicians or little exposure from medical students, creating conversations about their scope and culture is necessary to attract potential applicants. We believe that podcasts can help bridge this gap.

How podcasts teach: A comprehensive analysis of the didactic methods of the top hundred medical podcasts

Purpose Medical podcasts have grown in popularity, but little is known about their didactic methods. This study sought to systemically describe the pedagogical approach employed by the 100 most popular medical podcasts in the United States. This study also aimed to assess factors related to quality control and conflicts of interest in podcasting. Methods The authors averaged the rank positions for Apple podcasts in the Medicine category in the United States from 06/01/18 to 09/30/20 to generate a list of the 100 highest-ranked medical podcasts. They developed and validated a categorization system of didactic methods based on Bloom’s taxonomy and collected data on didactic methods, as well as podcast affiliation, target audience, format, advertising, continuing medical education (CME) offerings, and presence of a reference list or review process. Results Of the 100 most popular medical podcasts, 91 are educational. Of those, 51 are podcasts intended for physician education (PIPEs) while 40 are intended for other audiences, including the general public, nurses, and physical therapists. Compared with podcasts intended for other audiences, PIPEs engage higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy (p < 0.001). Among PIPEs, 18 (35.2%) are affiliated with an individual, 16 (31.4%) with a company, and 12 (23.5%) with a professional journal. 38 PIPEs (74.5%) are targeted toward all levels of medical learners. PIPEs are significantly more likely to list references or have a peer review process in place (n = 37, 72.5% vs. n = 15, 37.5%, p = 0.001) and offer CME credits (n = 20, 39.2% vs. n = 2, 5.0%, p < 0.001) than podcasts intended for other audiences. Conclusions Medical podcasts employ a variety of didactic methods, including those ranked highly on Bloom’s taxonomy. Unlike traditional medical education, PIPEs are commonly produced by individuals or companies and targeted to all levels of medical learners.

ПЕРВЫЙ ТЕМАТИЧЕСКИЙ ПОДКАСТ ПО ПАТОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ АНАТОМИИ В РОССИИ

Basic information on podcasting and podcasts is given within the publication. Also we discuss the phenomenon of medical podcasting, especially in Russia, and give some links on leading medical podcasts. Being the authors of the first Russian podcast on pathology we share our experience on creating and starting the podcast, its evolution, aims, audience and basic topics. Future perspectives and routes for development of medical podcasting as well as its role in continuous medical education are also discussed.

Health Care Professional and Caregiver Attitudes Toward and Usage of Medical Podcasting: Questionnaire Study.

BackgroundPodcasts are used increasingly in medicine. There is growing research into the role of podcasts in medical education, but the use of podcasting as a tool for pediatric parent/caregiver health education is largely unexplored. As parents/caregivers seek medical information online, an understanding of parental preferences is needed.ObjectiveWe sought to explore health care professional and parent/caregiver awareness and views on podcasting as a health education tool.MethodsThis survey study was conducted and distributed via in-person collection from parents/caregivers (≥18 years old) in the waiting room of an academic pediatric primary care clinic, targeted social media promotion, and professional listservs for health care professionals in pediatrics. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests of independence between categorical variables.ResultsIn total, 125 health care professionals and 126 caregivers completed the survey. Of those surveyed, 81% (101/125) of health care professionals and 55% (69/126) of parents/caregivers listened to podcasts (P<.001). Health care professionals and parents/caregivers listed the same top 3 quality indicators for medical podcasts. Podcast listeners were more likely to have higher incomes and use professional websites for information. The survey elicited a variety of reasons for podcast nonengagement.ConclusionsHealth care professionals appear to be more engaged in medical education podcasts than parents/caregivers. However, similar factors were valued when evaluating the quality of a pediatric podcast: accuracy, transparency, and credibility. Professional websites may be one avenue to increase podcast uptake. More needs to be done to explore the use of podcasts and digital media for medical information.

Learning on the Go: Assessing Knowledge Gained From Medical Podcasts Created for Vulvovaginal Disease Education.

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of “The Vulva Diaries” podcast as a novel learning tool for vulvovaginal disease education.Materials and MethodsMedical students and residents were invited to participate in the study using social media advertisements. Online pretests and posttests, one based on a podcast episode regarding genital herpes and the other on lichen sclerosus, were used to assess changes in knowledge level pre– and post–podcast listening in medical students and residents respectively. A second posttest was sent out 2 weeks after the first to assess knowledge retention. Results were analyzed using paired t tests comparing mean scores before and after podcast.ResultsIn medical students, the average test score increased by 20% (n = 56, p < .001). Similarly, in residents the average test score increased by 23.1% (n = 22, p < .001). Medical students and residents rated their average preference for using podcasts as compared with other resources at 3.6 and 3.7/5, respectively. Furthermore, in both groups, there was no significant difference between average scores for posttest 1 versus posttest 2 written 2 weeks later suggested excellent knowledge retention.Conclusions“The Vulva Diaries” podcast increases knowledge on vulvovaginal disease and is an effective learning tool for health care trainees in women's health. This study emphasizes the role of podcasts as a valuable educational resource within gynecology. The success of such initiatives will hopefully bolster the effort to correct the lack of provider knowledge in treating vulvovaginal diseases.

The Role of Educational Podcast Use Among Otolaryngology Residents.

Medical podcasts are becoming increasingly available; however, it is unclear how these new resources are being used by trainees or whether they influence clinical practice. This study explores the preferences and experiences of otolaryngology residents with otolaryngology-specific podcasts, and the impact of these podcasts on resident education and clinical practice. An 18-question survey was distributed anonymously to a representative junior (up to post-graduate year 3) and senior (post-graduate year 4 or greater) otolaryngology residents at most programs across the US. Along with demographic information, the survey was designed to explore the preferences of educational materials, podcast listening habits and motivations, and influence of podcasts on medical practice. Descriptive statistics and student t-tests were used to analyze the results. The survey was distributed to 198 current otolaryngology residents representing 94% of eligible residency programs and was completed by 73 residents (37% response rate). Nearly 3-quarters of respondents reported previous use of otolaryngology podcasts, among which 83% listen at least monthly. Over half of residents changed their overall clinical (53%) and consult (51%) practice based on podcast use. Residents rank-ordered listening to podcasts last among traditional options for asynchronous learning, including reading textbooks and watching online videos. While other asynchronous learning tools remain popular, most residents responding to this survey use podcasts and report that podcasts influence their clinical practice. This study reveals how podcasts are currently used as a supplement to formal otolaryngology education. Results from the survey may inform how medical podcasts could be implemented into resident education in the future.

Abstract 13800: The CardioNerds Case Report Series: The Role of Asynchronous Medical Education in Cardiovascular Training

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created numerous challenges for graduate medical education, including defining the role of asynchronous virtual education in general cardiovascular (CV) fellowship training. The CardioNerds podcast introduced the CardioNerds Case Report (CNCR) series to provide continued high-quality cardiovascular education during the pandemic. Moving forward, the role and value of asynchronous education, and specifically medical podcasts, remain unknown. Methods: The CNCR series included a wide range of case-based episodes involving cardiology fellows, content experts, and program leadership from participating programs. Every accredited general cardiology fellowship program in the United States was invited. A survey assessing attitudes on a likert scale towards cased-based cardiology podcasts and medical podcasts was administered to all participating programs. Results: 44 cardiology fellowship programs participated in the CNCR series representing 137 fellows and 59 program directors and leaders (PDs). At this time, 76% of fellows and 63% of program directors have responded. 90% of both fellows and PDs agreed that the CNCR series was an effective way to teach core CV concepts and 74% of fellows felt that contributing to the CNCR series improved their clinical reasoning skills. 70% of PDs and 94% of fellows felt that medical podcasts in general added to their knowledge base. Fellows were more likely to strongly agree that medical podcasts changed their clinical practice compared to PDs (46% vs 8%, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Medical podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in cardiovascular education and training. Specifically, the CNCR platform has been well received by fellowship programs and has potentially influenced clinical practice. CV training programs and professional societies should invest in ensuring high quality medical podcasts are incorporated into CV training moving forward to supplement traditional CV education.

Podcasts for the Delivery of Medical Education and Remote Learning.

Podcasts are increasingly being recognized as an effective platform to facilitate the continuous professional development (CPD) of health care professionals (HCPs). Compared with face-to-face meetings and other more traditional forms of CPD, podcasts allow for flexible learning and are less expensive to develop. Podcasts are at the cutting edge of digital education and can be an important element of a pharmaceutical company’s multichannel communications plan to improve HCP engagement and CPD in specific therapy areas. However, developing a successful podcast can have significant challenges. In this viewpoint paper, we provide our perspectives on medical podcasts as a medium for educating HCPs in the digital age. We describe our experience in developing an HIV-focused podcast for Australian HCPs, creating a series that has now expanded to other therapy areas in several countries. Practical considerations and unique challenges associated with industry-sponsored podcasts are outlined. Overall, we believe that the process of developing a podcast can be a challenging but rewarding experience, and CPD delivered via podcasting should be more routinely considered by pharmaceutical companies.

Neurology podcast utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundAs medical education shifted to a virtual environment during the early coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we evaluated how neurology podcasting may have been utilized during this period, and which features of podcasts have been more highly sought by a medical audience.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of neurology-themed blogs and/or podcasts between April 2019 and May 2020. Programs were eligible if they reported mean monthly downloads > 2000, were affiliated with an academic society, or offered continuing medical education credit. Thirty-day download counts were compared between study months, with adjustment for multiple testing. Exploratory analyses were performed to determine which podcast features were associated with higher downloads.ResultsOf the 12 neurology podcasts surveyed, 8 completed the survey and 5 met inclusion criteria. The median monthly download count was 2865 (IQR 869–7497), with significant variability between programs (p < 0.001). While there was a 358% increase in downloads during April 2020 when compared to the previous month, this was not significant (median 8124 [IQR 2913–14,177] vs. 2268 [IQR 540–6116], padj = 0.80). The non-significant increase in overall downloads during April 2020 corresponded to an increase in unique episodes during that month (r = 0.48, p = 0.003). There was no difference in 30-day downloads among episodes including COVID-19 content versus not (median 1979 [IQR 791–2873] vs. 1171 [IQR 405–2665], p = 0.28).ConclusionsIn this unique, exploratory study of academic neurology-themed podcasts, there was no significant increase in episode downloads during the early COVID-19 pandemic. A more comprehensive analysis of general and subspecialty medical podcasts is underway.

Creation of a Student-Run Medical Education Podcast: Tutorial.

BackgroundPodcasting has become a popular medium for medical education content. Educators and trainees of all levels are turning to podcasts for high-quality, asynchronous content. Although numerous medical education podcasts have emerged in recent years, few student-run podcasts exist. Student-run podcasts are a novel approach to supporting medical students. Near-peer mentoring has been shown to promote medical students’ personal and professional identity formation. Student-run podcasts offer a new medium for delivering near-peer advice to medical students in an enduring and accessible manner.ObjectiveThis paper describes the creation of the UnsCripted Medicine Podcast—a student-run medical education podcast produced at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.MethodsThe planning and preparatory phases spanned 6 months. Defining a target audience and establishing a podcast mission were key first steps. Efforts were directed toward securing funding; obtaining necessary equipment; and navigating the technical considerations of recording, editing, and publishing a podcast. In order to ensure that high professionalism standards were met, key partnerships were created with faculty from the College of Medicine.ResultsThe UnsCripted Medicine Podcast published 53 episodes in its first 2 years. The number of episodes released per month ranges from 0 to 5, with a mean of 2.0 episodes. The podcast has a Twitter account with 217 followers. The number of listeners who subscribed to the podcast via Apple Podcasts grew to 86 in the first year and then to 218 in the second year. The show has an average rating of 4.8 (out of 5) on Apple Podcasts, which is based on 24 ratings. The podcast has hosted 70 unique guests, including medical students, resident physicians, attending physicians, nurses, physicians’ family members, graduate medical education leadership, and educators.ConclusionsMedical student–run podcasts are a novel approach to supporting medical students and fostering professional identity formation. Podcasts are widely available and convenient for listeners. Additionally, podcast creators can publish content with lower barriers of entry compared to those of other forms of published content. Medical schools should consider supporting student podcast initiatives to allow for near-peer mentoring, augment the community, facilitate professional identity formation, and prepare the rising physician workforce for the technological frontier of medical education and practice.