Using SurveyMonkey® to teach safe social media strategies to medical students in their clinical years

Authors

  • Katrina A. Bramstedt Bond University School of Medicine
  • Ben Ierna Bond University School of Medicine
  • Victoria Woodcroft-Brown Bond University School of Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.v11i2.27556

Keywords:

physician-patient interaction, social media, technology, SurveyMonkey

Abstract

Social media is a valuable tool in the practice of medicine, but it can also be an area of ‘treacherous waters’ for medical students. Those in their upper years of study are off-site and scattered broadly, undertaking clinical rotations; thus, in-house (university lecture) sessions are impractical. Nonetheless, during these clinical years students are generally high users of social media technology, putting them at risk of harm if they lack appropriate ethical awareness. We created a compulsory session in social media ethics (Doctoring and Social Media) offered in two online modes (narrated PowerPoint file or YouTube video) to fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate medical students. The novelty of our work was the use of SurveyMonkey® to deliver the file links, as well as to take attendance and deliver a post-session performance assessment. All 167 students completed the course and provided feedback. Overall, 73% Agreed or Strongly Agreed the course session would aid their professionalism skills and behaviours, and 95% supported delivery of the curriculum online. The most frequent areas of learning occurred in the following topics: email correspondence with patients, medical photography, and awareness of medical apps. SurveyMonkey® is a valuable and efficient tool for curriculum delivery, attendance taking, and assessment activities.

Author Biographies

  • Katrina A. Bramstedt, Bond University School of Medicine
    Katrina Bramstedt received her PhD from Monash University Faculty of Medicine with a focus on clinical ethics. She is currently an Associate Professor at Bond University where she teaches medical ethics and conducts research on medical student education and transplant ethics. Her recent book is Finding Your Way: A Medical Ethics Handbook for Patients and Families (Hilton Publishing, 2012).
  • Ben Ierna, Bond University School of Medicine
    Ben Ierna is a fourth-year medical student at Bond University School of Medicine. He was awarded a Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiation Technology) with distinction from the Queensland University of Technology and practices as a radiographer part-time. He was the former president of BUSHFIRE – Bond University’s rural health club. His interests include radiology, endocrinology, medical ethics, and emergency medicine.
  • Victoria Woodcroft-Brown, Bond University School of Medicine
    Victoria Woodcroft-Brown is a fifth-year medical student at Bond University School of Medicine. She has received multiple awards for academic achievement, including the Dean’s List and Vice Chancellor’s List. She has served as the secretary for both the Australasian Surgical Leadership Symposium (ASLS) and for BUSHFIRE – Bond University’s rural health club. Her interests include general surgery, paediatrics, medical ethics, and neurology.

Published

2015-08-17

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Bramstedt, K. A., Ierna, B., & Woodcroft-Brown, V. (2015). Using SurveyMonkey® to teach safe social media strategies to medical students in their clinical years. Communication and Medicine, 11(2), 117-124. https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.v11i2.27556

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