135. Impact of #idjclub, a Synchronous Twitter Journal Club, as a Novel Infectious Disease Education Platform. (31st December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schwartz, Ilan S; Woc-Colburn, Laila; McCarty, Todd P; Cutrell, James B; Cortes-Penfield, Nicolas W
• Is Part Of: Open forum infectious diseases. Volume 7:Number 1(2020) Supplement
• Page Start: S197
• Page End: S198
• Publication Date: 2020-12-31
• Subjects: Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.445
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2328-8957

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Journal clubs have been a mainstay of medical education since the days of Osler. Social media platforms allow virtual journal clubs to connect global participants. We describe the creation and impact of #IDJClub, an Infectious Diseases (ID) Twitter journal club. Methods: We launched #IDJClub in October 2019. The format presents a recent ID publication for a 1-hour synchronous Twitter chat led by an ID physician from @IDJClub. Sessions started monthly, but increased in frequency due to interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-scripted tweets guide participants through the article description and analysis. We used Symplur's Healthcare Hashtag project to track the number of impressions, tweets, participants, and the engagement rate (average tweets/participant) of #IDJClub per 60 minute discussion plus the following 30 minutes to capture ongoing conversations. We also conducted an online anonymous survey using Likert scales and open-ended questions to assess educational impact. Results: As of June 11 2020, @IDJClub garnered 5, 338 followers from around the world (Figure 1). In its first 9 months, 12 virtual journal clubs were conducted with a mean of 791, 624 impressions, 328 tweets, and 48 participants per session, which steadily increased over time (Figure 2). A total of 134 participants completed the survey, of whom 40% were ID physicians, 19% pharmacists, 13% ID fellows, and 10% medical residents. Most respondents followed 1–2 (38%) or 3–4 (38%) of the discussions, with variable levels of active participation. Majorities agreed that #IDJClub provided clinically useful knowledge, increased personal confidence in review of literature, and compared favorably with in-person journal clubs (Figure 3). The format addressed several barriers such as lack of access to in-person journal clubs or subject experts at one's own institution and lack of time to read new research or attend traditional journal clubs (Figure 4). Conclusion: #IDJClub is an effective platform for virtual journal club, providing an engaging, open-access tool for critical appraisal of ID literature. This innovation in medical education overcomes several barriers to traditional journal clubs while fostering professional relationships within the global ID community. Disclosures: Todd P. McCarty, MD, Amplyx (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Cidara (Scientific Research Study Investigator)