eric benchimol, md, phd, frcpc assistant professor of pediatrics & epidemiology university of...

ERIC BENCHIMOL, MD, PhD, FRCPCAssistant Professor of Pediatrics & EpidemiologyUniversity of OttawaChildren’s Hospital of Eastern OntarioOttawa, ON

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR RESEARCHOpportunities for Collaboration and

Knowledge Translation

JAY HOCHMAN, MDPediatric GastroenterologistGI Care for KidsAtlanta, GA

ERIC BENCHIMOL, MD, PhD, FRCPC@ericbenchimolca.LinkedIn.com/in/ericbenchimolResearchGate.net/profile/Eric_Benchimol

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR RESEARCHOpportunities for Collaboration and

Knowledge Translation

@uOttawaMed

• ca.linkedin.com/in/ericbenchimol/

JAY HOCHMAN, MD@gutsandgrowthPediatric Gastroenterology Blog:

GutsandGrowth.wordpress.com

SOCIAL MEDIA (DEFINITION)

• Any technology that facilitates communication or collaboration between humans.

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CRITICISMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

• Growth of technology• Privacy• Banality• Peripherality• Loss of authoritative perspective• Information overload• Work/life balance

Cann, Social Media: A Guide for Researchers, 2011

Bik and Goldstein, PLoS Biology, 2013

OBJECTIVES

• Review the use of social media to convey knowledge to the public (blogs)

• Review opportunities to use social media for research knowledge translation (Twitter)

KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATIONTRANSLATION

(or “Why I Tweet”)(or “Why I Tweet”)

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION

• Definition:“the exchange, synthesis, and ethically-sound application of knowledge—within a complex set of interactions among researchers and users—to accelerate the capture of the benefits of research for Canadians through improved health, more effective services and products, and a strengthened health care system”

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2004)

TIMELINE

• Feb/2009: Attending KT course at the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto)

• Mar/2009: Started Twitter accounts @ericbenchimol (professional, general), @NewInIBD (IBD-related)

• Jan/2011: Changed @NewInIBD to @CHEOIBD to reflect CHEO IBD Centre

TIMELINE

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION (SCIENTIFIC)

Bik and Goldstein, PLoS Biology, 2013

10 Rules of Tweeting

• @blakehounshell (editor, Foreign Policy)1. THINK before you Tweet2. Be indispensable.3. Be a real person.4. Don’t overshare.5. Don’t be a me-tweeter.6. Credit your sources.7. Be transparent about what you know, how you know it.8. Bring the non-Twitter world into Twitter.9. Don’t get into flame wars. Don’t poke the trolls.10.Engage your readers – they’re smarter than you.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION (SCIENTIFIC)• Twitter:

– @NASPGHAN: #naspghan2013– @GIKidsOrg– @AmerGastroAssn

• Debate:– Usefulness of micro-blogging– Accuracy– Unpublished, non-peer review information

Nature Methods 2011;8(4):273Winstead, NCI Cancer Bulletin, 2011

Social Media Guidelines for AACR Conferences

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION(PUBLIC)• Medical knowledge IS being disseminated

using social media• Survey of tweets on antibiotic use:

– 29.8% on general use– 16.2% advice/information– 11.6% on effects/negative reactions– 10.5% on diagnosis– 9.5% on resistance– 5.6% misunderstanding/misuse

Scanfeld et al., Am J Infect Control, 2010

Chafe et al., Nature, 2011

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION(PUBLIC)

Chafe et al., Nature, 2011

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION(PUBLIC)

Chafe et al., Nature, 2011

• Scientists use:– Reports– Briefing notes– Press releases, news conferences

• Patient groups:– Social media

‘Clinical Equipoise’ vs. ‘Facebook Equipoise’!

GRANT-WRITING KT STRATEGY

• #1 – Establish a social media presence– Theme– Target audience– Collaborations– Boil-down research to 140 characters?

GRANT-WRITING KT STRATEGY

• Questions to answer:– Who is your target audience?– How will you engage them and when?– What do they need to know?– How will your message be packaged?– How will your message be delivered to the

targeted audience?– What do you hope to achieve by sharing your

message?

Adapted from: Goering et al., Final report submitted to Ontario Ministry of Health – Research Transfer Training Program, 2003

GRANT-WRITING KT STRATEGY

• Questions to answer:– Who is your target audience?– How will you engage them and when?– What do they need to know?– How will your message be packaged?– How will your message be delivered to the

targeted audience?– What do you hope to achieve by sharing your

message?

Adapted from: Goering et al., Final report submitted to Ontario Ministry of Health – Research Transfer Training Program, 2003

GRANT-WRITING KT STRATEGY

• Example:– “The investigators have established a focused

social media presence on ________ (>xxx followers) in order to disseminate knowledge to the public and interested parties. Additionally, the groups most affected by this study’s findings will receive specific information on how study results may impact them using Facebook groups, Twitter and other social media outlets. We will evaluate responses to our messages and the extent of propagation of results to guide future knowledge translation efforts.”

Bik, PLoS Biology, 2013

GETTING INVOLVED

BOTTOM LINE

• Social media is here to stay

• Far reach

• Influencing science

DEVELOP A STRATEGY

REFERENCE

• Social Media: A Guide for Researchers

http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/communicating-and-disseminating-research/social-media-guide-researchers

• Bik and Goldstein. An Introduction to Social Media for Scientists.PLoS Biology 2013; 11(4): e1001535

PATIENT RECRUITMENT

Another real life example

• Study on assessment of complementary feeding • Recruitment via “old” mechanisms: 1 in one year• Recruitment via “new” mechanisms:• https://www.facebook.com/AssessmentofComplementar

yFeeding?ref=stream• 45 children in 5 months!!

PATIENT RECRUITMENT

• Lots of evidence for effectiveness– Use of Twitter to survey about dental pain

– Use of MySpace to monitor HPV vaccine debate

– Patient opinion after NIH Consensus Statement on VBACs

Romano et al., J Perinatal Educ, 2010

Keelan et al., Vaccine, 2010

Heaivilin et al., J Dent Res, 2011

PATIENT RECRUITMENT

• Lots of evidence for effectiveness– CCFA Partners Internet cohort (n=7819)

– Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care– 94.5% response rate!

Randell et al., Inflamm Bowel Dis, 2013

Long et al., Inflamm Bowel Dis, 2012

PATIENT RECRUITMENT

• Lots of evidence for effectiveness

• Also lots of evidence for concern:– Ethics– Privacy– Selection bias