Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11434/1045
Title: Continuing professional development via social media or conference attendance: A cost analysis.
Epworth Authors: Tunnecliff, Jacqueline
Other Authors: Maloney, Stephen
Morgan, Prue
Gaida, James
Keating, Jennifer
Clearihan, Lyn
Sadasivan, Sivalal
Ganesh, Shankar
Mohanty, Patitapaban
Weiner, John
Rivers, George
Ilic, Dragan
Keywords: Social Media
Participation
Knowledge Translation
CPD
Continuing Medical Education
Contining Professional Development
Cost Analysis
Financially Sustainable
Rehabilitation, Mental Health and Chronic Pain Clinical Institute, Epworth HealthCare, Victoria, Australia
Issue Date: Mar-2017
Publisher: JMIR Publications
Citation: JMIR Med Educ. 2017 Mar 30;3(1):e5
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Professional development is essential in the health disciplines. Knowing the cost and value of educational approaches informs decisions and choices about learning and teaching practices. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to conduct a cost analysis of participation in continuing professional development via social media compared with live conference attendance. METHODS: Clinicians interested in musculoskeletal care were invited to participate in the study activities. Quantitative data were obtained from an anonymous electronic questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 272 individuals invited to contribute data to this study, 150 clinicians predominantly from Australia, United States, United Kingdom, India, and Malaysia completed the outcome measures. Half of the respondents (78/150, 52.0%) believed that they would learn more with the live conference format. The median perceived participation costs for the live conference format was Aus $1596 (interquartile range, IQR 172.50-2852.00). The perceived cost of participation for equivalent content delivered via social media was Aus $15 (IQR 0.00-58.50). The majority of the clinicians (114/146, 78.1%, missing data n=4) indicated that they would pay for a subscription-based service, delivered by social media, to the median value of Aus $59.50. CONCLUSIONS: Social media platforms are evolving into an acceptable and financially sustainable medium for the continued professional development of health professionals. When factoring in the reduced costs of participation and the reduced loss of employable hours from the perspective of the health service, professional development via social media has unique strengths that challenge the traditional live conference delivery format.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11434/1045
DOI: 10.2196/mededu.6357
PubMed URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28360023
ISSN: 2369-3762
Journal Title: JMIR Medical Education
Type: Journal Article
Affiliated Organisations: Department of Physiotherapy. Monash University, Frankston, Australia.
University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise (UC-RISE), Canberra, Australia.
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Monash University, Sunway, Malaysia.
Composite Regional Center for Persons with Disabilities, Lucknow, India.
Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, Cuttack, India.
Type of Clinical Study or Trial: Cross-Sectional Study
Appears in Collections:Clinical Education & Simulation
Rehabilitation

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