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Thomas J.1,2, McVey N.3, Bulley C.1
1Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2NHS Fife, Dunfermline, United Kingdom, 3Centre for Professional Workforce Development, Salford, United Kingdom
Background: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is mandatory for UK physiotherapists and valued internationally. In an increasingly digital age social media, specifically Twitter, may provide a source of up-to-date knowledge and professional development. However, a search revealed no literature regarding social media as a tool for CPD by physiotherapists.
Purpose: This study aims to explore impacts of taking part in physiotalk tweetchats on CPD and professional practice, from participants' perspectives.
Methods: Two stages of data collection were conducted using a qualitative Phenomenological approach. Potential participants were users of the physiotalk tweetchats or website and invited to participate through promotional tweets and blog postings.
Stage 1 involved an online semi-structured focus group through a #physiotalk tweetchat. Questions addressed meaning and use of physiotalk, influences on participation, and impacts on CPD and practice.
Stage 2 enabled people to respond more fully through email or direct messages. Thematic analysis of tweets was undertaken.
Results: 586 tweets were sent during 75 minutes of discussion between 70 tweeting participants. The tweet analysis resulted in themes that described physiotalk as enabling social media skill development and engagement, and facilitating ring-fenced time and structured interactions. Participants felt that chats focused on topics relevant to practice, and generated a supportive, non-hierarchical international community that included physiotherapists, other professionals and service users. One participant summarised:
Engagement. Networking. Idea exchange. Innovation The future??
Participants reported that this virtual environment enabled constructive change at an individual level, such as increased confidence, broadening views and engagement with research and evidence:
Revitalised my professional view
At a more local level, participants found that tweetchats informed practice through knowledge transfer, networking and discussion. National and international impacts were also evident, through development of collaborations and use of physiotalk as a platform for representation and influencing others, as described by one participant:
#physiotalk encourages a critical conversation
Several barriers were described, such as language, availability, access, timing, and Twitter skills.
Conclusion(s): The results of this Twitter focus group demonstrate that where people feel facilitated and welcomed in an online discussion forum, there is great potential for constructive change at individual, local, national and international levels. This may lead to developments that impact positively on patients and professionals. This is, but also goes beyond, CPD for participants. It is important to note that there is only a small pool of people who regularly engage in physiotalk tweetchats. Further exploration of barriers to engagement is important as well as possible ways of increasing participation to achieve these benefits more widely.
Implications: Physiotalk tweetchats can be promoted as a valid and freely available form of CPD, enabling international viewpoints to be shared. Networks and collaborations formed through these chats can lead to wider constructive change in practice and the profession.
The benefits of tweetchats as a professional development tool should be explored by more individuals and organisations seeking skills development, as well as those trying to overcome barriers to social media engagement by students and qualified professionals. The results may also be applicable to other tweetchat communities.
Funding acknowledgements: Unfinded
Topic: Education: continuing professional development
Ethics approval: Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK Ethics Committee approved this study.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
