Naheed Dosani*, University of Toronto Department of Family & Community Medicine, Toronto, Canada Stephen Pomedli, University of Toronto Department of Family & Community Medicine, Toronto, Canada Track: Practice Presentation Topic: Blogs, Microblogs, Twitter Presentation Type: Poster presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Last modified: 2013-09-25

If you are the presenter of this abstract (or if you cite this abstract in a talk or on a poster), please show the QR code in your slide or poster (QR code contains this URL).

Twitter is increasingly becoming a key medium for the sharing and discussion of topics related to health and healthcare, including medical evidence, clinical practice, health policy, and health advocacy. Because of the open nature, Twitter is primed for interdisciplinary dialogue -- in collaboration with other physicians, nurses, pharmacists and others -- and can also include patients, enhancing the discussion and debate. There has been little rigorous analysis to date of how physicians currently use this medium in Canada.

Using a unique and robust data set, we have analyzed how Canadian physicians are currently using Twitter: the topics that are addressed, the connections that are made, and the networks that are established. This will give a new perspective into and how Twitter can be used by physicians, allied professionals and the private sector within the healthcare industry.

Learning goals:
1. Learn about and describe the current Twitter landscape as created by Canadian physicians
2. Interpret visual representations of analytics, detailing patterns of utilization and network patterns among Canadian physicians.
3. Engage the audience in discussion about how Canadian physicians are using social media platforms like Twitter to meet their practical goals, whether relating to continuing medical education, advocacy, clinic awareness, health promotion or professional networking and how this information can be used by the private sector.