The Impact of a Twitter-supplemented Educational Intervention to Promote Training in Social Determinants of Health among Medical Residents

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of using Tweetorials in educating medical residents about social determinants of health (SDoH) and satisfaction with Tweetorials as an educational tool.

Study Design: Quantitative Analysis.

Place and Duration of Study: Montefiore Medical Center, July 2021 to August 2021.

Methodology: Two peer-reviewed publications relating to SDoH were adapted into Tweetorials and traditional journal club PowerPoint presentations, which became the basis of the two interventions given to medical residents via Zoom. We administered surveys that asked participants to self assess their knowledge regarding SDoH topics, their competency in discussing these with patients, and satisfaction with the session. The SDoH surveys were given before and after the intervention to assess any change in SDoH knowledge and competency.

Results: A total of 83 medical residents across three specialties participated in the study. After the Traditional Journal Club intervention and Tweetorial interventions, self-assessed SDoH knowledge improved in a number of areas. The Tweetorial intervention resulted in greater improvement in SDoH knowledge. SDoH competency also improved in a number of areas after both interventions.The mean satisfaction score for the traditional journal club was 2.67/5, and the mean satisfaction score for the Tweetorial intervention was 2.61/5, with no significant difference between the two interventions (P=0.66).

Conclusion: Tweetorials can serve as an effective educational tool to teach medical residents about social determinants of health.