Abstract: SA-PO001
ASN Communities: A Growing Thriving Online Educational Asset
Session Information
- Educational Research
November 09, 2019 | Location: Exhibit Hall, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Educational Research
- 800 Educational Research
Authors
- Rodby, Roger A., Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Willner, Susan, American Society of Nephrology, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Background
Doctors are turning to social media (SoMe) and internet-based venues to teach, improve patient care, and to bolster knowledge. In 2016, the American Society of Nephrology launched “ASN Communities” (“Comms”) an online collaboration platform designed to provide ASN members with a dynamic international peer to peer venue to discuss challenging clinical cases, as well as other professional education activities. The clinically oriented Comms include: Open Forum, Patient Care Q&A, AKI, Kidney Transplantation, Onco-Nephrology and Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety. Other Communities include Public Policy and Public Health, Renal Educators, Women’s Health and Research, Basic Science Research, Career Advancement, Fellows Connect, and Renal Educators.
Methods
ASN members are automatically enrolled in the Open Forum Comm while the other Comms require a one-click join process. Members can opt to receive email alerts for each Comm in which they are a member. ASN Comms combines the best of all SoMe platforms into a professional, iterative, educational experience for the mundane to the most complex questions of health care workers around the world, and by design not limited to academia. Each Comm has “Community Leaders” (topic experts that help lead the discussions) who are chosen by the ASN’s Media and Communication Committee which also oversees the activities of all Comms.
Results
ASN members from throughout the world regularly leverage the expertise and knowledge of the greater community as evidenced by 25% of logins and 30% of posts originating from outside of the U.S. To date there have been 3,902 Discussions generating 27,871 replies (see Figure) from 180 countries and over 4,800 cities, with 330,149 logins representing 13,300 ASN Members. Each month approximately 3,000 ASN members access Comms. Comms are accessible on any computer as well as smart phones via a dedicated Comms app and on Twitter at @ASNCommunities.
Conclusion
ASN Communities should serve as a template for other medical subspecialties interested in the education and growth of their members.