Attitudes to social media use as a platform for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within occupational therapy

Abstract

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The use of Twitter for continuing professional development within occupational therapy

“…Respondents from this study believe that Twitter's wide reach adds breath to learning opportunities, giving clinicians both a global and a local perspective of occupational therapy practice, thereby creating depth of understanding. This contradicts the findings of Boon and Sinclair (2009), who believe that online activities do not allow for learning of that depth, however the participants in this study felt that the opportunities available via Twitter gave them a wider view and understanding of occupational therapy practice outside of their immediate services, again echoing the findings of Murray and Ward (2017).…”

“…Respondents highlighted the accessibility of the platform as a motivator in their use of Twitter with its ability to fit it around other commitments being a contributing factor, echoing the findings of Murray and Ward (2017). Many found its free use to be the answer to CPD in light of dwindling training budgets and limited study leave, similar to those points discussed by Kashani, Burwash and Hamilton (2010) and Marshall, Puny and Skykes (2008).…”

“…Despite these notable benefits, the use of social media for CPD within healthcare is not without its challenges. While there is evidence that the attitudes towards social media are changing (NHS Employers 2017), some are still fearful of repercussions from their employers or regulatory bodies and the negative impact a mistake could have on their careers (Wild et al 2014) and as such require guidance to overcome these concerns (Murray and Ward 2017).…”

“…Bodell and Levins (2012) note that enthusiasm and professional guidance alone are not enough to increase the professional and appropriate use of social media. Additional support is required to overcome other barriers such as a lack of awareness of the opportunities available or limited skills in relation to specific social media platforms (Brown 2011;Murray and Ward 2017). It could also be suggested that for 'digital immigrants', those born between 1946 and 1981 (Brown 2011), these barriers extend to digital literacy as a whole and not only within a social media context (Hills et al 2013).…”

“…While these experiences can support findings, research of a larger scale is needed if findings are to be generalised. Although a study by Murray and Ward (2017) investigated the use of social media as a whole and found that attitudes within the profession were predominately positive, there is currently no research focussing solely on the use of Twitter within occupational therapy and what this specific platform can offer occupational therapy practitioners.…”