Introduction:
Facebook, a widely used social networking platform, has become a valuable tool for healthcare professionals, including nephrologists. Its potential as a learning environment is particularly promising due to its user-friendly interface, real-time engagement, and ability to foster a sense of community. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Facebook as a nephrology knowledge dissemination tool over a two-year period.
Methods:
The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Education Facebook group was selected for this evaluation due to its established structure and active membership. The impact of educational activities was measured by counting the number of posts, as well as by counting the number of new and active members over a three-month period in 2022-2024.
Results:
The number of members in the ISN Education Facebook group increased significantly over the course of the two years, rising from 2740 in 2022 to 3343 in 2024. Females saw the largest rise in this trend, going from 42% in 2022 to 43.7% in 2024 (Figure 1). An examination of the interaction over the first ninety days of 2024 revealed growth, including a discernible rise in the quantity of posts and active participants taking part in conversations. ISN activities, videos abstracts, and the most recent nephrology research attracted members from 100 countries to engage in 2024, compared to members from only 10 countries in 2022. The total number of posts dropped from 51 in 2022 to 37 in 2024, but the quality and relevance of the content improved (Figure 2).
Conclusions:
The findings of this study underscore Facebook's potential as a powerful tool for disseminating nephrology knowledge. Its ability to facilitate global collaboration, promote timely information sharing, and foster a supportive learning environment makes it a valuable asset for the nephrology community. Members' tendency to self-select bias, their underreporting of activity, and the difficulty in comparing Facebook's stats to those of other social media platforms are some potential downsides of the platform.
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process