Dermatologists should consider participating in Twitter journal clubs

Twitter journal clubs offer a unique platform for physicians of all specialties to create opportunities for learning and community building, according to an article published in JAMA Dermatology.

“Physicians use Twitter to interact and in the process have created Twitter-based journal clubs, a virtual incarnation of traditional in-person journal clubs,” Roxana Daneshjou, MD, PhD, of the department of dermatology at Stanford University, and Adewole S. Adamson, MD, MPP, of the division of dermatology in the department of internal medicine at Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, wrote. “Journal clubs allow physicians and trainees to practice critical thinking, to keep up with the biomedical literature and to evaluate clinical practice based on new knowledge.”

In 2015, at least 24 medical journal clubs were discussing various medical specialties, but none were dermatology focused. It was not until 2018 when the first medical dermatology Twitter journal club was created.

According to Daneshjou and Adamson, Twitter journal clubs offer at least five advantages compared with traditional journal clubs.

Twitter journal clubs may offer a comprehensive solicitation of articles in the current literature, facilitate larger and more diverse conversations, promote the field of dermatology to a wider audience, create public records of intellectual discussion to reference in the future and allow for cross-specialty discussions.

Because Twitter journal clubs are newer, they have not been evaluated as much as traditional journal clubs. Currently, there are no data on the best format or frequency for knowledge acquisition, but survey results from 282 participants in a urology journal club found that 81% found the Twitter journal club useful and 39% reported change in their practice based on the online discussions.

“Dermatologists and trainees should consider joining Twitter to participate in Twitter journal clubs and to contribute to their growth and evolution,” Daneshjou and Adamson wrote. “This new venue of communication is a powerful means of connecting within and across specialties while also bolstering the profile of dermatology within the house of medicine and the public at large.” – by Erin T. Welsh

Disclosures: Daneshjou reports she receives personal fees from Enspectra Health. Adamson reports no relevant financial disclosures.