GI Twitter: Using social media to engage with the GI community
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Engagement with social media has become a huge part of society, especially in health care, according to a report published in Gastroenterology.
Further, the use of social media has increased in the field of gastroenterology over the past 10 years.
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#GITwitter has become a huge platform for gastroenterologists to share original content, engage in discussion and bring attention to their research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter use has especially increased.
Yousef Elfanagely, MD, from the department of internal medicine at Brown University, and colleagues compiled a list of the highest ranking social media influencers in the field of gastroenterology. They reported that the “top 50” ranked social influencers, compared with “lower 50” ranked influencers, graduated from residency (2001 vs. 2007; P = .02) and fellowship (2003 vs. 2009; P = .04) at an earlier date.
Twitter is reportedly used by a younger demographic. There was a significant association noted between the social media presence of gastroenterology influencers and how long they have been established practitioners in their field, according to Elfanagely and colleagues.
Healio Gastroenterology spoke with Elfanagely, about contributions from GI Twitter.
Healio Gastroenterology What contributions has GI Twitter made?
Elfanagely: One of the many important roles that GI Twitter has served during the pandemic has been as a forum for promoting and participating in the national conferences that were canceled. In the United States, Digestive Disease Week and the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology both went virtual. They used Twitter to disseminate material and share links to virtual conferences. The gastroenterology fellowship application process also transitioned to fully virtual interviewing in 2020, lending itself to information sharing among candidates and programs via Twitter and other social media platforms.
Healio Gastroenterology: Who are some of the key contributors?
Elfanagely: There are a few organizations, journals and individuals ingrained in GI Twitter. If you spend enough time on GI Twitter, you will naturally stumble across them. The organizations most people on GI Twitter follow are American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology and Digestive Disease Week. The individuals I’ve stumbled across and whose content I greatly enjoyed are Neena S. Abraham, MD, MS, Anita Afzali, MD, MPH, FACG, Tauseef Ali, MD, Austin L. Chiang, MD, MPH, Mohammad Bilal, MD, Maia Kayal, MD, Charlie Lees, MD, Mark Pochapin, MD, Amy S. Oxentenko, MD, and David Rubin, MD, MSCE. However, like any social media, new key contributors are making their presence felt each day.
Healio Gastroenterology: Why has social media like Twitter proven successful for the field of GI?
Elfangely: GI, like all of medicine, is a field that is consistently evolving and composed of international participants. People want to learn more and engage with others who have knowledge to share. It is also fun engaging with people who have shared experiences and understand the nuances of your field.
Healio Gastroenterology: Why is the use of social media important for GI and medicine in general?
Elfanagely: Social media keeps us current within our field. Being on GI Twitter allows us to remain engaged in our community whether passively or actively. We can continue to read up on the shared literature that may become a part of clinical practice or use it to network with our colleagues.
As a resident striving to be a gastroenterologist, GI Twitter has been a source of motivation and inspiration. The road toward fellowship is long and at times challenging, but it is helpful seeing people you aspire to be on a daily basis.
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