Conference will explore how to optimize social media communication to advance cancer care
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The social media revolution in oncology is well under way.
The transformation will only accelerate as physicians, advanced practice providers, industry representatives, patient advocates and others seek new ways to communicate, educate themselves and expand their networks.
Collaboration for Outcomes Using Social Media in Oncology (COSMO) has organized its second Conference on Social Media in Oncology to help key stakeholders navigate this component of the rapidly evolving digital world, with an emphasis on identifying best practices and overcoming inherent challenges.
Healio is an official media partner for the conference, which will be held Sept. 18-19 in Providence, Rhode Island. Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, and Martina C. Murphy, MD, who co-lead the COSMO organization, will chair the meeting.
“The way we interact with our colleagues and our patients — and even the way we conduct research in oncology — is changing,” said Teplinsky, head of breast and gynecologic medical oncology at Valley Health System and clinical assistant professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Social media is a key part of that, and these platforms are not going away. It’s extremely important that we identify and learn strategies to optimize these communications.”
Addressing gaps
Don S. Dizon, MD, and Deanna Attai, MD, formed COSMO in 2015 after they recognized the potential of social media to educate physicians and patients, as well as improve public health.
They involved members of the clinical community, patient advocates, industry representatives, health care communication experts and others.
The group held an inaugural all-virtual meeting in 2021.
"Everyone came together to collectively discuss how we can further the professional use of social media — not just for talking to one another, but to move the field forward and improve care for our patients," said Murphy, associate professor of medicine, vice chief for faculty development in the division of hematology/oncology and senior associate dean for graduate medical education at University of Florida.
Soon after, several seminal position papers published in peer-reviewed journals addressed topics such as social media use in oncology education and professional development, the rise of the “e-patient” and partnering with patient advocates, and medical misinformation online.
This year’s conference aims to address gaps that remain, including using social media for research, exploring the role of the digital opinion leader and relationships with different stakeholders, developing meaningful engagement with patient advocates and communities, the continued need for combating medical misinformation online, expanding access and reducing health disparities on social media platforms, and more.
Program highlights
Organizers expect 75 to 100 people will attend the onsite-only conference, for which attendees can receive CME credits.
A few faculty talks are planned.
Narjust Florez, MD, FASCO, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will discuss using social media to support diversity, equity and inclusion in oncology.
Stacy Loeb, MD, MSc, PhD (hon), of NYU Langone Health will address identifying and correcting cancer misinformation on social media.
Jeremy L. Warner, MD, MS, FAMIA, FASCO, of Brown University will offer a keynote in which he will share experiences from the Cancer and COVID-19 Consortium, a national collaborative that formed primarily through social media.
And Teplinsky will give a talk titled “The digital opinion leader and ethics of engagement: Disclosure, partnerships and authenticity.”
However, the program largely consists of breakout sessions and roundtable discussions, each of which include patient advocates. Themes will include medical communication; social media as a venue for networking, community building and stakeholder engagement; engaging with patient communities on social media; funding social media-based research; and industry partnerships and transparency.
There will be extensive “face-to-face time” and ample networking opportunities, Teplinsky said.
The target audience includes oncology physicians, advanced practice providers and nurses, patient advocates, and industry partners.
Organizers particularly encourage fellows, residents and medical students to attend.
“Even if you’re not necessarily looking to create a patient-facing platform and educate patients, this can be helpful for professional development, research and building an academic career,” Teplinsky said. “There are many networking possibilities on social media and this is really a wonderful opportunity for trainees looking to collaborate with others, expand their networks, and to identify opportunities for mentorship or sponsorship.”
‘A duty’ to be online
Organizers anticipate the meeting program will appeal to key oncology stakeholders who are interested in social media.
However, they hope the program also piques the interest of those who may not be as familiar — or comfortable — with the concept of how social media engagement can advance oncology care.
“We hear people say ‘I don’t know how to get started on social media’ or ‘I feel like I’m talking into an echo chamber on X’ or ‘I don’t know how to use the other platforms,’” Teplinsky said. “Our goal is to bring together people who are at all different stages of interaction on social media. We really want to encourage people who are interested in social media but haven’t explored it yet, as well as those who have explored it and want to take it to the next level.”
A deeper understanding of social media also can help combat the increasing volume of cancer misinformation online.
“Many of our patients are getting tremendous amounts of information online,” Murphy said. “I believe physicians have a responsibility — almost a duty — to be online in these spaces where our patients are and help ensure the information present there is accurate, up to date and evidence-based. This is a wonderful format to gather with colleagues and learn how to use social media in that way.”
However, that does not mean having to spend hours each day online.
“We want to dispel the myths around the idea that social media has to be yet another cumbersome, time-consuming task to add to your day,” Murphy said. “We can teach people how to incorporate social media for oncology into their daily lives in easy but meaningful ways.”
Registration information
Conference registration is $75 for health professionals, with different rates for industry representatives and patient advocates.
To register, go here.
For more information, contact Brown Continuing Medical Education by phone at (401) 863-5254 or by email at cme@brown.edu.
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