ASSESSMENT OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN MEDICAL BLOGS FOR UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Background. In recent years, social media more and more are mentioned such as the source of medical information. The aim of our study is to evaluate the significance of the information published in medical blogs for undergraduate medical students from Russia. Materials and methods. 124 undergraduate (fifth- and sixth-year) students of the educational program "General Medicine" of medical universities of Russia took part in an online survey. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results. Among the students surveyed, 82.7% subscribed to physicians’ medical blogs. Students most commonly subscribe to medical blogs to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in medicine and to receive information in areas of interest. 68.4% of respondents follow blogs with topics that match their prospective future specialities. 84.5% of surveyed students consider it necessary to verify the information published in blogs in specialized literature. 56.1% of interviewees made recommendations based on information from medical blogs to their familiar. Female students were more likely to consult a specialist after reading his or her posts on social media than male students (26.9% vs 5.7%, р=0.009). 69.6% of respondents trust information from medical blogs more than from university professors in certain cases. Conclusions. The results of our research attest that a significant part of students is interested in using the recommendations presented in medical blogs in their further practical activities. However, the dynamics of the attitude of students and young doctors to information published in medical blogs, as practical experience accumulated, requires further study.

Keywords

• social media
• bloggers
• medical blog
• medical education
• medical students
• instagram
• youtube