The Use of Social Media in Anatomical and Health Professionals Education: a Systematic Review

Social media is used by many students at universities, with sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube being the most popular. Initially these social networking sites were mainly used for recreational purposes, but have been increasingly used in the educational setting. Educators in the anatomical sciences have utilised many forms of technology to supplement and enhance a student’s learning. However, the true effectiveness of using social media in anatomical and health professions education has not been fully explored. It has been hypothesised that social media in anatomical education could enhance learner engagement, raise morale, relieve anxieties and improve communication. However, the evidence is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to undertake a comprehensive literature review to examine the effectiveness, or otherwise, of these tools in an anatomical curriculum. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRIMSA) method for reviewing the literature. By using specific key words and using Google Scholar, PubMed, ERIC and OVID, we performed an extensive literature search to examine the use of social media in anatomical education. This is part of an on-going intercalated research degree project and we will present the provisional results from this. It appears that the body of evidence in the support of using social media in anatomical education is indeed limited. However, we have found that it has been used with great effectiveness in other fields, and we shall suggest it could be adopted for those involved in anatomical education and training in the future