The Use of Social Media in Medical Education: A Literature Review

Social networks are frequently used by university students, as well as by the rest of the population worldwide to communicate, collect information, and share information and images. The aim of this report was to determine if there was substantial evidence in the literature that demonstrated the benefits of using social networks to enhance the learning process, as measured by students’ performance on examinations. The main outcome measures were any measurable difference between students who used social networks as part of their education compared to those who did not. A systemic literature search was performed in the PubMed database using predefined search terms, exclusion/inclusion criteria, and primary/secondary criteria. The results disclosed in total, 636 publications were identified; however, only 77 articles met the criteria for inclusion and exclusion. After applying secondary filter criteria, 18 publications were identified that included randomized comparative studies, review articles, and meta-analyses. A review of the list of references in these publications revealed an additional seven articles. The findings demonstrate that although social media represents an important source of medical information that is widely used in education and in everyday lives, no studies have reported that it has a significant impact in enhancing the learning process. Additional comparative studies are needed on this topic.