Here is a synopsis of a recent paper I wrote with @merollim on how digital and social media provides great opportunities to facilitate knowledge translation
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Synopsis
The 350-year old academic journal model poorly facilitates knowledge translation to healthcare professionals and patients. Current journal formats do not meet the needs of most potential end users – health professionals and patients. Publications are generally produced in formats that do not engage wider audiences beyond researchers (see great infographic summarising 4 key barriers below by @fisioterapianet). The past 30 years has seen enormous digital technology innovation (e.g., internet, personal computers, tablets, mobile phones, digital publishing, online video and data visualisation, social media) that provides a substantial opportunity to change the model for translation of research to implementation.
Health professionals and patients are using digital and social media to source and communicate new health information at an increasing rate. Therefore, embracing digital and social media to re-shape the knowledge translation path in healthcare has huge potential to improve the efficiency and reach of the current academic journal publication model. This educational review scopes and outlines the current landscape with its limitations, and highlights 5 current opportunities to use digital and social media to reshape knowledge translation in healthcare. We discuss how embracing digital and social media will benefit both researchers and health professionals. A transition from ‘publish or perish’ to ‘get visible or vanish’ is inevitable in the academic world. It is time we all embraced it.