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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indographics 2025; 04(01): 031-036
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1808090
Review Article

Radiology Education via Social Media—Optimal Utilization of Resources: A Narrative Review

Santosh Rai 
1   Department of Radiology, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, Manipal, India
,
Gaurika Chugh
1   Department of Radiology, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, Manipal, India
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Abstract

Using social media for radiology education is an innovative and efficient method. By utilizing platforms such as YouTube, X, and Instagram, educators can effectively share information and interact with students. This approach boosts engagement, fosters collaboration, and provides easy access to resources, thereby enhancing the educational experience for both students and teachers. Social media platforms offer a convenient and accessible means for radiology education, enabling the effortless sharing of information and resources. They promote active engagement and discussion among learners, fostering the exchange of ideas and perspectives. Additionally, these platforms support mentorship and networking opportunities within radiology education. And given radiology's rich visual content, it seamlessly integrates into various social media platforms. Knowledgeable use of social media platforms based on its strength of resources available on each platform contributes to efficient online educational content. Social media use in medical education is driven by the change in the learner as a connected, creative, and collective subject. Although there are many advantages, however, educators face challenges such as ensuring accuracy, maintaining privacy, and combating misinformation. When used effectively, social media significantly enhances radiology education by promoting learning, collaboration, and professional development. With recent advances like augmented reality, virtual reality, and gamification coming into field of education, it is further going to revolutionize the educational power of social media.


 

Keywords

radiology resources - social media radiology - online education - educational resources - radiology education - e-learning - virtual radiology

Introduction

Social media has emerged as a powerful tool in medical education, offering innovative avenues for teaching, learning, and professional collaboration in radiology.[1] The integration of social media into radiology education is reshaping how knowledge is disseminated, learned, and discussed across the medical community.[2] The use of social media has increased drastically over the last few years for sharing information and communicating extending its influence even into the realm of radiology education.[3] Radiology as a branch is known for shifting smoothly in embracing emerging technological trends, and the adoption of social media is no exception.[4] There are numerous resources available for effective education in an online setting on trending social media. With its broad reach, interactivity, and accessibility, social media offers a unique opportunity to enhance learning and foster collaboration among radiology professionals worldwide. Busy schedule of residents does not leave much time for traditional classroom learning. Incorporation of social media in their training is a good option as it is readily available anywhere and anytime, it is just a click away.[5] As educators and leaders in radiology, we must leverage emerging trends to capture the imagination of future generations of learners.[1] This digital era is reshaping the methods through which we acquire knowledge and collaborate within the field of radiology, offering numerous advantages for both students and educators. The online educators are well aware of the strengths of each social media platform and are using resources accordingly for effective knowledge impartation.[6] The benefits of utilizing social media for educational purposes outweighs the potential drawbacks and is amenable for utilization in medical education. The increasing prevalence of social media in contemporary society necessitates innovative approaches to teaching, which should be used purposefully with learning objectives in mind.

This narrative review explores the optimal utilization of social media in radiology education, examining its benefits, challenges, and the potential to bridge gaps in traditional educational models. By analyzing current trends and best practices, we aim to provide insights into how these platforms can be leveraged effectively to advance radiology knowledge and practice. This review seeks to critically assess how these platforms can be optimally harnessed, while also addressing the challenges that come with this rapidly evolving landscape. By providing a comprehensive overview of current practices and emerging trends, we aim to highlight strategies for maximizing the educational potential of social media in the field of radiology.


 

Materials and Methods

A review of the literature was performed using relevant keywords. Articles were retrieved from 2010 to 2023 using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases along with a manual review of references. The published literature was reviewed thoroughly and consolidated. Thirty studies were found to be relevant to the purpose of this study. Citations were managed using Mendeley Reference Manager. Simultaneously preserving the original context and content, Quillbot's comprehension power brings complex thoughts to a more concise expression. With the aid of Scopus Artificial Intelligence (AI), a generative AI (GenAI)-driven search tool that is both clever and intuitive, we were able to comprehend and deepen our discoveries. Since Scholarly aggregated relevant academic publications and important discoveries, it aided in bringing together existing research and identified research gaps, which sped up the process. We utilized Turnitin software to detect instances of similarity.


 

Discussion

Social media platforms enable interactive engagement and various resources can be used for efficient education. There are abundant social media platforms available like Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), YouTube, Telegram, and the most popular being Instagram. The usage of available resources in an optimal manner enhances the quality of online education. Radiology educators can share educational content, discuss challenging cases, and connect with peers and experts in the field by sharing educational articles, case studies, and instructional videos, thus reaching a wide audience of trainees and practicing radiologists.[7]

Types of Content Available

One can create short videos called “reels” on Instagram, which can summarize or reinforce a useful topic or explain radiology concepts, demonstrate imaging techniques, or discuss interesting cases. “Case of the Day” approach encourages learners to analyze imaging studies and discuss differential diagnoses, fostering critical thinking. Social media can also be used to share links to useful Web sites, journal articles, podcasts, or online courses related to radiology education, helping learners access quality learning materials.[8]

Longer articles, blogs, links for lectures, or courses can be posted on LinkedIn or Facebook providing a broader platform to communicate the author's interests and viewpoints. Hashtags can be used to archive current and past assignments and to organize available online content efficiently. They can also participate in virtual journal clubs to critically evaluate and discuss recent research articles.[9] Content creators can swiftly annotate images using the Pen tool to highlight features for those untrained in the field, or they can narrate videos to guide users. Besides engaging medical trainees, many educators aim to reach the general public by posting patient-facing information on popular topics such as breast cancer screening and heart attack treatment.[10]

Hosting chats on X or participating in existing ones can facilitate real-time discussions on radiology topics, allowing professionals and students to exchange ideas, share resources, and ask questions.[11]

Podcasts focused on radiology education can cater to auditory learners, featuring interviews with experts, discussions on recent research, or reviews of important topics. Platforms offering live interaction can be used to conduct live webinars or question and answer sessions with radiology educators, providing an interactive learning experience for the audience. Summaries can be shared through “In A Minute” videos and Tweetorials (X threads).

Creating or participating in online communities, such as Facebook groups or Reddit communities dedicated to radiology education, allow learners to connect with peers, ask questions, and share resources. Platforms like Quizlet or Kahoot can be used to create interactive quizzes and challenges based on radiology concepts, making learning interesting and engaging.

For example, a journal club can be held via X as a “tweet-up,” or a Facebook group can host case-of-the-week contests with progressive hints from the moderator. Snapchat can be used to hold faculty hot-seat sessions of challenging cases to spark discussion.

FOAMRad education embodies a worldwide community of both learners and instructors who leverage freely accessible and open-source materials disseminated across the Internet and social media. Stemming from the #FOAMed initiative (Free Open Access Medical Education),[12] #FOAMRad operates independently of any single user or organization. Its use in posts serves to gather pertinent content, with sharing and reusing content encouraged while respecting copyright and creative commons licenses.

Social media is an excellent tool for professional organizations to disseminate new or updated online Continuing Medical Education (CME) materials to their members. It also allows these organizations to engage with members, gather feedback, and respond in ways that traditional communication methods do not allow.


 

Strengths of Individual Platforms

Several studies highlight the advantages of different platforms,[6] emphasizing the importance to effectively utilize resources to boost productivity. It is crucial to understand the pros and cons of each platform to maximize technological efficiency. For instance, character limit on X may impede thorough explanations or fragment content across multiple tweets, whereas Instagram's ample character allowances for captions are more suitable to detailed explanations.[6]

X is a great tool for medical education, increasing engagement and fostering collaborative thinking. Users can post up to four images per tweet ([Table 1]), which has been used by educators to create flashcard quizzes.[13] Tweet chats are also used for educating on specific topics, incorporating images and quizzes.[14] Additionally, X allows for the presentation of interesting cases and feedback from colleagues on difficult clinical scenarios. Many academic journals also share links to articles on X, offering quick access to the latest research.[15] The significant increase in the use of X at recent Radiological Society of North America annual meetings showcases its potential to enhance engagement among attendees, improve scientific sessions, and foster better collaboration at national radiology events.[16]

Table 1

Comparison of social media platforms

Social media platform

Maximum caption character count

Maximum images per post

Maximum video length

Caption supportable clickable links

Markup tools availability

Instagram

2,200

20

Feed (60 minutes)

Reel (90 seconds)

Live (4 hours)

No

Stories supports drawing tools

X

280

4

Two minutes 20 seconds

Yes

No

Facebook

63,200

30

240 minutes

Yes

No

YouTube

5,000

One thumbnail (video only platform)

12 hours

Yes

No

figure1

599

5

Video not supported; scrollable stacks can be uploaded

No

Yes

The image-centric nature of Instagram makes it an ideal platform for radiology education.[17] With a generous 2,200-character a limit for captions and comments, users can provide detailed explanations and engage in extensive discussions ([Table 1]). Users can interact with followers through post comments, utilizing various techniques to teach, such as sharing videos, annotating images, and offering quizzes. Several well-known radiology education Instagram accounts share cases under themes each week in the form of hashtags like #MSKMonday, #TummyTuesday, #NeuroWednesday, #ThoraxThursday, and #FridayQuizDay, each featuring a single image focused on a specific teaching point.[6] The use of hashtags can be used to organize content into themed categories.

In a study conducted by Gupta et al, they observed that both X (p < 0.001) and Instagram demonstrated statistically significant increases in the number of followers over time. The rate of growth of Instagram followers was statistically significantly higher compared with followers on X.[17]

Facebook is frequently utilized for educating patients and providers, often focusing on patient advocacy and engagement. On the provider side, many academic societies maintain Facebook pages to stay connected with members and promote events. Facebook is also ideal for sharing blog content, as it allows embedding links in posts along with short overviews. Facebook “groups” function like Web forums with administrators and posting rules, enabling multiple users to share cases and participate in closed-group discussions. Facebook “Live,” another feature, allows for live streaming of video content using devices like smartphones, making it possible to broadcast conference sessions globally.[8]

YouTube videos leverage the visual nature of radiology, enhancing the educational experience for trainees by using sound and audio to teach interpretation of imaging findings, differential diagnoses, and procedural techniques. And given its compatibility with longer video timings, it is the best source for full length video sharing when compared with other platforms.[18]

Telegram offers various channels and groups, such as “Radiology Tips and Notes,” which provide niche knowledge and share informative book PDFs.[19]

figure1 is a social media platform tailored for medical professionals, where users categorize each image based on anatomy and specialty, allowing for focused discussions. Due to its medical niche, Fig. 1 has a highly engaged but smaller user base compared with platforms like Instagram. Thus, igniting more extensive and insightful discussions.[3] The platform offers a user-friendly Web interface for content uploads, including multiple-image posts and image series like computed tomography scans, with strict measures to safeguard patient privacy, in the form of built-in consent forms, automatic detection, and censoring of faces. Doximity, another platform aimed at physicians for networking and education, can also enhance collaborative efforts in radiology.

The idea of posting individually to each platform is time taking, usage of content sharing tools such as Hootsuite[20] and Buffer[21] may be used to post the same content to multiple platforms and to schedule posts for later.

Users can engage with educational information through likes, comments, and hashtags. Measuring the impact of education through social media can be challenging. Since learners are online and often anonymous, it is difficult to assess their knowledge growth or content retention. Therefore, the impact of social media education is gauged by the number of users who view or interact with the content. These metrics are known as impressions and engagement.[6] Impressions refer to the unique views of a specific piece of content on social media. Impressions are a standard metric for measuring social media reach, however, does not directly equate to audience size. Since one person can generate multiple impressions, engagement is when a user takes action on a piece of content, such as expanding the view, liking it, commenting on it, or clicking on a link within it, which is automatically tracked by the software.


 

Advantages

Education via social media offers numerous benefits, both for the learners and educators such as easy access to resources, opportunities for collaboration and networking, and the ability to build both personal and institutional branding.[22] The added advantage of social media is its wide reach, which exposes users to a cognitive diversity beyond their local environment.[7] This global exposure can broaden students' horizon and enhance cultural understanding.

Through interactive elements like discussions, polls, quizzes, and multimedia content, social media makes learning more interactive, thus increasing engagement, improving knowledge retention, and enjoyable.

Moreover, it encourages collaboration among students and between students and teachers, promoting teamwork and community through group projects, peer feedback, and online discussions. It also supports ongoing professional development and can be beneficial for patient education, encouraging continuous growth and learning.

Additionally, social media platforms can be effectively used for formative assessments, enabling teachers to use tools like polls, quizzes, and discussion threads to assess student comprehension and provide immediate feedback.


 

Limitations and Caution

The use of social media for academic purposes must be approached with caution until supporting data becomes available.[23] Concerns include the absence of a peer review process for content, the risks of cyberbullying, harassment, or discrimination from unmoderated discussion threads, the need for continuous content management, and the potential for unauthorized reuse of posted content by individuals or institutions.[22] Additionally, prolonged screen exposure for online learning has led to screen fatigue among many students. Educational posts are often not peer-reviewed, which limits the credibility of the content disseminated to the public.[10] This can result in students encountering misinformation or biased content, leading to misconceptions or misunderstandings.

Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, often distracting students from their educational tasks resulting in poor time management. Notifications, messages, and trending topics on their feeds can easily divert attention, leading to a loss of focus and productivity.

Moreover, social media platforms collect and track user data, raising privacy concerns, especially for students.

Overreliance on social media for educational purposes can create a dependence on technology, undermining traditional learning methods. Additionally, using social media for educational purposes raises ethical questions regarding data privacy, online behavior, and the appropriate use of technology in education. However, a large review of 14 studies on social media in medical education found no instances of professionalism breaches or compromised patient privacy, suggesting these risks may be overestimated.[24]


 

Recent Advances

Modern immersive technologies allow simulations to take place in various realms such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or mixed reality, facilitating “omni-learning”—the flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere, with anyone.[25] VR and AR technologies offer stereoscopic and three-dimensional (3D) immersion within virtual environments (VR) or overlaid onto real-world settings (AR).[26] Microsoft HoloLens, for instance, is utilized in innovative telemedicine applications, such as enabling medical students to engage with holographic patients through VR and AR, which aids in understanding complex anatomy, experiencing 3D models of physical environments, and engaging in interactive lectures.[27] These technologies hold promise for enhancing radiography training in anatomy and pathology and facilitating procedural simulation, surpassing traditional learning methods with the advantage of fostering greater learner involvement due to increased social, environmental, and personal immersion.[27] [28] They serve as innovative tools for communication, supplementing radiology training, and especially assisting in interventional radiology procedures, including equipment familiarization and procedural guidance for students.

Lorenzo-Alvarez and colleagues describe a 3D simulation game called Second Life, where learners undergo radiological education on a virtual island called “Medical Master Island.” Initially, instructors teach them and then they are tested on the island.[29] This new technique also provides rewards and achievements to motivate medical students. According to participants' feedback, their learning significantly improved due to increased participation. This application of game design elements to nongaming contexts is called gamification, which enhances retention, participation, and motivation in learners. Competition is a fundamental aspect of educational games and game-based learning, which enhances academic performance and can also foster cooperation among medical students.[19]


 

 

Tips for Content Improvement

Some of the studies provide tips to social media educators for enhancing the quality of their content. Kind et al. have discussed few basic tips to start as an educator in this world of social media, that is, by identifying owns' digital identity, selecting a tool based on your set goals, observing the ongoing trend, making initial connections, and developing guiding principles, which help in the curation of content and a better reach.[30]

The further journey of an educator entails identifying your target audience to tailor content and select appropriate platforms according to their preferences. Additionally, determining the frequency of content generation and sharing is crucial.[31] It is advisable to start with one social media platform and expand gradually as your audience and content portfolio grow. Incorporating multimedia elements and maintaining an engaging tone are recommended. Furthermore, utilizing image editing software may be necessary to anonymize images by removing identifiable data and augmenting educational value through annotations.

Use of newer resources such as Web-based Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) viewers (for example, Pacsbin), to discuss the cases as whole, which provides a real time experience and annotate images using image software tools.

Some of the studies provide tips to social media educators for enhancing the quality of their content by diligently planning the content to be shared and encouraging them to use Web-based DICOM viewers to discuss the cases as whole and annotate images using image software tools.


 

Conclusion

Social media has successfully served as an effective educational resource with its diverse platforms and vast user base, owing to its engaging visuals, which captures the interest of tech-savvy individuals. Various technologies are available and are being implemented across the world to improve radiology education, making it more interactive and safer. While social media can enhance academic engagement, its risks including misinformation and distraction necessitate a cautious and balanced approach to its use in education.


 

 

Conflict of Interest

None declared.

Authors' Contributions

This narrative review was conceptualized and designed by S.R., who developed the overarching framework and guided the thematic structure. G.C. was responsible for drafting and preparing the manuscript, ensuring clarity, coherence, and comprehensive coverage of the relevant literature. The final editing and critical review were conducted by S.R.



Address for correspondence

Santosh Rai, MD, FRCR
Department of Radiology, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, Manipal 576 104
India   

Publication History

Article published online:
04 June 2025

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