Lifelong Learning in Practice: The Age of Discussion Through Social Media.

Ongoing lifelong learning in health-related professions is recognized as one of the most important essential competencies for optimal clinical practice [1]. Continuing medical education (CME) in lifelong learning for physicians focuses on maintaining or upgrading the knowledge and skills of medical graduates to ensure competent practice [2]. The goal of current CME systems for urologists is to improve knowledge and practical skills via formats such as conferences, formal courses, and workshops [3]. In recent years, technological improvements that have shifted education from classrooms to online platforms have significantly changed medical education [4]. Social media have become a valuable tool for e-learning, particularly when incorporated in medical education and clinical practice [5]. To facilitate lifelong learning for urologists, we established two Telegram ‘‘Urologist’’ groups in September 2014. Telegram is a communication application similar to Viber andWhatsapp that allows users to send texts, images, and videos to a contact list. To achieve the goals mentioned above, we used different medical education strategies, including case-based learning, clinical experience, discussion groups, lectures, evidence-based journal clubs, and problem-based learning. Besides the main priority of continuing education, this approach aims to establish an effective consultation system, especially for young urologists, for discussing complex or unusual cases with expert colleagues. Between November 2014 and November 2015, the Telegram urologist groups involved 256 case-based learning discussions, 20 clinical experiences, 12 lectures, and 24 evidence-based journal clubs. Approximately 1180 cases were discussed in this period of time and membership increased from 35 to 408. Telegram groups are an exceptionally easy tool that urologists can use to connect to invaluable resources for which access might otherwise be limited by geographic distance or time barriers [5]. This e-learning tool may be useful in improving clinical knowledge and narrowing the gap between high-quality evidence and clinical practice in developing countries such as Iran. Despite these opportunities, medical education via social media has certain limitations that must be acknowledged. First, the effect of this educational system on clinical skills is unclear, especially for surgical skills in urology. Second, there are still some concerns regarding medical ethics and patient privacy and confidentiality in such programs.