What Are the Real-World Podcast-Listening Habits of Medical Professionals?

Introduction Educational podcasts are increasingly being utilized by health professionals for continuing education, but how they are being used remains poorly understood. Given their extensive reach, they represent a phenomenal opportunity for researchers to engage in knowledge translation of their scholarly works. The design, study, and effectiveness of these resources should be informed by a deeper understanding of their pragmatic usage. We aimed to prospectively determine the pragmatic, real-world listening habits of health professionals. Methods We performed a prospective observational study of a broad, interprofessional sample of participants (medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and paramedics) recruited through a multimodal social media (Twitter and Facebook) campaign. Recruitment materials included an infographic and study website. Participants listened to eight podcasts and described their use of each in subsequent questionnaires. Results A total of 393 participants enrolled in the study, and 241 completed the survey for all eight podcasts. Listening behaviors were consistent across the podcasts with the majority selecting a normal speed of playback and engaging in concomitant activities such as driving. One-third of participants paused the podcasts due to interruption. Conclusion We describe the prospective use of medical podcasts by a cohort of health professionals. This work should inform the role of podcasts in the communication of medical research.