P0006 - 3PedsInAPod: A Tech-Savvy Approach to Improving Parental Health Literacy

Background: Patient and parental education is a major component of daily pediatric practice. Written educational materials are often relied upon as the main mode of distributing information to parents of pediatric patients. With the emergence of social media as a medium for medical advice, more parents are turning to unconventional sources for unverified medical information due to convenience and perceived reliability. Currently, there is limited studies that assess the use of resident-led podcasts and social media campaigns aimed at improving health literacy. The purpose of this project is to conduct a virtual health education initiative aimed at providing an alternative to traditional medical education for parents with low health literacy in an urban environment like Detroit, MI.

Methods: Three pediatric residents conducted bi-weekly podcasts intended to be conversational and educational in nature for parents. Previous podcast topics included “Stay HOME” regarding the COVID 19 pandemic, “Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot” regarding fevers in infants and children, and “Think Fast” regarding fasting practices among pediatric patients.

An extensive social media campaign was conducted that utilized various platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Radio Public, Pocket Casts, and Breaker. Facebook and Instagram accounts were used for recruitment and to disseminate supplemental written educational material. Instagram posts consisted of custom animations that encouraged subscribers to engage with fellow parents. To increase viewership, a marketing campaign was subsequently conducted by collaborating with popular parent-based social media accounts with greater than 20,000 followers.

Results: Since launching in March 2020, 4 podcasts were released with a total of 216 views. The most popular podcast venues were Spotify at 51%, Anchor at 26%, and Apple Podcasts at 15%. Although the intended audience were parents in Detroit, the podcasts were listened internationally with 66% in the US, 14% in Canada, 9% in Sudan, and 11% elsewhere globally. The primary podcast consumers were female (74%) and were ages 23 to 34 years old. As of May 2020, the Instagram account had a total of 970 followers. There is a total of 26 Instagram posts with 89% of followers identifying as female. Another, 68% of subscribers were between the age ranges of 25 to 34 years old.

Conclusion: Although the podcast and associated social media page are in the pilot phase, the rapid uptake of the accounts has been unprecedented. By harnessing the power of social media, pediatric residents physicians have been able to reach a primarily international young female demographic, that are likely to be mothers looking to improve their children’s health.