How podcasts teach: A comprehensive analysis of the didactic methods of the top hundred medical podcasts

Abstract

Purpose

Medical podcasts have grown in popularity, but little is known about their didactic methods. This study sought to systemically describe the pedagogical approach employed by the 100 most popular medical podcasts in the United States. This study also aimed to assess factors related to quality control and conflicts of interest in podcasting.

Methods

The authors averaged the rank positions for Apple podcasts in the Medicine category in the United States from 06/01/18 to 09/30/20 to generate a list of the 100 highest-ranked medical podcasts. They developed and validated a categorization system of didactic methods based on Bloom’s taxonomy and collected data on didactic methods, as well as podcast affiliation, target audience, format, advertising, continuing medical education (CME) offerings, and presence of a reference list or review process.

Results

Of the 100 most popular medical podcasts, 91 are educational. Of those, 51 are podcasts intended for physician education (PIPEs) while 40 are intended for other audiences, including the general public, nurses, and physical therapists. Compared with podcasts intended for other audiences, PIPEs engage higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy (p < 0.001). Among PIPEs, 18 (35.2%) are affiliated with an individual, 16 (31.4%) with a company, and 12 (23.5%) with a professional journal. 38 PIPEs (74.5%) are targeted toward all levels of medical learners. PIPEs are significantly more likely to list references or have a peer review process in place (n = 37, 72.5% vs. n = 15, 37.5%, p = 0.001) and offer CME credits (n = 20, 39.2% vs. n = 2, 5.0%, p < 0.001) than podcasts intended for other audiences.

Conclusions

Medical podcasts employ a variety of didactic methods, including those ranked highly on Bloom’s taxonomy. Unlike traditional medical education, PIPEs are commonly produced by individuals or companies and targeted to all levels of medical learners.

Keywords:

• e-Learning/computers
• independent
• medical education research
• curriculum infrastructure

Disclosure statement

AR and ST co-direct the Innovations in Media and Education Delivery (iMED) Initiative, a research and educational organization for digital education that includes the study of podcasts. Both host their own podcasts, which were included in the coding. Neither coded their own podcast. DZ is one of the founders of Chartable. He helped collate (though not analyze) the data and helped with the understanding of the Apple Podcasts ranking algorithm. He had no part in the design or coding of the study.

Glossary

Digital education: Medical education in a digital, asynchronous format, such as podcasts, YouTube videos, or image sharing, that is consumed asynchronously and distributed through virtual communities of practice, often on social media.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ellen Zhang

Ellen Zhang, BA, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Nicolas Trad

Nicolas Trad, BA, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Robert Corty

Robert Corty, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.

Dave Zohrob

Dave Zohrob, BS, Chartable, New York, NY, USA.

Shreya Trivedi

Shreya Trivedi, MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA, and Innovations in Media and Education Delivery (iMED) Initiative, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA.

Adam Rodman

Adam Rodman, MD, MPH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA, and Innovations in Media and Education Delivery (iMED) Initiative, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.