This post was authored by John Gordon Harold, MD, MACC, immediate past president of the ACC.

A study released today during AHA 2014 provided an interesting perspective on the ability of social media to effectively distribute findings of published articles. The trial, "Intention-to-Tweet," randomized 243 articles published in Circulation to either receive social media or not and found no difference in median 30-day page views (409 [social media] versus 392 [control], P=0.80). There were also no differences observed by article type (clinical, population, or basic science; P=0.19), whether an article had an editorial (P=0.87), or whether the corresponding author was from the U.S. (P=0.73).

The trial authors noted that these findings suggest “a social media intervention in a traditional cardiovascular journal setting may not increase the number of times that an article is accessed and viewed in the first 30-days after publication.” However, they also note that more research is needed to understand the ways in which social media can be leveraged to distribute the findings of published articles. For example, could societies with a larger number of followers see different results? Do demographics of social media “followers” matter? What about the use of social media as part of a more intensive campaign?

Social media is a relatively newer channel, and is constantly changing. As such, the ACC is constantly trying new things to grow its followers, raise awareness about the latest scientific research coming from its JACC journals, and encourage greater interaction among the cardiovascular community with College efforts. When it comes to JACC the College provides frequent updates via Twitter using the hashtags #JACC, #JACCHF, #JACCInterventions and #JACCImaging. Specific JACC content tailored for Fellows in Training is provided using #ACCFIT. On Facebook, the College promotes JACC central illustrations, and more.

While there is no magic answer to success, social media does offer a chance to reach others, particularly those internationally, with the latest scientific advances in a more timely fashion than ever before. It also encourages sharing of information among peers and with other stakeholders with similar interests. We look forward to seeing what new research emerges as this important discussion continues.

Stay up to date via the ACC’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Learn more about ACC’s social media channels at CardioSource.org/ACCinTouch.

< Back to Listings