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Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAMed) refers to a dynamic collection of online resources and tools designed to promote lifelong learning in medicine. It is also a community and an ethos embraced by healthcare professionals globally. The term was coined in June 2012 at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine in Dublin.[1]

History

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The FOAMed movement arose in response to the broader Open Educational Resources (OER) movement, reflecting the growing demand for freely available, high-quality educational materials.[2] It gained momentum with the rapid growth of social media and digital platforms, which revolutionised how medical information is accessed and shared. This shift allowed healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge beyond traditional academic and institutional boundaries, fostering a collaborative global learning environment.[3]

Characteristics

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FOAMed is defined by its accessibility and flexibility. Resources are freely available to anyone, anywhere, at any time, making it an inclusive tool for medical education.[1] By leveraging a variety of digital platforms—such as blogs, podcast, and social media—FOAMed fosters an interactive and collaborative learning environment. The movement is characterised by the rapid dissemination of information, enabling healthcare professionals to remain informed about the latest developments in medical science.[4]

Types of Resources

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The FOAMed ecosystem encompasses a diverse range of resources, including educational blogs, podcasts, and social media posts. Other formats, such as online question banks, YouTube videos, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), also play a significant role in the movement.[2] These resources cater to various learning styles and preferences, ensuring they have a wide and meaningful impact.[5]

Impact on Medical Education

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FOAMed has profoundly influenced medical education. Surveys suggest that over 90% of both pre-clinical and clinical medical students use FOAMed resources on a weekly basis.[6] By promoting equitable access to high-quality resources, FOAMed has bridged educational gaps and ensured medical knowledge is disseminated widely, particularly in underserved regions.[7] It has also facilitated the rapid dissemination of clinical knowledge, bridging the gap between research findings and practical application in medical practice.[5]

Challenges and Limitations

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Despite its benefits, FOAMed faces several challenges. Concerns have been raised about the lack of formal peer review and quality control.[8] Resource creation is often geographically concentrated, potentially excluding perspectives from lower-resource regions.[7] Additionally, challenges related to intellectual property, regulation, and the influence of prominent figures whose views may dominate discussions have also been noted.[5]

Future Directions

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The future of FOAMed lies in its integration with traditional medical education curricula. Academic institutions are increasingly involved in creating high-quality resources to ensure a balance between innovation and academic rigour.[9] Efforts are also underway to develop robust quality assessment tools, such as the Social Media Index, which can standardise the evaluation of FOAMed materials.[5] As the movement grows, it will likely continue to complement traditional educational methods and expand global access to medical knowledge.[3]

Notable FOAMed Resources

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The FOAMed ecosystem includes several prominent platforms, each offering unique resources for healthcare professionals. These include:

Platform Country of Origin Year Founded Primary Focus Target Audience
Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) United States 2009 Emergency medicine education and leadership Emergency medicine professionals[4]
CanadiEM Canada 2015 Emergency medicine and critical care Healthcare professionals and trainees[2]
Don't Forget The Bubbles Australia 2013 Paediatric medicine Paediatricians, healthcare professionals, and parents[10]
EMCrit United States 2009 Critical care and emergency medicine Critical care specialists and emergency physicians[11]
Life in the Fast Lane Australia 2007 Emergency medicine and critical care Global healthcare professionals[12]
MedShr United Kingdom 2015 Case-based learning Medical students and healthcare professionals[13]
PaediatricFOAM Global 2017 Paediatrics and critical care Healthcare providers and students[10]
REBEL EM United States 2013 Emergency medicine and critical care Medical professionals[14]
St. Emlyn's United Kingdom 2012 Emergency medicine education Healthcare professionals and students[15]
The Resus Room United Kingdom 2015 Emergency medicine and resuscitation Healthcare professionals[16]

See Also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Nickson, CP; Cadogan, MD (2014). "Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) for the Emergency Physician". Emerg Med Australas. 26 (1): 76–83. doi:10.1111/1742-6723.12191. PMID 24495067.
  2. ^ a b c Cadogan, M; Thoma, B; Chan, TM; Lin, M (2014). "Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM): The Rise of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Blogs and Podcasts (2002–2013)". Emerg Med J. 31 (e1): e76 – e77. doi:10.1136/emermed-2013-203502. PMID 24554447.
  3. ^ a b Roland, D; Spurr, J; Cabrera, D (2017). "Preliminary Evidence for the Emergence of a Health Care Online Community of Practice: Using a Netnographic Framework for Twitter Hashtag Analytics". J Med Internet Res. 19 (7): e252. doi:10.2196/jmir.7072. PMC 5533942. PMID 28710054.
  4. ^ a b Chan, TM; Gottlieb, M; Sherbino, J; Cooney, R; Boysen-Osborn, M; Swaminathan, A; Ankel, F; Yarris, LM (2018). "The ALiEM Faculty Incubator: A Novel Online Approach to Faculty Development in Education Scholarship". Acad Med. 93 (10): 1497–1502. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002309. PMID 29877914.
  5. ^ a b c d Thoma, B; Chan, TM; Paterson, QS; Milne, WK; Sanders, JL; Lin, M (2015). "Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Blogs and Podcasts: Establishing an International Consensus on Quality". Ann Emerg Med. 66 (4): 396–402.e4. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.03.002. PMID 25840846.
  6. ^ Mallin, M; Schlein, S; Doctor, S; Stroud, S; Dawson, M; Fix, M (2014). "A Survey of the Current Utilisation of Asynchronous Education Among Emergency Medicine Residents in the United States". Acad Med. 89 (4): 598–601. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000000170. PMC 4885578. PMID 24556776.
  7. ^ a b Burkholder, TW; Bellows, JW; King, RA (2018). "Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) in Emergency Medicine: The Global Distribution of Users in 2016". West J Emerg Med. 19 (3): 600–605. doi:10.5811/westjem.2018.3.36825. PMC 5942031. PMID 29760862.
  8. ^ Chan, TM; Grock, A; Paddock, M; Kulasegaram, K; Yarris, LM; Lin, M (2016). "Examining Reliability and Validity of an Online Score (ALiEM AIR) for Rating Free Open Access Medical Education Resources". Ann Emerg Med. 68 (6): 729–735. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2016.02.018. PMID 27033141.
  9. ^ Chan, TM; Thoma, B; Lin, M (2015). "Creating, Curating, and Sharing Online Faculty Development Resources: The Medical Education in Cases Series Experience". Acad Med. 90 (6): 785–789. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000000692. PMID 25785678.
  10. ^ a b "About Us". Paediatric FOAM. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  11. ^ "EMCrit". Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  12. ^ "Life in the Fast Lane". Life in the Fast Lane. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  13. ^ "MedShr". Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  14. ^ "About Us". REBEL EM. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  15. ^ "St. Emlyn's". St. Emlyn's. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  16. ^ "FOAMed Resources". The Resus Room. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
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