Learning through listening: The development of the ‘SAGE Palliative Medicine & Chronic Care’ podcast

Dr Amara Nwosu, Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, is Digital Editor of Palliative Medicine. Here, he explains more about the podcast and how it can help busy healthcare professionals …

Dr Amara Nwosu

The ‘SAGE Palliative Medicine & Chronic Care‘ podcast is an initiative from Palliative Medicine (the world’s highest-ranked journal – a peer-reviewed scholarly journal dedicated to improving knowledge and clinical practice in the palliative care of patients with advanced disease). The podcast aims to widen research dissemination by providing authors with the opportunity to record an audio summary of their research.

Research is important to provide the necessary evidence to inform care delivery for people requiring palliative care.¹ It is essential that research outcomes are translated into clinical practice. Barriers to research dissemination include a variety of factors, such as academic paywalls (restricting access to Internet content via a paid subscription) and lengthy publishing processes.² But for the busy healthcare professional, a particular challenge is time – not enough of it. Furthermore, the amount of published studies about palliative care is increasing each year. Although the increasing evidence base is good for the specialty, it creates additional pressure for healthcare professionals to find the time to process this increasing amount of data.

A potential solution …

Research dissemination can potentially be aided through the development of a podcast series, which provides a summary of published journal content. Podcasts can be defined as episodic digital audio recordings, which can be downloaded from the web or streamed online.³ Research demonstrates that podcast listenership is increasing.⁴ An increasing number of scientific medical journals already provide their own podcast channel.

Building on these ideas, I discussed with Palliative Medicine’s Editor, Professor Catherine Walshe, the potential to complement the journal’s dissemination strategy by incorporating a podcast series. In 2016, I was appointed as Palliative Medicine’s Digital Editor to oversee the podcast development process. A few authors of published work were invited to record a three-minute summary of their research.

Since November 2016, 13 podcasts have been recorded with more than 1,500 downloads. The podcasts have been promoted actively through social media resulting in increased interest, access and dissemination of the featured articles. We aim to increase the number of developed available podcasts to enable more healthcare professionals to access important palliative care information through this medium.

My appointment as Digital Editor of Palliative Medicine, and my relationship with podcasts, has been an interesting step in a journey that began in my childhood. At school, convinced I might have a future as a radio host, I joined my school ‘Amateur Radio Club’. One day, I proudly presented my classmates with a radio I had built from scrap wire and other components I had found lying around my house. I hoped for praise, but (disappointingly) I only received derision and earned the title of ‘geek’ (a title which has remained with me today). On leaving school I pursued a career as a doctor (described in another EAPC blog) as opposed to a radio presenter. However, my interest in radio communication remained unquenched and has led to my palliative care and technology podcasts (AmiPal), ³ and my current role.

If you’re an author of a paper published in Palliative Medicine and are interested in recording a podcast, please email me.

How to access the ‘SAGE Palliative Medicine & Chronic Care’ podcasts

• Access the podcasts on the Palliative Medicine website.

• Subscribe to the podcasts from iTunes here.

• The podcasts are available from most podcast app services by simply searching for ‘Palliative Medicine’. However, if you need the RSS feed to subscribe to, you can find it here. (http://sagepalliativemedicine.sage-publications.libsynpro.com/rss).

• Contact Amara Nwosu by email.

• Follow Amara Nwosu on Twitter @amaranwosu

 References

1. Payne S, Preston N, Turner M, et al. Research in palliative care – can hospices afford to not be involved?: International Observatory on End of Life Care, University of Lancaster, 2013.
2. Kaasa S, Radbruch L. Palliative care research–priorities and the way forward. Eur J Cancer 2008;44(8):1175-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.02.036 [published Online First: 2008/04/01].
3. Nwosu AC, Monnery D, Reid VL, et al. Use of podcast technology to facilitate education, communication and dissemination in palliative care: the development of the AmiPal podcast. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2016 doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2016-001140 [published Online First: 2016/09/02].
4. Edison Research. The podcast consumer 2015. Website of Edision Research 2015. (Available here).