Proper Tweeting Etiquette Guidelines for Pathologists, Trainees, and Medical Students on #PathTwitter

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Pathology
• Pathology Outreach

Background:

• Social media platforms facilitate the dissemination of high-quality educational content in pathology.
• Public engagement with pathology is increasing, offering insights into the role of pathologists.
• Humorous or informal elements in educational material can sometimes lead to misinterpretation in public forums.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the positive impact of social media on pathology education and public outreach.
• To identify potential pitfalls and areas of caution when discussing pathology on public platforms.
• To provide guidelines for effective and appropriate social media etiquette in the pathology community.

Main Methods:

• Review of social media content and discussions within the pathology community (#PathTwitter).
• Analysis of potential misunderstandings arising from informal language or emojis used to describe disease states or samples.
• Development of best practice recommendations for social media use in pathology.

Main Results:

• Social media serves as a valuable tool for pathology education, trainee engagement, and public awareness.
• Misinterpretation of disease descriptions or patient samples can occur due to informal language or emojis.
• Specific examples of potentially problematic language (e.g., "beautiful" for abnormal cells) were identified.

Conclusions:

• Pathologists should exercise caution and adhere to etiquette guidelines when using social media for professional purposes.
• Establishing clear communication standards can enhance the positive impact of social media in pathology.
• Reinforcing best practices is essential to maintain professionalism and prevent misinterpretation in digital pathology discussions.