Attitudes to social media use as a platform for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within occupational therapy

Introduction: This study explored what influences the use of social media platforms within the CPD of occupational therapy students and qualified occupational therapists. It also considered perceived barriers to its use and whether age in line with generation theory, in particular digital natives vs digital immigrants impacted on willingness to utilise social media within CPD. Method: A mixed method survey design was utilised to collect qualitative and quantitative data through an online questionnaire. Content analysis was used to code and identify themes. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the findings and consider variations across the digital native/immigrant divide. Findings: Results highlighted that there was a predominantly positive attitude to social media use within CPD. Accessibility, networking and learning were highlighted advantages to its use. The results suggest that the digital native/immigrant divide does not impact on willingness to use social media within CPD but does impact on confidence in using platforms professionally. Conclusion: The study has highlighted a need for more structured teaching on professional social media use within the occupational therapy curriculum in both undergraduate and post graduate programmes. It has also highlighted a need for more training among qualified occupational therapists if platforms are to be embraced more universally.