FOAM [free open access medical education] & How to Use It with Matt Delaney

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In this post we are talking FOAM. For those not in-the-know FOAM stands for Free Open Access Medical Education. It is rumored this term was coined in a pub in Dublin at the ICEM conference. What this term means, really, is quite nebulous. Life in the Fast Lane states it is “a collection of resources, a community, and an ethos.” We sit down with Matt Delaney MD to discuss FOAM, the good, the bad, and the future.

 

WHAT IS FOAM?

FOAM has evolved to refer to online or asynchronous resources, primarily blogs and podcasts, but has a strong inter-relation with social media. When broken down, social media disseminates FOAM and allows for critique and review of FOAM materials.

Some debate about what constitutes FOAM.

  • Does it have to be free/open?- Matt argues no, if the cost of access is to cover the creation and maintenance of quality, it still counts as FOAM

  • Can we keep high quality resources free/open?- Yes, there are many good, free educational resources out there (you’re using one right now). This requires a strong commitment from the creators and a dedication to the FOAM movement.

 

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THE ADVANTAGES OF FOAM

  1. Open and easy to access

  2. Dramatically reduces the knowledge translation time

  3. Several layers of peer review: including pre-release in many sources and detailed post-release editorial oversight

  4. Quality floats to the top

  5. Low barrier of entry for educators

 

THE DISADVANTAGES OF FOAM

The strengths of FOAM can also be its downfall:

  1. The appearance of quality

  2. The risk of early adoption

  3. Filter failure

  4. Lack of traditional peer review

 

How can we combat the negative elements of FOAM that our residents are exposed to?

  • Trust/Use resources that have a good peer review structure and a solid track record

  • Balance with a traditional approach to educational resources

  • Have a strategy in place for filter failure

 

You draw the golden ticket in a magical world and you, you alone, get to dictate the future of FOAM and craft how resident education will be in 15 years. What future do you craft and specifically what role does FOAM play?

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  • No more in-person lectures

  • No more textbooks


Check out our interview with Matt Delaney MD here:

 

References:

  1. Balas EA, Boren SA. Managing Clinical Knowledge for Health Care Improvement. Yearb Med Inform. 2000;(1):65-70. [source]

  2. Densen P. Challenges and Opportunities Facing Medical Education Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2011; 122: 48–58.[source]