ELEVATE: Empowered social media coaching for oncologists.

Abstract

e21016 Background: Oncologists interested in building a social media presence often lack the training and tools to do so. The ELEVATE social media program offered individual coaching to oncologists to help them build their social media platforms with the support of their institution. Methods: A 1-on-1 social media coaching program was developed and made available to all oncologists at the institution. ELEVATE stands for: E– Establish a trusted professional presence, L– Lead with expertise, E– Engage meaningfully, V– Validate science through accessible content, A– Advocate, T– Transform online presence into real-world impact, E– Empower patients and colleagues. A system-wide email invited applicants. Once accepted, they received a worksheet to outline social media strategy and interests. Intake included a formal review of participants’ social media use and goals. The coaching sessions imparted knowledge, skills, and a plan of action to create and grow their online presence across various platforms, including X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. A post-program anonymous quality improvement survey was shared with participants. Results: Twenty-nine individuals expressed interest in the program. Twenty-three joined and were scheduled for one-on-one coaching. Sessions varied from 1 to 3 monthly sessions. Survey response rate was 61% (14/23). On a 1–5-point scale from “very dissatisfied” (1) to “very satisfied” (5), 100% reported a 4 or 5 in response to both questions “Overall, how satisfied were you with the coaching?” and “How would you rate the quality of the coaching?” In response to the question “Receiving coaching regarding which topics was most valuable to you?” responses included: 57% “starting a new professional social media platform,” 57% “professional development and networking,” 43% “content strategy and planning” (Table 1). In response to the question “After participating in the coaching program, I feel MORE confident managing my presence online,” 93% reported a 4 or 5, and 93% would “likely recommend the coaching program to their colleagues.” Conclusions: Overall, participation in the coaching program was high and satisfaction was uniformly strong, with all respondents rating the experience and coaching quality as very good or excellent. Expansion of the program is needed to understand its full impact. "Receiving coaching regarding which topics was most valuable to you?" Percentage (%) Starting a new professional social media platform 57.1 Expanding my already-existing social media platform 50.0 Content strategy and planning 42.9 Platform-specific tips 14.3 Audience engagement and growth 21.4 Professional development and networking 57.1