Healthcare education is often a challenge. How are we to keep up with the rapidly advancing practices within our own scope of practice and global medicine? Traditional solutions include collaboration within professional organizations, attendance at education conferences, and reading professional publications. Most recently, we have been able to harness many forms of technology to share information. Online journals and digital formats for text, blogs, and conferencing are widely available.
Many of our colleagues have become avid supporters of information shared through podcast, live conferencing, and media sites such as YouTube and TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Talks. Although many are familiar with the YouTube format, the TED format is rapidly gaining audiences from the healthcare sector.
The TED format began in 1984. Later, in 1990, the format expanded into a global set of conferences. Owned by a private nonprofit group, TED promotes the mantra "ideas worth spreading."1
"TEDTalks" are Internet lecture videos published on the Ted.com video site. TEDTalks include video podcast of the best talks and performances from forums such as the annual TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give a talk in 18 minutes. The conferences take place in multiple places around the world and are published on the Ted.com video site.
The videos are shared as a source of "free knowledge," another incentive to engage viewers and encourage users to add TED to their collection of education tools. Speakers include scientists, teachers, researchers, anthropologists, storytellers, philanthropists, and any other type of person with an idea the TED team considers "innovative."
One example of a past speaker is former president of the United States, Bill Clinton. Speakers also include Nobel Prize winners, researchers, health activists, and even young medical students.
Over the last year, I have been fortunate to view talks featuring medical writer and quality champion Dr Atul Gawande, renowned cardiologist Dr Eric Topol, and qualitative researcher Brene Brown. Although Brown is not a medical professional, her presentation on The Power of Vulnerability was included in a session for nurse leaders. Brown's insights are helpful for anyone mentoring new staff or working toward creating a successful team in any profession!
Typically, a TEDTalks speaker shares his/her message and ideas in the form of a story, although the power of data and visual effects is clearly articulated in PowerPoint and audiovisual accompaniments throughout many of the presentations. Although the early emphasis was on technology and design, it has expanded to include TEDx, TEDED, and TEDMED. Speakers represent society as a whole, both inside and outside medicine. A consistent feature of TEDMED presenters is that they inspire a new way of thinking in areas of health and technology.
Coming in September 10 to 12, 2014, the TEDMED2 gatherings will run in Washington, DC, and San Francisco, where TED fellows will participate in a simultaneous, unified, digitally linked program. Talks given at TEDMED combine "the nexus of health, information and technology" with "compelling personal stories" and "a glimpse into the future of healthcare. The intent of the conference has been described as "a gathering of geniuses" that brings together "some of the most innovative, thoughtful pioneers of healthcare technology, media, and entertainment."2
Healthcare educators can use many of the TED features, using content from the medical site or content from the educational site. Educators may register free of charge and view content or "flip" content into course work. One example of this format is seen in a TEDED talk on how pandemics spread; the flip content offers a video presentation, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions, and a "dig-deeper" section allows for extended content.3
Soon, we will see nurses and more healthcare experts become TED fellows and unlock the imagination of many new providers and life-long learners!
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