A descriptive analysis of the role of a WhatsApp clinical discussion group as a forum for continuing medical education in the management of complicated HIV and TB clinical cases in a group of doctors in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

As South Africa’s (SA) HIV programme increases in size, HIV/TB cases occur that are often beyond the clinical scope of primary healthcare clinicians. In SA’s Eastern Cape (EC) province, health facilities are geographically widespread, with a discrepancy in specialist availability outside of academic institutions. The aim of this study is to describe WhatsApp and its use as an alternative learning tool to improve clinicians’ access to specialised management of complicated HIV/TB cases. To analyse clinicians’ use of the WhatsApp chat group as a learning tool; to assess clinicians’ confidence in managing complicated HIV and TB patients after participating in the WhatsApp case discussion group; to describe the perceived usefulness of the chat group as a learning tool; to understand clinicians’ knowledge and use of informed consent when sharing patient case details on a public platform such as WhatsApp.