Free Open Access Medical Education

The FOAM movement arose in response to the broader Open Educational Resources (OER) movement, reflecting the growing demand for freely available, high-quality educational materials.{{Cite journal |last1=Cadogan |first1=M |last2=Thoma |first2=B |last3=Chan |first3=TM |last4=Lin |first4=M |title=Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM): The Rise of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Blogs and Podcasts (2002–2013) |journal=Emerg Med J |year=2014 |volume=31 |issue=e1 |pages=e76–e77 |doi=10.1136/emermed-2013-203502|pmid=24554447 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7vk9j0g9 }} It gained momentum with the rapid growth of social media and digital platforms, which revolutionised how medical information is accessed and shared. This shift allowed healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge beyond traditional academic and institutional boundaries, fostering a collaborative global learning environment.{{Cite journal |last1=Roland |first1=D |last2=Spurr |first2=J |last3=Cabrera |first3=D |title=Preliminary Evidence for the Emergence of a Health Care Online Community of Practice: Using a Netnographic Framework for Twitter Hashtag Analytics |journal=J Med Internet Res |year=2017 |volume=19 |issue=7 |pages=e252 |doi=10.2196/jmir.7072|doi-access=free |pmid=28710054 |pmc=5533942 }}

FOAM is defined by its accessibility and flexibility. Resources are freely available to anyone, anywhere, at any time, making it an inclusive tool for medical education. By leveraging a variety of digital platforms—such as blogs, podcast, and social media, FOAM fosters an interactive and collaborative learning environment. The movement is characterised by the rapid dissemination of information, enabling healthcare professionals to remain informed about the latest developments in medical science.{{Cite journal |last1=Chan |first1=TM |last2=Gottlieb |first2=M |last3=Sherbino |first3=J |last4=Cooney |first4=R |last5=Boysen-Osborn |first5=M |last6=Swaminathan |first6=A |last7=Ankel |first7=F |last8=Yarris |first8=LM |title=The ALiEM Faculty Incubator: A Novel Online Approach to Faculty Development in Education Scholarship |journal=Acad Med |year=2018 |volume=93 |issue=10 |pages=1497–1502 |doi=10.1097/ACM.0000000000002309|pmid=29877914 }}

The FOAM ecosystem encompasses a diverse range of resources, including educational blogs, podcasts, and social media posts. Other formats, such as online question banks, YouTube videos, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), also play a significant role in the movement. These resources cater to various learning styles and preferences, ensuring they have a wide and meaningful impact.{{Cite journal |last1=Thoma |first1=B |last2=Chan |first2=TM |last3=Paterson |first3=QS |last4=Milne |first4=WK |last5=Sanders |first5=JL |last6=Lin |first6=M |title=Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Blogs and Podcasts: Establishing an International Consensus on Quality |journal=Ann Emerg Med |year=2015 |volume=66 |issue=4 |pages=396–402.e4 |doi=10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.03.002|pmid=25840846 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3q72z16z }}

FOAM has profoundly influenced medical education. Surveys suggest that over 90% of both pre-clinical and clinical medical students use FOAM resources on a weekly basis.{{Cite journal |last1=Mallin |first1=M |last2=Schlein |first2=S |last3=Doctor |first3=S |last4=Stroud |first4=S |last5=Dawson |first5=M |last6=Fix |first6=M |title=A Survey of the Current Utilisation of Asynchronous Education Among Emergency Medicine Residents in the United States |journal=Acad Med |year=2014 |volume=89 |issue=4 |pages=598–601 |doi=10.1097/ACM.0000000000000170|pmid=24556776 |pmc=4885578 }} By promoting equitable access to high-quality resources, FOAM has bridged educational gaps and ensured medical knowledge is disseminated widely, particularly in underserved regions.{{Cite journal |last1=Burkholder |first1=TW |last2=Bellows |first2=JW |last3=King |first3=RA |title=Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) in Emergency Medicine: The Global Distribution of Users in 2016 |journal=West J Emerg Med |year=2018 |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=600–605 |doi=10.5811/westjem.2018.3.36825|pmid=29760862 |pmc=5942031 }} It has also facilitated the rapid dissemination of clinical knowledge, bridging the gap between research findings and practical application in medical practice.

Despite its benefits, FOAM faces several challenges. Concerns have been raised about the lack of formal peer review and quality control.{{Cite journal |last1=Chan |first1=TM |last2=Grock |first2=A |last3=Paddock |first3=M |last4=Kulasegaram |first4=K |last5=Yarris |first5=LM |last6=Lin |first6=M |title=Examining Reliability and Validity of an Online Score (ALiEM AIR) for Rating Free Open Access Medical Education Resources |journal=Ann Emerg Med |year=2016 |volume=68 |issue=6 |pages=729–735 |doi=10.1016/j.annemergmed.2016.02.018|pmid=27033141 }} Resource creation is often geographically concentrated, potentially excluding perspectives from lower-resource regions. Additionally, challenges related to intellectual property, regulation, and the influence of prominent figures whose views may dominate discussions have also been noted.

The future of FOAM lies in its integration with traditional medical education curricula. Academic institutions are increasingly involved in creating high-quality resources to ensure a balance between innovation and academic rigour.{{Cite journal |last1=Chan |first1=TM |last2=Thoma |first2=B |last3=Lin |first3=M |title=Creating, Curating, and Sharing Online Faculty Development Resources: The Medical Education in Cases Series Experience |journal=Acad Med |year=2015 |volume=90 |issue=6 |pages=785–789 |doi=10.1097/ACM.0000000000000692|pmid=25785678 |doi-access=free }} Efforts are also underway to develop robust quality assessment tools, such as the Social Media Index, which can standardise the evaluation of FOAM materials. As the movement grows, it will likely continue to complement traditional educational methods and expand global access to medical knowledge.

The FOAM ecosystem includes several prominent platforms, each offering unique resources for healthcare professionals. These include:

• Open Educational Resources
• Medical Education

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Category:Medical education

Category:Open educational resources

Category:Emergency medicine