(#196) The Prescription for Audience Engagement in a Psychiatry Podcast: Insights for Medical Educators

Abstract: Podcasts are an increasingly popular educational resource for medical learners, including in psychiatry. While many are launched, few reach a wide audience, and limited research has examined what factors contribute to successful episodes, particularly in medical education. PsychRounds is a resident-run educational psychiatry podcast covering topics from psychopharmacology to psychiatric pathology, with an audience of over 4000 across platforms. This study analyzes episode characteristics to identify parameters associated with greater audience reach and retention, with the goal of guiding future podcast development in medical education. Analytics from Spotify for Creators were used to collect data on episode length, publication time, time since release, and qualitatively assigned topic categories. Additional data on U.S. prescription rates, cost, and patient usage of specific medications were obtained from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Preliminary results indicate no correlation between episode length and total plays, suggesting longer episodes may be viable for educational purposes. There was a weak positive correlation between plays and time since release, and a strong positive correlation between plays and the popularity of medications discussed. These findings suggest that focusing on commonly used treatments may help expand reach. Further analysis will explore additional parameters and retention metrics. This work highlights practical considerations for medical educators developing podcasts, supporting content strategies that align with audience interests and maximize educational impact.

Short Description: This poster presents an analysis of factors influencing the reach and engagement of PsychRounds, a resident-run educational psychiatry podcast. Using episode analytics and national prescription data, the study explores how topics, length, and other characteristics relate to audience size. Findings suggest that discussing commonly used treatments and embracing longer formats may help educational podcasts expand their audience and impact.

Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): N/A