Podcasting: An innovative tool for enhanced osteoarthritis education and research dissemination

Podcasts are portable digital audio files that have become a powerful medium in higher education and an indispensable tool in continuing medical education. This article reviews the best sources for educational podcasts on osteoarthritis (OA) and various aspects of synovial joint biology. It highlights the potential of podcasting for disseminating research findings, providing continuing medical education for healthcare professionals and educating patients about self-managing their condition. We highlight the potential for using this medium in conjunction with other digital platforms to achieve wider readership and greater impact for published papers, raising the profiles of social-media savvy faculty members and researchers, marketing the capabilities of research groups, and promoting the efforts of international consortia and across centres of excellence. We also offer advice on resources needed to start a podcast. Podcasts have captured the attention of millions of listeners across the world in recent years. There is a genuine and timely opportunity for educating patients and healthcare professionals about OA and facilitating the dialogue between them using this increasingly popular platform. Podcasting can also help our community to promote the key concept of OA as a serious disease and stimulate more research in the area of joint biology and drug development for OA.