Use of Semiprivate Smartphone Communication Applications in Nephrology Education.

Advances in information technology have changed human interactions. These changes have had considerable implications for nonmedical and medical educational practices. The use of semi-private applications such as WhatsApp (Mountain View, CA), Slack (Canada), Viber (Israel), and Google Hangouts (Mountain View, CA) has not been well studied in nephrology education. In this narrative review, we review the literature on the use of these communication applications in medicine and nephrology education. Although many of these applications might be used currently in nephrology, there is little published data regarding the use of WhatsApp in nephrology fellowship. Given the easy accessibility of these communication applications by our learners in medical school, residency, and fellowship, the use of such applications can enhance nephrology education.