The ATRIUM group hosts quarterly tweet chats using the hashtag #heartrx. Never participated in a tweet chat before? That’s OK! Below are answers to some frequently asked questions.
What is a tweet chat?
A tweet chat (or sometimes called a Twitter chat) is when Twitter users engage in a virtual conversation about a topic using a designated hashtag. Tweet chats are scheduled at specific times and are often recurring (e.g., every Tuesday from 8 to 9 PM). Most tweet chats are moderated and have a schedule of topics to cover.
How do I “listen in” on a tweet chat?
At the scheduled date and time, login to Twitter. In the search bar at the top of the page, type in the designated hashtag (don’t forget the #). This will filter out all of the other users you follow and will only show tweets from those participating in the chat. By default, Twitter usually lists top results for the hashtag first, so you may need to click the “latest” link to see the newest posts. If you just want to listen in on the conversation (affectionately referred to as “lurking”), just click whenever Twitter notifies you of new tweets and follow along.
There are also websites out there that make it even easier to participate. For example, if you go to tweetchat.com and type in the hashtag you are looking for, it will automatically link to your Twitter account and do all of the work for you!
How do I participate in a tweet chat?
It’s easy! To participate in the chat, all you have to do is tweet using the designated hashtag! As long as the hashtag is somewhere in your tweet, it will show up for all of the other users who are also participating in the chat. If you’re using tweetchat.com or a similar service, it may automatically insert the tweet chat hashtag for you.
Moderators will often pose several questions or topics to participants during a tweet chat, indicated as T1, T2, T3 (or Q1, Q2, Q3). If responding to a specific topic or question, it may be helpful to begin your tweet with T1 or A1 so that other participants can keep up.
The moderator may also set other rules or guidelines for posting, so be sure to look out for that at the beginning of the chat.
How can I find a tweet chat I’m interested in?
The chat search on TWUBS or the list on Tweetreports is a great place to start! If you’re looking specifically for health-related topics, Symplur has catalogued some of the most popular tweet chats here.
When’s the next ATRIUM tweet chat?
We host chats on a quarterly basis using the hashtag #heartrx. We’ll announce the date/time on our main page and as always, on our Twitter feed @ATRIUMRx!
Have another question about tweet chats? Contact us at ATRIUM@rx.umaryland.edu.
About ATRIUM
Established in 2015, the Applied Therapeutics, Research, and Instruction at the University of Maryland (ATRIUM) Cardiology Collaborative is focused on advancing the pharmaceutical care of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Explore the ATRIUM Blog, which features perspective on the latest topics in cardiology pharmacy, meet the team, or learn more about their work here.