Healthcare professionals use podcasts to keep up, mostly on the move. Here's what recent studies say about how they listen and who they trust.
They listen, they learn, and they want help finding shows they can trust.
Keeping up is part of the job in healthcare. New studies, new guidelines, new treatments, and never enough hours to read them. For many healthcare professionals, the answer plays in the car.
They listen on the move
When researchers surveyed 219 family doctors and doctors in training in Scotland, 70% said they use medical education podcasts, mostly while traveling.¹ A Canadian study found the same: listeners learn while doing something else, and use shows to keep up with new research.²
And they say it works. In the Scottish survey, 89% called podcasts an effective way to learn, and most said listening had improved both their knowledge and the care they give.¹
Trust decides what they play
Healthcare professionals are choosy. In Wolters Kluwer's 2026 research, 54% named peer-reviewed journals as their most credible source for staying current.³ Podcasts raise the same question. As one doctor in the Scottish study asked: "when is a podcast fact versus opinion?"¹
So when they were asked what would help, many asked for help finding good shows:
"Easy list or source of reliable good-quality medical education podcasts."
The researchers agreed: trusted organizations "could curate lists of high-quality, relevant podcasts."¹
For organizations
Wolters Kluwer's advice to anyone trying to reach healthcare professionals: move from awareness to education. Repeating the same message wears people out; a show that teaches something earns attention.⁴ Healthcare professionals skip anything that makes vague claims or lacks a credible source.⁵ We'd add one thing: when a sponsor is involved, say so.
Where we come in
Health Podcast Library is a curated collection of health shows from trusted creators and organizations, for everyday listeners and for healthcare professionals. Every show is carefully reviewed before it is invited to take its place in Health Podcast Library. It's the kind of list those doctors asked for, built one show, one invitation, and one relationship at a time.
Health Podcast Library is where you find podcasts you can count on.
Free to list. Free to listen. Free, for good.
Sources
1. Rana V, Smith BH, Leese CJ. "Podcasting in primary care: attitudes of Scottish GP specialty trainees and trainers towards podcast-based education in primary care." BJGP Open, 2025. https://bjgpopen.org/content/9/4/BJGPO.2024.0248
2. Malecki SL, et al. "Understanding the use and perceived impact of a medical podcast: qualitative study." JMIR Medical Education, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6754688/
3. Wolters Kluwer, "HCP trust: navigating misinformation for better campaign results," 2 November 2026. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/hcp-trust-navigating-misinformation-for-better-campaign-results
4. Wolters Kluwer, "From awareness to education: using podcasts to connect with HCPs," 3 January 2025. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/from-awareness-to-education-using-podcasts-to-connect-with-hcps
5. Wolters Kluwer, Combating digital creative fatigue among healthcare practitioners (guide). https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/combating-digital-creative-fatigue-among-healthcare-practitioners
