Whether we use social media to post pictures of our vacations or to communicate with our clients, the line between personal and professional, as well as what is appropriate, can sometimes … blur.
A series of recent studies have highlighted the level of content posted on social networks classified as unprofessional, in this case, by doctors (swearing, photographs of a sexual nature or violations of the privacy of medical data of patients). Although this behavior has been observed at all stages of the career, levels of reprehensible behavior were higher among residents and recent medical graduates.
“Any physician using social media needs to be aware of protecting private patient information, including personal accounts,” said Toni Brayer, CEO of Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in San Francisco, CA (USA). .).
Using social media to improve reputation
An increasing number of patients are turning to doctor rating sites like Rate MD, Yelp, and Vitals when choosing a doctor. “We know these sites are increasingly important avenues for patients seeking more information about healthcare providers. We have learned that ‘stars’ matter and we celebrate good reviews internally and respond to any patient complaints directly to our physicians. “exposes Brayer.”
One of the biggest benefits of social media for physicians is the ability to connect with colleagues to improve diagnosis and other medical skills (such as the International Hernia Collaborative , a great Facebook group for surgeons to discuss complex hernia operations).
Professionals can find interesting magazine articles, medical journals, and discussions of new therapies online.
Pathologists, for example, use social media to share images with professional colleagues, students, patients, and even the general public, while professional medical organizations use them to promote their specialty and provide education.
recommendations
The American Medical Association (AMA), and most of the specialized medical societies, have developed ethical policies in the use of social networks in recent years. These are their recommendations:
-Don’t post any patient-identifiable information anywhere, ever.
-Set privacy settings on social media to protect your own information and content. An excellent rule of thumb is to never publish anything you don’t want to see in a magazine.
-Maintain the appropriate limits of the doctor-patient relationship. Just being on the internet does not mean that you have to relax the rules.
-Separate your personal and professional content on networks.
-Say something if you see a colleague posting unprofessional content that may violate professional standards.
-Recognize the possible consequences of your life online, including what may negatively affect your reputation among patients and colleagues.
Reference: Pediatric Residents’ Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research Medical education. Doi: 10.2196 / mededu.599 3
