Are you maintaining professional standards online?
Online social media challenge: What is 'public' and 'private'?
Even though medical students and doctors are entitled to a private personal life, online social media have challenged the concepts of ‘public’ and ‘private’ and, in turn, changed the way in which online aspects of private lives are accessible to others.30 Once information is online, it is almost impossible to remove and can quickly spread beyond a person’s control. A moment of rashness now could have unintended and irreversible consequences in the future – inappropriate online activities can be detrimental to relationships with patients and colleagues, training and employment prospects, and personal integrity. This is not to say that medical professionals should avoid using social media, because their use can be personally and professionally beneficial. But traditional expectations regarding the conduct of the medical profession still apply in this non-traditional context; medical students and doctors always have a duty to patients and the community to maintain professional standards, including when using online social media.
Troubleshooting: Have you ever ... ?
- Googled yourself? Search for your full name in Google, particularly ‘Australian Sites Only’ and ‘New Zealand Sites Only’. Do you feel comfortable with the results that are shown?
- Posted information about a patient or person from your workplace on Facebook? Have a look through your old online posts and blogs;
- Added patients as friends on Facebook or MySpace?
- Added people from your workplace as friends?
- Made a public comment online that could be considered offensive?
- Become a member or fan of any group that might be considered racist, sexist, or otherwise derogatory? Browse through all the groups that you have joined and consider whether these are an accurate reflection of the person you are, and the values that you hold.
- Put up photos or videos of yourself online that you would not want your patients, employers or people from your workplace to see?
- Checked your privacy settings on Facebook or MySpace?
- Felt that a friend has posted information online that may result in negative consequences for them? Did you let them know?
Social Media and the Medical Profession
AMA National Conference 2012
Poll
AMA Annual Report 2011
Federal Budget Submission 2012-13
Traffic Light Food Labelling - The Evidence
Privacy and online materials
Some people may be members of specific groups that have an online presence (e.g. Cancer support, Mental health support, age-specific sites). These groups typically expect that only members who join that group will have access to information posted and shared amongst members of the group. These groups might include Cancer support groups - aiming to support people with cancer and recovreing from illnesses, and encouraging people to share their experiences in a safe, supportive environment. I am aware that students and staff have divulged information obtained from those sites to other students thereby breaching the privacy of the individual.
Concepts of privacy need to be understood in the online context as well.
Post new comment