Despite widespread concern about the potential risks of the use of social media, we are optimistic that social networks and blogs have the potential to enhance the practice of medicine by allowing clinicians to share ideas and information within the health care community, with patients, and with the general public. In particular, we believe that there can be value in posting information related to a patient encounter on social media, but only if care has been taken to consider the consequences of such a post from the patient’s perspective. Thus, having a discussion with a patient and obtaining verbal consent before posting even deidentified patient information should become standard practice for all physicians who use social media.
After an uncomplicated delivery, a baby boy did what most babies do–he started crying. But when he opened his mouth, all could see that he had 2 tiny teeth on his bottom jaw. The curious obstetrics/gynecology resident who delivered the baby took a quick picture of this unusual physical finding with her phone, and later that day she posted the picture on Facebook. Her post did not include any identifying information about the baby, and the photograph only included the baby’s mouth (and teeth). Her friends and coresidents commented on the post, and soon the program director found out and asked her to remove the post. According to the program director, it was unprofessional and inappropriate for a physician to post pictures of a patient on a social media site.
Physicians possess the natural human desire to communicate and interact with colleagues and friends; 21st century communication involves social media (ie, social networks and blogs). Use of social media is widespread, and medical professionals need guidance navigating the boundaries of this public domain. Although guidelines exist, most physicians receive no formal training on how to use social media in a professional manner. A recent study of medical students found that, with the exception of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act violations and illegal activities, there exists wide disagreement as to what material is appropriate for clinicians to post on social networks. Another study found that four-fifths of physicians and medical students were concerned about maintaining patient confidentiality on social networks and one-half of respondents did not think that social networks would improve patient-doctor communication. Yet, many patients already are using social media to share health-related information and to seek answers to medical concerns. If physicians are discouraged from participating in these online discussions, social media sites will lack authoritative voices on health matters, and this expertise gap could be filled by untrained nonmedical persons who might provide misinformation to patients.
Despite widespread concern about the potential risks of using social media, we are optimistic that social networks and blogs have the potential to enhance the practice of medicine by allowing clinicians to share ideas and information within the health care community, with patients, and with the general public. Such productive uses of social media are many: first, as a means to identify others who share similar clinical or research interests; second, as a forum for education of fellow health professionals or the general public (ie, posting about new practice guidelines or tips for smoking cessation; third, as an opportunity for self-reflection in a public space (ie, blogging or microblogging); fourth, as a means to offer new opportunities for communication between providers and with patients ( Table ).
| Component | Example |
|---|---|
| Providers can connect with others who share similar clinical or research interests. | Clinician educators who use Twitter can follow the #MedEd hashtag and connect with a large community of innovators in medical education. |
| Social media can serve as a forum for dissemination of information to fellow health professionals or the general public. | The Mayo Clinic uses its Facebook page and Twitter feed to share educational information, such as how to manage chronic pain, coping with a diagnosis of cancer, or weight-loss strategies. |
| Blogs and microblogs allow clinicians the opportunity for sharing thoughts and self-reflections in a public space. | Mothers In Medicine is a group blog where female physicians with children can share their experiences and look for support as they navigate the dual challenges of practicing medicine while raising children. |
| Social media can expand the scope of medical care outside of the clinic. | An outreach project at the University of California at Los Angeles recently showed that the use of online Facebook groups is able to increase rates of HIV-testing among a high-risk population. |
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