The American Medical Association (“AMA”) recently posted a policy titled “Professionalism in the Use of Social Media” (“Policy”). The Policy is intended for use by physicians, noting that the Internet has the ability to allow medical students and physicians to communicate and share information quickly and distribute such information to millions of people easily. The Policy identifies the following six (6) considerations that should be weighed by physicians when deciding whether to maintain a presence online:
- Remain cognizant of patient privacy and confidentiality and refrain from posting identifiable patient information;
- Use privacy settings to safeguard personal information and monitor their own Internet presence to ensure accuracy;
- Maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient-physician relationship;
- Separate personal and professional content;
- Advise colleagues when they see content posted that appears unprofessional; and
- Recognize that actions online and content posted may negatively affect a reputation and could have consequences for future medical careers.
The Policy is an important development in the wake of a September 24th study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research that found that 85% of oncologists and primary care physicians use social media at least once a week or once a day to explore health information. Because the prevalence of physicians, and other health care providers, on social media sites is increasing, all users need to be aware of the benefits and risks associated with such an online presence.
If you have questions about social media policies for physicians, health care providers, or staff, please contact Jeffrey W. Short at jshort@wp.hallrender.com (317-977-1413) or Katie Miller at kmiller@wp.hallrender.com (317-977-1404).
