The American Medical Association has come out with guidelines for how physicians should handle social media, as reported by the association’s own news site. These guidelines shed light on the way that social media challenges existing models of medical care and the doctor-patient relationship. They also offer a useful prescription for anyone who is trying to navigate the rapidly-shifting boundaries of life online:
- The AMA says:
Physicians should not post identifiable patient information online and should otherwise be aware of standards of patient privacy and confidentiality that should be maintained in every setting, including online. Any interaction with patients online, as it is in the real world, should be in accordance with professional guidelines affecting the patient-physician relationship.
Lesson: Doctors aren’t the only people in possession of privileged information. Subject all your relationships and conversations to the same standards: the jokes you exchange with your spouse, the discussions you have with your kids, the information you get from your colleagues. What are their expectations of confidentiality? Unless they’ve told you something is shareable, or given you a blanket waiver, assume that what they say is not for online distribution.
- The AMA says:
Physicians should use any available privacy settings on social media and other websites, but they also should realize that safeguards are not absolute, and that any content put online is likely to stay there permanently. Therefore, doctors routinely should monitor their Internet presence (such as by running their name through a Google search) to make sure their personal and professional information on their own sites — and others’ — is accurate and appropriate.
Lesson: Protecting privacy is an important part of a healthy online lifestyle. You need to build regular privacy audits into your self-care online: Google yourself on a regular basis, and check your Facebook privacy settings at least once a month and after every Facebook feature release.
- The AMA says:
To make it easier to maintain professional boundaries, physicians should consider separating personal and professional presences on social media and elsewhere online.
Lesson: The Internet isn’t one place — it’s many places. Your online experience will be more effective and more rewarding if you differentiate among your various networks, and get very clear about what you want from each. I’m a big fan of keeping at least one social network presence (in my case, Facebook) for personal use, and treating others (Twitter, LinkedIn) as professional networks.
- The AMA says:
If physicians see colleagues posting content that appears to be unprofessional, they should alert the doctors so they can remove it or take whatever appropriate action is necessary. If the doctors do not take action, and the content significantly violates professional norms, physicians must report the matter to the appropriate authorities.
Lesson: Patrolling the Internet isn’t just for doctors or parents. Your profession may not have a governing body like the AMA, but you should be concerned about colleagues who are overdisclosing or behaving inappropriately online. If you work together, they may be compromising your shared goals, and even if it doesn’t affect your or your organization, they’re degrading the quality of all of our experiences online. Talk to them directly (face-to-face or by phone) about your concerns, and try to ask questions that will get them to think about their choices (“I’m curious about why you’ve been blogging about our office meetings…”) rather than diving in with a reprimand.
- The AMA says:
Physicians must recognize that any social media presence and actions online can negatively affect their reputations and consequences for their medical careers. The same goes for physicians-in-training and medical students.
Lesson: What you do online doesn’t go in a confidential chart. We all have a permanent record now. Make sure yours will support a long and healthy life.
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