Social media provides great opportunity for clinicians to meet their patients where they are; however, it also presents challenges and risks to avoid HIPAA violations and alienating your patient base.
An article published in Medscape examines how unprofessional social media use can have an impact on a physician's career. A study published in BJU International of 281 urology graduates found 72 percent had Facebook profiles and 40 percent had "potentially objectionable or questionable content."
Here are five things to know:
1. Most of the "offensive" posts were written by the physicians, not a friend.
2. Both male and female physicians posted problematic content at equal rates.
3. Most of the offensive posts included profanity; others were focused topics like politics or religion. Finally, there were posts referencing intoxication, sexual behavior or "skimpy attire."
4. Around 2 percent of the offensive posts made negative references to the workplace or a colleague. One percent of the posts made reference to illegal behavior, according to the report. Less than 3 percent posted details about patients.
5. Social media posts could have an impact on the physician-patient relationship and physicians should plan for responding to patients who seek medical advice online. The article recommends establishing a clear social media policy.