Healthcare
and Social Media
Social media has been introduced to the healthcare
industry and has made a global shift in how patients and healthcare
professionals connect. Physicians are now
utilizing websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to make
their social media presence known. Most healthcare professionals use these
sites to interact with their current and future patients and also to blog their
ideas about certain healthcare topics such as birth control and weight loss. These websites can provide some beneficial
information to patients and also encourage dialogue between patients and
providers, however if taken out of context, these website can pose some major
ethical issues. Some ethical dilemmas that can derive from healthcare and
social media sites include the distribution of medical advice via the social
network, discussion of private health issues, improper contact with patients, inappropriately
diagnosing patients, and misrepresentations of credentials among others (Lee, 2012).
Such violations
can result in disciplinary actions against the physician such as suspension of
medical license or revoking a physician’s license all together (Lee, 2012).
A recent study conducted on 48 state medical boards
reported that 44 of them have received reports of violations of online
professionalism (Lee, 2012).
The violations ranged anywhere from physicians asking their patients out on
dates, to insulting their patients for their poor healthcare habits. Other violations were severe enough to breach
HIPPA laws such as that of a medical student videotaping a doctor inserting a
chest tube into a patient whose face was clearly visible and then posting the
video on YouTube (Lee, 2012).
Cases such as these can have major implications on
the physicians and can cause them to lose their license to practice. It is important
that physicians use better judgment when using social media sites for both professional
and personal use. Although the physicians may not intend to cause harm to
patients, use of social media can ultimately cause more harm than help.
Reference:
Lee, S. M. (2012).
Social media in health care create risks, benefits. San Francisco Chronicle , Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Social-media-in-health-care-create-risks-benefits-3650284.php