Although the internet represents “a new frontier in medicine” for physicians and patients, it also presents numerous and novel challenges to professionalism, according to a position paper from the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The paper offers physicians a new conceptual “framework for analyzing medical ethics and professionalism issues” on the internet and provides recommendations for physicians on the use of email, blogs, social media sites, and more.
When communicating with patients, physicians should “consistently apply ethical principles for preserving the relationship, confidentiality, privacy, and respect for persons to online settings and communications.” The authors note that “the ease of use and immediacy of social media tools… can lead to unintended outcomes or messages.” They recommmend “pausing before posting” and warn about the potential dangers of “patient-targeted Googling.”
Although there are numerous valuable educational resources available, the authors advise physicians to evaluate the quality of online content before giving recommendations to their patients. Physicians who use blogs, Twitter, and other outlets to vent against patients are “disrespectful” and may “undermine trust in the profession.”
The paper also discusses the problem of confidentiality in the digital age and maintaining security on mobile devices.
The authors recommend that physicians maintain clear and distinct professional and social identities online, but professional standards must be maintained in both spheres. Patients should not be “friended” by physicians and should not be included in the personal or social online interactions of physicians. The authors also advise physicians and physicians-in-training that medical humor, though intended for fellow professionals, can easily find a wider audience on the internet.
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