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Social Media Impact: Utility of Reflective Approach in the Practice of Surgery

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Abstract

Social media is rapidly being incorporated into medical education. We created a small group, reflective practice sessions by integrating specific medical cases to improve awareness about professionalism on social media. Medical scenarios were generated for reflective practice sessions on social media professionalism. Anonymous pre/post-session surveys evaluated residents' use of social media and gathered their opinions on the session. Thirty-eight of 48 (79 %) residents replied to the presession survey with 50 % (19/38) reporting daily digital media use, 76 % (29/38) witnessed unprofessional postings on social media, and 21 % (8/38) posted unprofessional content themselves. Of the 79 % (30/38) residents who attended the session, 74 % (28/38) completed the post-session survey. Residents reported the session added to the longevity of their professional career 4.11, 95 % CI (3.89–4.36). As a result of the session, they were more conscious of using the social media more professionally 3.47, 95 % CI (2.88–3.96) and would be proactive in protecting patient privacy and confidentiality on social media sites 3.96, 95 % CI (3.50–4.37). In summary, reflective practice-based sessions regarding the impact of social media on professionalism in surgery was well favored by the residents. The majority agreed that it had important implications for the longevity of their professional career. Participants reported having an increased awareness to protect patient privacy and utilize social media more professionally.

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Correspondence to Waqas Shuaib.

Appendix. Opinion 9.124—Professionalism in the Use of Social Media

Appendix. Opinion 9.124—Professionalism in the Use of Social Media

The Internet has created the ability for medical students and physicians to communicate and share information quickly and to reach millions of people easily. Participating in social networking and other similar Internet opportunities can support physicians' personal expression, enable individual physicians to have a professional presence online, foster collegiality and camaraderie within the profession, and provide opportunity to widely disseminate public health messages and other health communication. Social networks, blogs, and other forms of communication online also create new challenges to the patient–physician relationship. Physicians should weigh a number of considerations when maintaining a presence online:

  1. (a)

    Physicians should be cognizant of standards of patient privacy and confidentiality that must be maintained in all environments, including online, and must refrain from posting identifiable patient information online.

  2. (b)

    When using the Internet for social networking, physicians should use privacy settings to safeguard personal information and content to the extent possible, but should realize that privacy settings are not absolute and that once on the Internet, content is likely there permanently. Thus, physicians should routinely monitor their own Internet presence to ensure that the personal and professional information on their own sites and, to the extent possible, content posted about them by others is accurate and appropriate.

  3. (c)

    If they interact with patients on the Internet, physicians must maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient–physician relationship in accordance with professional ethical guidelines, just as they would in any other context.

  4. (d)

    To maintain appropriate professional boundaries, physicians should consider separating personal and professional content online.

  5. (e)

    When physicians see content posted by colleagues that appears unprofessional, they have a responsibility to bring that content to the attention of the individual, so that he or she can remove it and/or take other appropriate actions. If the behavior significantly violates professional norms and the individual does not take appropriate action to resolve the situation, the physician should report the matter to appropriate authorities.

  6. (f)

    Physicians must recognize that actions online and content posted may negatively affect their reputations among patients and colleagues, may have consequences for their medical careers (particularly for physicians-in-training and medical students), and can undermine public trust in the medical profession.

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Mohiuddin, Z., Shahid, H. & Shuaib, W. Social Media Impact: Utility of Reflective Approach in the Practice of Surgery. Indian J Surg 77 (Suppl 3), 893–898 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-014-1056-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-014-1056-z

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