Medicine and Social Media – Ethical Challenges of the 21st Century

Abstract

Introduction: With the huge growth of social networks, their use is increasing in hospitals and clinics and by physicians. However, health professionals are not always aware of the risks inherent to the use of these tools. The aim of this study is to analyse the problems associated with the use of social media in doctor-patient communication, as well as some rules that may help overcoming the potential risks of this situation. Methodology: Searches were conducted on Google Scholar, Google and Medline and limited to articles published in English, between 2004 and 2014. Twenty-three articles were selected out of 52. Boudreaux’s social media governance website was also used to identify institutional policies on social media. The articles were analysed through thematic coding using template analysis. Discussion and Conclusion: The control of the published information, the regular review of the privacy settings and the limiting access to personal information is of great interest not only for the physician but also for the profession he/she represents. To ensure that health professionals are aware not only of the advantages of using social media but also of the disadvantages of the global communication they allow it is required to follow specific rules.