The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a set of guidelines for professional behavior on various digital media platforms in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The report included the following suggestions.
1. The same legal principles that apply to in-person activities also apply to online ones.
2. Physicians should avoid providing advice online for nonpatients, formally or informally.
3. Online communication with established patients is considered low-risk, but clinicians should adhere to HIPAA regulations and normal, professional behavior. Written online communication should be recorded in the patient record.
4. Providers should avoid posting on social media or blogging about patient interactions or clinical events, even in a generalized way, because even generalized statements could potentially be traced to a specific patient or hospital with public vital statistics.
5. Any team communication about patients or clinical events should occur on a password-protected EHR or an encrypted site.
6. Establishing a professional website is deemed low-risk; however, physicians should note that offering medical advice on a website establishes a physician-patient relationship, which includes the same responsibilities of any other physician-patient interaction. In addition, physicians should be sure the sites they direct patients to for information are consistent with the physician's own knowledge.
7. Closely monitor professional social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Make sure other uses cannot tag the professional profile in inappropriate content and only allow authorized people to post with the account.
8. Instead of accepting friend requests or connecting with patients through personal social media profiles, have patients follow the professional profiles.
9. Personal social media profiles are considered a moderate risk and physicians should post with caution as any information can become public once it is posted online.
10. Comply with user agreements on online rating sites and make note of any regulations on soliciting reviews.
11. Most online reviews are positive, according to ACOG. However, physicians should be prepared for negative reviews. Though negative reviews cannot be changed, physicians should also be prepared to monitor reviews and ask the host website to remove information if it is inaccurate.
12. Even on closed networks, physicians and healthcare professionals should make sure information, including scholarly publications, is appropriate for a mass audience.
The report also suggests physicians refer to the Federation of State Medical Boards' guidelines and state-specific medical board guidelines.
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