The AMA today released an online professionalism guide to assist doctors and medical students to maintain professional standards when using online social media.

The guide - Social Media and the Medical Profession - was developed by the AMA Council of Doctors-in-Training (AMACDT), the New Zealand Medical Association Doctors-in-Training Council, the New Zealand Medical Students' Association, and the Australian Medical Students' Association.

AMACDT Chair, Dr Michael Bonning, said today that evidence is emerging that the use of online social media can pose risks for medical professionals.

"Doctors have recently faced disciplinary action for their online behaviour," Dr Bonning said.

"In September, the NSW Medical Board issued a general warning to doctors over disclosing confidential medical information on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

"Our guide provides real life examples of the repercussions, such as defamation, that doctors can encounter through the misuse of social media.

"Our aim is to help doctors and medical students enjoy the online world in their personal lives safely while maintaining professional standards.

"These standards include patient confidentiality and privacy, and protecting the doctor-patient relationship.

"The guide is generally aimed at medical students and doctors, but it could be useful for anyone using social media.

"We want the guide to inform people about the ability of the web to disseminate information and warn people that once the information is out there, it's never coming back.

"For many people, using social media is a part of their everyday lives. But if doctors aren't careful, they can place themselves and their patients in awkward situations.

"By being aware of the potential issues that social media can cause, and putting a few simple safeguards in place, doctors and medical students can enjoy social media without it coming back to haunt them in the future," Dr Bonning said.

The guide and an introductory video are available on the AMA website.

Source:
Australian Medical Association