Ethical and legal perspectives on the medical practitioners use of social media

Kubheka, Brenda

doi:10.7196/samj.2017.v107i5.12047

Cited by 23 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…In the professional environment, WhatsApp groups are created and involve the sharing of information that poses a similar risk to patient confidentiality and privacy as other social media platforms. 16 The convenience of its use makes it an appealing option for communication between colleagues, with instant messaging potentially assisting with patient care as suggested by a survey done at The University Hospital Limerick in Ireland. 44 Despite the appeal, it is important to protect patient information and privacy and although WhatsApp uses end-toend encryption, the security of this in group chats has been questioned.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 Literature suggests that doctors use social media in a personal capacity [4][5][6][7] as well as in a professional capacity for purposes such as sharing of medical information, 1,8 education of healthcare professionals, [9][10][11] as a tool for patient education, 4 to promote physician practices, 6 and, in a small minority, to engage directly with patients in health promotion. 5,12,13 Maintaining professionalism and upholding ethical principles whilst using social media in healthcare is paramount, [14][15][16] and to assist with this, various different organisations offer social media guidance. The American Medical Association, 17 the British Medical Association, 18 the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom 19 and the Canadian Medical Association 20 all offer guidance with similar key principles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to use social media in a professional capacity safely and effectively, doctors must be aware of the laws governing personal information and privacy. [14][15][16] The right to privacy is included in the Bill of Rights in Chapter 2 of the South African Constitution (Act No. 108 of 1996), 26 and with this is the right patients have to confidentiality included in The National Health Act (Act No.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anaesthetists' use and ethical and legal knowledge of social media

Guidozzi

Perrie

Scribante

2020

Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia

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Background: The exact role social media has in healthcare is still being defined. The aim of this study is to describe how anaesthetists are currently using social media and their knowledge of ethical and legal aspects relating to its use. Methods: A prospective, contextual, descriptive research design was followed. The study population consisted of all anaesthetists working in the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University of the Witwatersrand. A convenience sampling method was used. Data were collected in the form of a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Of 170 questionnaires that were distributed, 159 were completed. Social media is used by 135 (84.9%) participants both personally and professionally. Eight (5%) participants do not use social media at all. Facebook was the most commonly used platform for personal use (n = 121; 80.1%). For professional use, restricted online professional communities were the most commonly used (n = 92; 57.9%). Participants younger than 42 years used social media for personal reasons significantly more frequently than participants aged 42 years or older (p = 0.001). Only nine (5.7%) participants had adequate knowledge of ethical and legal aspects. Conclusion: The large proportion of participants using social media demonstrate it has a role personally, as well as professionally. It was affirmed that there is potential for social media to enhance the profession of anaesthesiology. The lack of knowledge regarding ethical and legal aspects needs to be addressed. It is essential for doctors that, from an early point in their careers, social media guidelines are ingrained to protect themselves and their patients from potential harm.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anaesthetists' use and ethical and legal knowledge of social media

Guidozzi

Perrie

Scribante

2020

Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia

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“…The idea of legal action arising from social media is still new in SA law, with the first case being that of Isparta v Richter in 2013, which resulted in the North Gauteng High Court awarding damages to the plaintiff, after suing the defendants for defamation arising from the posting of certain comments on the defendant's Facebook wall. [4] The security of sensitive data containing patient-identifiable information is another concern. A lost phone, or the unauthorised use thereof, can lead to a breach in security by an unknown and unidentifiable assailant.…”

Section: The Badmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, a practical and ethical guide for medical students and doctors has been published online by the South African Medical Association (SAMA). [4] This includes recommendations on how to avoid the minefield of ethical and legal issues encountered by healthcare providers using social media. It should be noted that there is a fundamental difference between social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, as mentioned in the SAMA guidelines, and confidential exchange of information by WhatsApp.…”

Section: And the Lawmentioning

confidence: 99%

WhatsApp in a clinical setting: The good, the bad and the law

Opperman

Vuuren²

2018

S Afr J BL

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Giordano et al. [1] in 2017 published a systematic review article on WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp) as an adjunctive tool for telemedicine. Telemedicine is defined as the use of electronic communication technologies to provide healthcare support and information between a client and professional with expertise in the relevant field when separated by distance. They found a small number of eligible studies, which did not address ethics or security issues. It was concluded from their review that WhatsApp is a reliable, costeffective, quick and user-friendly tool that improves patient-related awareness and communication within the clinical health sector. This open-access article is distributed under Creative Commons licence CC-BY-NC 4.0.

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I cannot do that…I'm a counsellor: Implications of professional boundaries on counsellors' public life as entertainers

Decelis

Falzon

2021

Couns and Psychother Res

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Background: This study explores perceptions regarding counsellors who are also public entertainers, an issue on which there is a dearth in literature and in codes of ethics.For this study, we reviewed three codes of ethics: the 2014 American Counselling Association's (ACA), the 2017 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy's (BACP) and the 2011 Malta Association for the Counselling Profession's (MACP). Method:The research question begged a qualitative approach using individual, audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews with twelve participants: six counsellors and six non-counsellors. Thematic analysis was selected as the most appropriate methods for analysis.Findings: Participants think that counsellors can be entertainers during their free time, but need strict boundaries and ethical responsibility whilst following Rogers' (1957, 1980) person-centred skills of being non-judgemental, empathic and congruent. Boundaries, the context of a small-island community, public life, self-disclosure, wellbeing and challenges were all major themes elicited. Counsellor participants (CPs) highlighted that there is no guide Maltese counsellors can follow regarding what they can and cannot do in public as public entertainers. Participants noted that in the local context, counsellors need to be careful about disclosing their opinions regarding Politics and political affiliations. Politics seemed to be of particular concern and reflects the local biparty culture often loaded with emotions and very strong opinion and allegiances. Participants also reflected that the status of an entertainer/counsellor can also help publicise the profession in the best interest of wellbeing and the profession. Implications forPractice: Implications for practice include training courses with opportunities for reflection on what counsellors can/not do in public in order to continuously address boundaries; training on social media behaviour; training on specialised ethical issues around being a counsellor/entertainer through continuing professional development sessions; specialised training for supervisors; issues to be address in contacts with clients; and updated codes of ethics/ethical framworks. Conclusion: Recommendations include personal reflection and supervision, training at master's level, continued professional development, revised codes of ethics and | 481 DECELIS anD FaLZOn

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Ethical and legal perspectives on the medical practitioners use of social media

Cited by 23 publications

References 7 publications

Anaesthetists' use and ethical and legal knowledge of social media

Anaesthetists' use and ethical and legal knowledge of social media

WhatsApp in a clinical setting: The good, the bad and the law

I cannot do that…I'm a counsellor: Implications of professional boundaries on counsellors' public life as entertainers

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