Abstract
Aims: Online social networks, such as Facebook, are growing in popularity amongst physicians, and represent a potential avenue for the compromising of their privacy and professional boundaries. We sought to determine the extent to which family doctors are sharing personal information on Facebook. Study Design: Observational. Place and Duration of Study: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Data was collected between May and August of 2012. Methodology: From the website of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, all 1000 family physicians active in the Ottawa region were identified. A database was then created of subjects’ publicly shared information (i.e., information available to the general public) for those with accessible profiles on Facebook. Chi square and t-tests were performed to explore demographic patterns for those with viewable profiles; binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with Facebook visibility. Results: While only 10.2% of family physicians had publicly viewable profiles, 81.4% of those featured a visible profile photo; 91.2% could be messaged directly by any member of the public; a majority shared limited personal information, including recent online activities and place of education; 24% shared their place of work; 15% had visible lists of family members; and 14% disclosed their relationship status. From logistic regression, there were no significant factors associated with whether a physician was viewable on Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 4(1): 244-251, 2014 245 Facebook. Conclusion: While a minority of physicians have a publicly accessible Facebook profile, those that do are sharing personal information that may expose them to unwanted intrusions into their personal lives and unexpected patient interactions outside of the office. Physicians should be aware of options for making their online information less publicly accessible.
Highlights
As online social networking (OSN) via platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin continues to grow, issues pertaining to the ethics and boundaries of doctor-patient communication over OSN have likewise become increasingly prominent in the medical literature
This study examines family physician professionalism and boundaries in the context of online social media
In light of a study showing that 51% of Canadian physicians are Facebook users [20], this suggests that a majority of Ottawa family physicians are making use of their Facebook privacy settings
Summary
As online social networking (OSN) via platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin continues to grow, issues pertaining to the ethics and boundaries of doctor-patient communication over OSN have likewise become increasingly prominent in the medical literature. Physicians, who often develop long-term relationships with patients and their families, have been identified as common targets for patient-initiated communication over OSN [7]. The potential for physician-patient interaction outside of the office, and the potential for community access to physicians’ personal information, are issues rife with ethical implications. A survey of American physicians and medical students [7] found that most respondents felt interacting with patients via OSN is ethically unacceptable, but offered little value to the patient-physician communication dynamic. Prising open physicians’ accessibility in forums outside of the office may present unwelcomed opportunities for unprofessionalism, miscommunication, and the general discomfort of physicians as their personal domains are gradually impinged upon by patients’ concerns
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