Abstract
Social media plays several important roles in medicine. Medical students are important and influential participants in the digital world because they are young, they dominate social network resources, and they have high engagement power. This letter presents some aspects about how medical students use their digital media abilities and knowledge to disseminate health information to patients and the public, and what are some limits and best practices for them on these platforms.
Highlights
There is an abundance of videos shared on social media of medical students at home or in a hospital setting
10 Such distinctions are most appropriately evaluated by professionals in a healthcare service environment rather than by patients or medical students on social media
Social media users looking for information about a condition should be instructed to seek medical assistance rather than to self-medicate
Summary
There is an abundance of videos shared on social media of medical students at home or in a hospital setting. A potential issue related to posting health-related content is that medical students may be providing inaccurate information without a medical license or the legal right to practice medicine. Many of these videos do not include a recommendation to consult a physician, a warning against self-medication, or recommendations for additional research about a condition through official sources like health institutions and government websites.[2,3,4,5] these disclosures and other recommendations are required to meet basic ethical and legal standards that are part of several social media guidelines for healthcare professionals,[1,6,7] including themes such as maintaining patient confidentiality, giving medical advice via a proper doctor–patient relationship, and more.
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