During lockdowns, social media has become a useful way for healthcare professionals to keep in touch with patients. Avant’s RUANNE BRELL examines how to be both effective and professional online.
When the NSW Chief Health Officer took to TikTok for a Q&A, she was one of many health practitioners using social media to share information during the COVID pandemic.
Sharing accurate professional information via social media can be an important way to counter misinformation online. It can also be a way to engage with patients. Recent months have seen practitioners posting updates on practice availability, contactless delivery options, advice on eye health in lockdown, and the latest tips on how to avoid mask-fog.
Whether you are a long-time social media user, or a recent convert, it is important to be deliberate in the way you use it. Understand that your social media presence, including your personal one, does reflect on your professional reputation.
Social media guidelines issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the National Boards outline the standards expected of all regulated health practitioners when engaging on social media. Of course, it is essential to maintain professional boundaries and ensure posts do not breach advertising requirements. It is also important to understand where general guidance on how to engage with social media using images, humour, and personal opinions may conflict with professional responsibilities.
Patient privacy and confidentiality
Social media marketing tips often recommend adding images to make a post more engaging. Images and graphics can also make complex information easier to understand, and can be valuable communication tools for health practitioners, once patient privacy and confidentiality have been addressed.
Always make sure you have permission from the patient to use an image – even if you think it’s not identifiable. A common pitfall is posting an image about a clinical issue or successful treatment, but neglecting to seek permission in the belief the image cannot be identified. The internet has a wide reach and people notice all kinds of things – a rare condition, identifying mark, unique piece of jewellery, or combination of time and place could make the image identifiable.
If you are posting images of children, be particularly careful to seek permission from their parent or guardian, or from the child themselves if they have decision-making capacity.
Always check what else can be seen in your photo. Social media users have found themselves inadvertently posting patient information in the margins or background of a photo.
Personal opinions and jokes
Ahpra has made it clear that “where relevant, National Boards may consider social media use in your private life (even where there is no identifiable link to you as a registered health practitioner) if it raises concerns about your fitness to hold registration”.
For doctors, the Medical Board’s Code of Conduct reinforces that they need to consider how public online comments and behaviours might reflect on their role as doctors and the reputation of the profession.
Practitioners can engage in legitimate public debate about clinical and social issues, including discussion of emerging evidence or competing theories. Concern arises, however, where those views contradict public health messaging or conflict with accepted guidelines and standards within the profession.
Be aware also of your employment conditions and workplace policies that cover acceptable use of social media.
Using humour can be effective but remember the impact it may have on others. Even if intended as a joke, comments about particular groups may be considered derogatory and will be taken seriously by the Boards. Comments that could lead a patient to feel intimidated or discouraged to seek healthcare are likely to be considered damaging to the profession and a risk to patient safety.
Plan to engage
Be clear about how you would respond if someone asked for advice via a post. One option is to refer them to their own treating practitioner. If they wish to consult you professionally and it is appropriate they do so, make sure you establish a formal clinical relationship first.
Social media can be a powerful and effective medium for engaging with your community. Being intentional in your use and treating it as a professional communication are important guiding principles.
• Seek and document patient consent to use any patient information, even if apparently de-identified.
• Be aware of your professional, legal and employment obligations when using social media.
• Always consider before you post.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: RUANNE BRELL is a senior legal advisor in the Advocacy, Education and Research team at Avant with over 15 years’ experience in health and medical law. She also provides advice to Avant’s members via its Medico-legal Advisory Service.
