Poor social media behaviors parallel offline violations for physicians

A survey of medical boards found that inappropriate online behaviors could get a physician in trouble just as they would if performed offline, according to a recent report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Topping the list of “never” events online was misrepresenting credentials or treatment incomes, which 81% of respondents said would spark an investigation. Inappropriately contacting patients or using patient photos also gained a high response (79%) as a definite no-no. Many state boards also said that online pictures of an intoxicated physician, violations of patient confidentiality, and discriminatory speech would trigger ethics investigations.

Both the Federation of State Medical Boards and the American Medical Association have established guidelines for practitioner professionalism on social media sites, but neither organization outlines the potential consequences for violating those guidelines, according to the report. The authors of the report surveyed 70 state medical and osteopathic boards, but noted that physicians engaging in inappropriate online behaviors may face other consequences from hospitals, employers, or patients.