Healthcare Professionals Risk Patient Privacy with Public Disclosure on Twitter, Study Finds
The study calls for more research and training in social media for health care professionals to maintain medical professionalism
A study published in 2020 [1]which sought to quantify potentially identifiable content shared by physicians and other health care providers found that nurses, doctors, and other health care providers sometimes share more information than patients or families might expect.
Researchers found that healthcare professionals (HCPs) who share patient information on social media may face considerable risks, even if they do so anonymously or in a manner that appears to protect patient privacy.
In this retrospective study, physicians used Twitter to share health-related stories and information using the hashtag #ShareAStoryInOneTweet.
Tweets were widely shared, attracting media attention and broadening the dissemination of information. Almost none of them confirm their consent to share information publicly (either explicitly or implicitly).
HCPs commenting using the hashtag were “more likely to express support for the event and encourage others to participate than they were to raise concerns about patient privacy breaches.”
This highlights the importance of HCPs being aware of the potential risks associated with sharing information about patients on social media and taking steps to protect patient privacy when using social media.
Further research is needed to confirm the study’s findings and determine how to ensure HCPs maintain medical professionalism in the digital age, according to the study authors. Research should be conducted to identify specific professional ethical standards for the use of social media by healthcare providers and to develop evidence-based training programs for them. In order for HCPs to navigate the complex ethical and professional issues associated with social media, this training can be incorporated into undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education programs. Furthermore, these training programs should be mandatory for all HCPs and regularly updated to reflect changes in technology and the ways in which HCPs use social media.
