Social Networking 101 for Physicians

Managing The Risks Of Facebook, Twitter And Other Social Media

The usefulness of online social networking is undeniable and it’s no surprise that physicians are embracing it. But lawyers and other experts warn that these tools present a minefield of legal and professional hazards for medical professionals who don’t take the utmost care in how, what and where they post. “If you can’t do something at a cocktail party without people staring and looking at you strangely, you shouldn’t be able to do the same thing online,” says Jim Tobin, president of Ignite Social Media, a Cary, N.C., social-media agency that is developing a social-networking program for the Massachusetts Medical Society and its members.

Physicians are using these tools to discuss medical news, pick other doctors’ brains about clinical or practice-management issues, market their practices or just generally feel connected. In June, MMS polled approximately 800 of its members and found that the usage of social media grew 50 percent in the last year, with usage by doctors aged 45 to 54 tripling. Whether blogging, participating in open networks like Facebook and Twitter, or visiting physician-only networks such as Sermo or iMedExchange, physicians can reduce their legal risk by doing the following:

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