Online Continuing Education

Social Networking 101 for Physicians

Managing the Risks of Facebook,Twitter and Other Social Media

Original Publish Date:

December 17, 2009

Review Date(s):

NA

Term of Approval End Date:

December 17, 2010

Estimated Time to Complete:

1 Hour

Risk Management:

Yes

Course Format:

Text

Course Fee:

Mbrs-$10, Non Mbrs-$20

To participate in this CME activity: (1) review the information on this page which includes the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; (2) read the course pages; (3) complete the exam; (4) view/print certificate.

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Course Information

 

 

 

 

General Information

  • If you need to stop in the middle of a course, you may return to the course at anytime to finish.
  • When you have finished reading the course pages click on CME Exam in the Course Sections box (top right).
  • To begin this CME activity, read through the information on this page and then click on the Start Course button.

Course Overview

Social Networking 101 for Physicians is jointly sponsored by the Massachusetts Medical Society and Lawyers Weekly, Inc., publishers of Massachusetts Medical Law Report.  Social media, once considered a fad, is now an accepted way for people to stay connected to friends, colleagues and those with mutual interests.  Social media now spans multi-generations and has expanded from personal usage to professional practice.  Since this is new territory for many physicians, it's important to know the potential liability risks when interacting via social networks and the Internet.  This CME activity explores the potential "pitfalls" and suggests best practice strategies that may reduce a physician's risk.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for physicians and allied health professionals.

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Course Objectives

  • Describe the potential risks of compromising patient information on social networks.
  • Identify ways to maintain professional boundaries in the physician-patient relationship on social networks.
  • Cite reasons why a physician should monitor his or her web presence regularly.
  • Define “anonymity” as it relates to social networking and the web.

Course Credit

Deadline for completing the course is December 17, 2010.

The Massachusetts Medical Society designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This program meets the criteria of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for risk management study.

Participants will receive a confidential report of their examination score. You must receive a score of 70% or better to receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  A confirmation of credit will be issued at the end of the course to those who successfully complete the examination.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the Joint Sponsorship of the Massachusetts Medical Society and Lawyers Weekly, Inc.

The Massachusetts Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

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Course Fees

Social Networking 101 for Physicians and all associated course materials are available free of charge. An opportunity to complete an exam and receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for a nominal fee is available at the end of the course. The course fees are as follows:

Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) Member: $10 ($10 per credit)

Non-MMS member: $20 ($20 per credit)

Disclosure/Commercial Support

The following course content developers have no financial interests or relationships to disclose.

  • Henry Tulgan, MD, FACP
  • Reni Gertner, MPH, Editor Lawyers Weekly
  • Eric Berkman, Freelancer for Lawyers Weekly
  • Kathleen Bellisle, Manager of MMS Distance Learning
  • Thelma Tatten, Program Coordinator, MMS Distance Learning

Off-label Disclosure:

This course does not include any discussion of an off-label use of a commercial product or an investigational use not yet approved for any purpose by the FDA.

Commercial Support

No commercial support was received for this online program.

Content Disclaimer

The Massachusetts Medical Society does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this CME program, which was provided by Lawyers Weekly, Inc. and summarized by Henry Tulgan, MD, FACP. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

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Online Course Developers

Henry Tulgan, MD, FACP
Reni Gertner, MPH, Editor Lawyers Weekly
Eric Berkman, Freelancer for Lawyers Weekly
Kathleen Bellisle, Manager of MMS Distance Learning
Thelma Tatten, Program Coordinator, MMS Distance Learning

Bibliography

“Behind doctors’ social networking websites.” 
Glenn, B. , Modern Medicine. February 20, 2009.

“Information Searches that Solve Problems.” 
Estabrook, L.; Witt, E.; Rainie, L. , Pew Internet & American Life Project. December 30, 2007.

“The Wisdom of Patients: Health Care Meets Online Social Media.”
Sarasohn-Kahn, J , ihealthreports. April 2008.

 “How America Searches: Health and Wellness” 
Elkin, N, iCrossing, iCrossing. January 2008.

“What is Social Media?” 
Mayfield, A , iCrossing January 2008

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Hardware & Software Requirements

Supported Browsers
Internet Explorer v.7 or greater (for Windows)
Mozilla Firefox v.2 or greater (for Windows, Mac, Linux)

Minimum System Requirements

Windows Systems Requirements

  • A Pentium-based PC or compatible computer.
  • At least 64MB of RAM.
  • Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista system software.
  • Screen resolution of 1024 x 786 or larger recommended
  • PDF Reader: Adobe Reader 5.0 or higher, Foxit Reader 2.0 or likewise.

Mac OS System Requirements

  • A PowerPC processor-based Macintosh computer.
  • At least 64MB of RAM.
  • Mac OS 7.5 or later.
  • Screen resolution of 1024 x 786 or larger recommended.
  • PDF Reader: Adobe Reader 5.0 or higher, Foxit Reader 2.0 or likewise.

Policies

Contact Us

Contact us at continuingeducation@mms.org or (800) 322-2303, ext. 7306. Massachusetts Medical Society, 860 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02451.

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