Canadian physicians and social media: A prognosis

BC Patient Safety and Quality CouncilMarch 7, 2012

Pat Rich – Director, CMA Online Content

The agenda

1. Introduction

2. What we know (and don’t know) about Canadian doctors and their use of social media

3. Why your family doctor is probably not using SM

4. Why a doctor should consider SM

5. Physician champions

6. What medical associations are doing

7. Other resources

Introduction

What we know about MDs and SM

Limited good data on physicians and social media use for professional purposes (even less for Canadian MDs)

What we do know:

Physicians mirror rest of society in use of social media for personal reasons

Use of social media by physicians professionally is increasing

What we know about MDs and SM II

Hot off Twitter: Randomized sample of 307 US physicians conducted in summer of 2011 by Deloitte Center for Health Solutions

6% report using social networks to communicate with patients

What we know about MDs and SM III

Canadian Medical Association ePanel Survey 2010

647 respondents (20% response rate) nonrandomized volunteers

80% believed SM poses legal and professional risks

Use of social media professionally - Facebook – 1%, Twitter – 11%, Other social networking sites – 22%, Blog – 19%

Epanel comments

“Given the weight of privacy issues, using social media in a physician-patient relationship is a dangerous trap, best to be avoided.”

vs.

“Social media is very important for us and should be harnessed. I greatly welcome this for patient-patient and physician-physician interaction.”

Why your doctor is probably not using SM

Time Money Regulatory environment

Privacy/security concerns Boundary issues

Lack of knowledge about technology Lack of proven clinical benefit

Why your doctor is probably not using SM II

Regulatory environment College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC - 2010

Excellent, detailed document, setting down exactly what risks physicians face by using social media

Language does not encourage SM use

* “exercise caution …”

* “proceed carefully …”

* exercise restraint …”

Why your doctor is probably not using SM III

 

The Council has recently become aware that some physicians have posted information on Facebook … such that specific patients have been inadvertently identified…Council does not believe there is ever a need, or a point, to posting any information regarding a physician’s professional or clinical activity in such a fashion, considering the many risks and no discernable benefits.

College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick

Why your doctor is probably not using SM IV

Canadian Medical Protective Association – June 2010

We’d rather you didn’t but if you do …

“While physicians are aware that disclosing patient information in public spaces such as hallways and elevators may breach their duty to protect patient confidentiality and privacy, they may not realize similar discussions on social networking or professional websites can also constitute a breach.”

Why your doctor is probably not using SM - V

They have no time in busy practice dominated by individual patient care

They don’t get paid to do it They don’t understand the technology and what

they have heard about Facebook or Twitter doesn’t encourage them

They don’t see how SM could be used to improve the care they deliver

Why a doctor should consider SM

To communicate more effectively with groups of patients or the public

To stay better informed and up-to-date about medical or health developments

To exchange information with peers on a secure network

To monitor public health trends To conduct medical research

Why a doctor should consider SM II

New and effective ways to communicate with and engage patients

Write a blog to update people on useful health information

Correct erroneous information online Post videos on YouTubes informing or

educating patients about medical procedures Start a Twitter account to tweet from medical

conferences Moderate a patient community discussion

“…as a profession we are just coming to understand how these social media can help us interact and communicate better to engage in conversations about health or to more effectively deliver messages about better health

…Don’t expect your doctor to be your “friend” on Facebook but don’t be surprised as you see more and more doctors using these social media tools in ways that can help make everybody’s health better.”Dr. John Haggie, CMA President

Physician academic perspective

“It is an important challenge for us as researchers and health system leaders to work with the public to find ways to use the social media to achieve the ideal state … where important decisions are based upon a combination of evidence of needs and impacts; costs and affordability; and fairness and justice.”

Andreas Laupacis

Notes for the Justice Emmett Hall Lecture

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

May 11, 2011

Physician champions I

Dr. Allan Brookstone

Physician champions II

Dr. Brian Goldman

Physician champions III

Dr. Mike Evans

Physician champions V

Dr. Anne Marie Cunningham (@amcunningham)

Physician champions VI

Dr. Wendy Swanson

Seattle, WA-based pediatrician and blogger who is paid to write about issues of children’s health

Epatient champions

Dave deBronkart

@epatientdave

Founding member of the Society for Participatory Medicine

Epatient champions

Regina Halliday (@reginahalliday)

Medical Associations

Generally more proactive than individual MDs in use of social media to engage their members and communicate with members and the public

British Columbia Medical Association a pioneer in its use of Facebook about 3 years ago

“[As] with any social media campaign, when you want to get people talking, we started the conversation with a question: do you think addiction is a disease or a human failing?”

Sharon Shore, BCMA Communications and Public Affairs Officer

Medical Associations II

Canadian Medical Association

Launched social networking site for physicians (Asklepios) in 2008First Twitter feed in 2009 (@cmaer)Twitter # with annual meeting starting in 2009Public engagement campaign www.healthcaretransformation.ca 2011Developed SM guidelines for members 2011

Tips from an icon

“Don’t be banal, self promote excessively, share confidential material (especially about patients), be a troll, break the law, commit a libel, or overdo it.”

Dr. Richard Smith, BMJ, March 1, 2012

Other Resources

KevinMD.com Foremost blog posting site for informative views on

physicians and use of social media

#hcsmca Foremost Canadian Twitter stream for posting of issues

relating to social media in health care. Weekly Tweetup at 1 pm (EST) on Wednesdays

Other resources

The prognosis

Canadian physician use of various social media will increase

Social media will transform physician-patient interactions in some situations

Social media will strengthen the ePatient movement

Social media will lead to a re-evaluation of the ethics and professionalism surrounding boundary issues for physicians