Discussing Social Media Ethics

To kick-off the episode, the three IR physicians discuss “clot porn” and all the debate associated with posting case-related findings (clots, imaging, etc) on social media with device/company name visible. Dr. Keller, who has a strong background in medical ethics, shares his thoughts on the matter and underscores the 6 pitfalls of medical social media: patient privacy, patient dignity, information accuracy, conflict of interest, justice inequity, and interprofessional respect.

From Dr. Keller, we learn that the crux of the matter tends to circle back to two central issues– how the case is shared and intentions behind sharing. Additionally, Dr. Keller shares unique data on the relation between how often a medical device company is mentioned in social media posts, how often physicians are compensated for their public endorsements, and whether or not conflict of interests are disclosed.

Dr. Barraza and Dr. Keller then compare TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter’s roles and potentials in medicine. The trio discuss Twitter’s past, present, and future influences on medical research, networking, innovation, and education. They also consider the need for more clear, comprehensive social media posting guidelines issued by specialty societies and ideas for patient consent forms over social media posting.

To wrap up the episode, the doctors discuss interprofessionalism, dealing with social media trolls/negativity, and personal vs. professional accounts. Dr. Keller notes that 85% of the general public turns to social media networks to seek healthcare information, which highlights the online presence of physicians and how they are often held to a higher ethical standard on social media platforms.

For listeners wanting to learn more about social media ethics in medicine, the annual Western Angiographic Interventional Society (WAIS) in Palm Springs, California (October 7-11, 2023) will have dedicated medical social media ethics panels and discussions built into programming. Be sure to register and attend! Link to the WAIS webpage below.