Social Media and Ethos of Medical Practice

Social media is an undeniable reality in our lives. The professional use of social media is increasing with every passing day. It has provided new avenues of service delivery in individual and hospital practices. But the operational structure of most social media platforms can create problems for its professional use in healthcare, as the controls that exists in physical environment under regulatory frameworks, aren't available there. Indeed, it's a daunting task to maintain, for example, confidentiality and ownership of health data, which once shared stays forever in cyberspace. Healthcare providers especially Physicians and all other stakeholders should focus on this changing face of healthcare and try to develop guidelines which can lessen fears, promote optimal use, and can help maintain ethos of practice of medicine on social media.