Interprofessional Communication of Physicians Using WhatsApp: Physicians' Perspective

Background: Interprofessional communication using Facebook (R), Snapchat (R), Instagram (R), and WhatsApp (R) has become a reality that is shaping our future. However, studies evaluating the dimensions of this use in the medical field are scarce and proper guidelines have not yet been established. This highlights the importance of exploring the wide range of using such common communication tools in the medical field. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of WhatsApp use as an interprofessional communication tool among Lebanese physicians and explore the dimensions of its use. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by using LimeSurvey through an e-mail-based questionnaire sent to 5,329 physicians enrolled in the Lebanese Order of Physicians. Results: Four hundred twenty-nine physicians completed the survey with a response rate of 8%. Most respondents (96.5%) were WhatsApp users, where 72.7% stated being consulted by colleagues via WhatsApp, and about 50% reported being members of professional WhatsApp groups that mainly share medical cases and patients' updates. Further, most physicians made sure that the shared information contained no patient identifier and kept it for future referencing without the patient's permission or consent before consulting their colleagues. Almost 75% of the respondents agreed that guidelines are needed to illustrate the medico-legal and ethical aspects of WhatsApp use by physicians and recommended using WhatsApp specifically for inter-physician communication. Conclusion: The findings of this study illustrate the high prevalence of WhatsApp Messenger use among Lebanese physicians. Utilizing such digital platforms is highly demanded to enhance interprofessional communication between physicians in the medical field.