Young Physicians Don't Sweat Social Media

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

A study has found younger doctors are online more and don’t have as many privacy concerns when it comes to social media and online communication.

Online and social media tools are no big deal to a younger generation of doctors finds a recent report. According to the Journal of Medical Internet Research, “For younger generations, unconstrained online social activity is the norm.”

Ninety-eight percent of those surveyed were born between 1979 and 1998. Fierce Healthcare Mobile explains that, of the 70 young physicians surveyed, 50 percent of these “digital natives” report being “almost always online.” Half of those surveyed said they thought it was OK to communicate with a colleague on a social media platform.

Eighty percent of those surveyed said they either “don't worry at all” or “worry a little” about internet privacy. Eighty-six percent reported having a social media account (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) while 51 percent reported using an image messaging app (e.g., Snapchat, Flickr).

Two in three reported having received formal instruction about social media use previously during medical school. Only 29 percent were familiar with the current institutional policy on social media. The study also notes:

• 39 percent believed digital information, once posted, could be permanently deleted
• 27 percent said “it depends” or “always” when asked whether logging into a personal social media account while on duty in a patient care area is acceptable
• 15 percent said “always ok, it depends, or unsure” about posting pictures of a patient’s discrete physical finding on social media with no obvious way to identify the patient
• 25 percent of subjects indicated that it is “always okay” to accept a social media invitation (e.g., “friend request”) from a nurse with whom there is otherwise no social relationship

“Young physicians demonstrate a casual approach to social media activity in the context of professional medical practice,” write researchers. “However, social media instruction and/or familiarity with the social media policy are associated with more cautious perceptions about online behavior. Furthermore, assessment of perceptions and practices of new employees in a health care environment may help improve the content and delivery of policy information.”