Display options
Cite
Dawkins R, King WD, Boateng B, et al. Pediatric Residents' Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey. JMIR Med Educ. 2017;3(1):e2doi: 10.2196/mededu.5993.
Dawkins, R., King, W. D., Boateng, B., Nichols, M., & Desselle, B. C. (2017). Pediatric Residents' Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey. JMIR medical education, 3(1), e2. https://doi.org/10.2196/mededu.5993
Dawkins, Rachel, et al. "Pediatric Residents' Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey." JMIR medical education vol. 3,1 (2017): e2. doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/mededu.5993
Dawkins R, King WD, Boateng B, Nichols M, Desselle BC. Pediatric Residents' Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey. JMIR Med Educ. 2017 Jan 31;3(1):e2. doi: 10.2196/mededu.5993. PMID: 28143804; PMCID: PMC5309435.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

JMIR Med Educ. 2017 Jan 31;3(1):e2. doi: 10.2196/mededu.5993.

Pediatric Residents' Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey.

JMIR medical education

Rachel Dawkins, William D King, Beatrice Boateng, Michele Nichols, Bonnie C Desselle

Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
  2. Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St Petersburg, FL, United States.
  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States.
  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
  5. Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.

PMID: 28143804 PMCID: PMC5309435 DOI: 10.2196/mededu.5993

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitous use of social media by physicians poses professionalism challenges. Regulatory bodies have disseminated guidelines related to physicians' use of social media.

OBJECTIVE: This study had 2 objectives: (1) to understand what pediatric residents view as appropriate social media postings, and (2) to recognize the degree to which these residents are exposed to postings that violate social media professionalism guidelines.

METHODS: We distributed an electronic survey to pediatric residents across the United States. The survey consisted of 5 postings from a hypothetical resident's personal Facebook page. The vignettes highlighted common scenarios that challenge published social media professionalism guidelines. We asked 2 questions for each vignette regarding (1) the resident's opinion of the posting's appropriateness, and (2) their frequency of viewing similar posts. We also elicited demographic data (age, sex, postgraduate year level), frequency of Facebook use, awareness of their institutional policies, and prior social media training.

RESULTS: Of 1628 respondents, 1498 (92.01%) of the pediatric residents acknowledged having a Facebook account, of whom 888/1628 (54.55%) reported daily use and 346/1628 (21.25%) reported using Facebook a few times a week. Residents frequently viewed posts that violated professionalism standards, including use of derogatory remarks about patients (1756/3256, 53.93%) and, much less frequently, about attending physicians (114/1628, 7.00%). The majority of the residents properly identified these postings as inappropriate. Residents had frequently viewed a post similar to one showing physicians drinking alcoholic beverages while in professional attire or scrubs and were neutral on this post's appropriateness. Residents also reported a lack of knowledge about institutional policies on social media (651/1628, or 40.00%, were unaware of a policy; 204/1628, or 12.53%, said that no policy existed). A total of 372/1628 respondents (22.85%) stated that they had never received any structured training on social media professionalism.

CONCLUSIONS: Today's residents, like others of their generation, use social media sites to converse with peers without considering the implications for the profession. The frequent use of social media by learners needs to change the emphasis educators and regulatory bodies place on social media guidelines and teaching professionalism in the digital age.

©Rachel Dawkins, William D King, Beatrice Boateng, Michele Nichols, Bonnie C Desselle. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 31.01.2017.

Keywords: graduate medical education; pediatrics; professionalism; resident education; social media

References

  1. J Clin Ethics. 2011 Summer;22(2):176-8 - PubMed
  2. Acad Pediatr. 2016 Mar;16(2):110-4 - PubMed
  3. J Grad Med Educ. 2014 Mar;6(1):100-5 - PubMed
  4. Acad Med. 2013 Jun;88(6):893-901 - PubMed
  5. JAMA. 2009 Sep 23;302(12):1309-15 - PubMed
  6. JAMA. 2012 Mar 21;307(11):1141-2 - PubMed
  7. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2012 Nov-Dec;19(6):960-4 - PubMed
  8. Acad Med. 2013 Sep;88(9):1376-83 - PubMed
  9. J Clin Ethics. 2011 Summer;22(2):165-72 - PubMed
  10. Acad Pediatr. 2012 Mar-Apr;12(2):142-8 - PubMed
  11. J Med Internet Res. 2013 Aug 28;15(8):e184 - PubMed
  12. J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Nov;25(11):1227-9 - PubMed
  13. Ann Intern Med. 2013 Jan 15;158(2):124-30 - PubMed
  14. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2012 Sep-Oct;19(5):777-81 - PubMed

Publication Types