The study polled recently graduated urologists. Approximately 75 percent of participants had publicly identifiable Facebook profiles.
Here are five key notes:
1. Forty percent had unprofessional or “potentially objectionable” content on their profiles.
2. Some profiles featured profanity while others violated medical ethics and contained information about a patient’s health.
3. Kevin Koo, MD, lead researcher, said physicians play an important role in ensuring the patient-provider relationship remains intact and in upholding patient confidentiality standards.
4. American Medical Association 2010 guidelines recommend physicians set “appropriate professional boundaries” with patients over social media.
5. A different study found 92 percent of U.S. state medical boards conducted online professionalism violation investigations. Patients or their family members reported most of the violations, according to UPI.
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