BMA Guidance on using Social Media

In view of the widespread use of sites such as Facebook and Twitter amongst medical students and doctors, as well as a growing number of well-established blogs and internet forums aimed specifically at medical professionals, the BMA issued guidance Using Social Media: practical and ethical guidance for doctors and medical students.

The guidance covers issues such as:

Patient confidentiality
Appropriate discussions of patients and practice
Maintaining boundaries – the doctor-patient relationship
Privacy and personal information
Facebook friend requests
Declaring conflicts of interest
Medical education and employment
Defamation
Professionalism and social media.