Forums » Off duty » News & media » Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
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Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 2/12/2009 9:23 AM GMT
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Posts: 1348
First: 25/1/2009 Last: 20/5/2013 |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8389458.stm Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts'Doctors are being warned not to respond to flirtatious approaches on social networking sites. The Medical Defence Union, a legal body for doctors, said communicating via sites such as Facebook may be a breach of ethical responsibilities. It issued the warning after a number of cases in which patients propositioned doctors after searching for their details on the internet. Regulators agreed that medics should be careful. ______________________________ Here we have another example of doctors being told to hide their private lives, in this case to protect themselves, from the public. I understand that a "private life" is supposed to be private, but to share details with friends online through such sites can be the best way to keep in touch with them amongst multiple night and weekend shifts. I fully understand the comments made in the article about not posting patient details, but we all have bad days at work - why cant we blow off a little steam, and socialise with friends online? What do other D2D readers feel - good idea from the MDU, or nanny state & censorship gone mad? DrS
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 2/12/2009 1:54 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 147
First: 16/11/2008 Last: 16/1/2013 |
I am reminded of a similar debate around the Teacher's Code of Conduct, which included things like this:
[Teachers must] Maintain reasonable standards in their own behaviour that enable them to maintain an effective learning environment and also to uphold public trust and confidence in the profession. http://www.gtce.org.uk/documents/publicationpdfs/code_of_conduct_1009.pdf Widely interpreted as saying that teachers have to behave like fine upstanding members of the community even when 'off duty'. The document has been described as being composed mainly of "pious and vague statements". The days when professional status confered social status are fading very fast. With no particular social benefits from their jobs, why should people behave socially in any particular way? Of course people want to have their cake and eat it. They don't like the idea of their GP getting blind drunk and throwing up in the bushes on a Saturday night. But neither do they like the idea of having to meekly accept what their GP prescribes, when they've read something on the Internet that says differently.
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 2/12/2009 3:05 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 108
First: 28/5/2009 Last: 6/3/2013 |
Personally, I was only ever on here to flirt with doctors... Don't worry though, you lot have put me well off. I always wonder why doctors should be held up as being somehow more than the 'public', yes people put their lives in doctors trusts - but we do the same to pilots; they're party to sensitive details of patients lives, but so is anyone who works in a high street bank. Of course interacting (or flirting) with your patients via facebook is bad idea. But why not anyone else, intelligence and education is attractive - and some people need all the help they can get attracting a partner. Do you think warnings about this stem from an old fashioned arrogance about a doctors position in society? |
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 2/12/2009 6:21 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 441
First: 11/5/2009 Last: 6/7/2012 |
You're not allowed to form relationships with patients which could prejudice the nature of the doctor-patient relationship and, critically, such relationships can also put the doctor at great risk and have many times in the past. Whether that is a Facebook relationship or a physical world relationship is relatively immaterial. I don't think there is anything very revolutionary in this statement. from the MDU or wheover it is. It's just a statement of existing practice and common sense, but because it mentions 'Facebook' it is newsworthy. cf. 'Facebook causes cancer' etc etc. davebergie
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 2/12/2009 10:55 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1348
First: 25/1/2009 Last: 20/5/2013 |
Indeed But what if you dont know the person you are flirting with is a patient. Most of us on D2D use nicknames / abreviated names. Whats to say people on facebook dont do similar.
DrS
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 2/12/2009 11:59 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1593
First: 24/12/2008 Last: 14/5/2013 |
I think the 'rule of thumb' is don't flirt or add in Facebook unless you know who exactly is! Then, if you are added, you could just leave in pending list to those you don't know or you are not sure of! People use nickname and if they use it; then wait for their message or introduction before you accept them. I think almost all here in doc2doc are using that nickname but many of my friends in facebook do use real name!!! We all do have personal life and want to have fun or like that but Meds need to keep themselves a bit reserved from some and in some places like that social networks. And I think that will benefit ourselves. What if we say, they are encroaching our private life, provoking to expose and trying to drag into that instead? We are human being too! |
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 3/12/2009 8:24 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 29
First: 26/11/2009 Last: 31/3/2012 |
I think Podcaster has a point there regrading pilots and those at the Banks :) The expectation for 'being appropriate' applies to all. I have a simple rule...those I would socialize with, in everyday life, are also on my facebook. Using real names are perhaps better for the virtual social space, just as it is, in everyday social interactions :) Such 'warnings' are perhaps not needed if doctors are assumed to be responsible mature adults! Ofcourse it's a different matter if that is not the assumption ! :) On a more serious note, perhaps GMC is trying to look into the potential of incriminating doctors on grounds of negligence or inappropriate conduct via virtual interactions such as the social networking sites. And as age old wisdom says 'it's better to be safe than sorry' ;) |
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 4/12/2009 4:34 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 4
First: 4/12/2009 Last: 4/12/2009 |
I agree with those who are saying that doctors should use nicknames on FB and refrain from developing an inappropriate relationship with patients. Many of my friends use thier full name which I think is a bit too 'open'. We can still be social without being too social. FB is like the real world where you say hello to strangers without divulging your entire profile including your likes and dislikes. Fundamental rules of privacy were never more important than today. FB is taking steps to let everyone control individual content privacy. Just remember to update your privacy and security settings and be on the skeptical side. shr
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 4/12/2009 9:47 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 603
First: 17/11/2008 Last: 6/10/2010 |
Hi Drs, Facebook is based around people sharing personal information such as real name, in fact facebook ban people that use false names. I have often found that as a community manager I have to watch how I interact with people online, not just members of our community but the wider internet. Common sense is all that is required to be able to interact safely online. |
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Re: Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
posted at 4/12/2009 10:58 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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*Moderator*
Posts: 682
First: 17/11/2008 Last: 19/5/2013 |
I agree with BrainIT that you should apply everyday real world behaviour to the virtual world. It may not be as interesting but pretending to be someone you are not, or behaving in a way online that you wouldn't do usually is unlikely to be sustainable. I also think the GMC would be interested in anything it percieves as unprofessional behaviour - lawyers have to watch what they do too- it isn't just doctors who have expectations for their behaviour. Although it is really annoying when people say oh you're a doctor you should do x, y or z or know better than to do that etc etc |
Forums » Off duty » News & media » Doctors warned about risk of 'Facebook flirts
