Internet Users’ Perspective towards Facebook Use by Physicians and Medical Students

Objective: This study aimed to understand the internet users’ perspectives towards doctors’ and medical students’ Facebook use. Methods: This was a cross-sectional online survey among internet users conducted from December 2015 to March 2016 to understand their perspectives towards doctors’ and medical students’ Facebook use. The author-constructed questionnaires were in Thai and included the participants’ online activities, their witness to inappropriate Facebook posts by doctors or medical students in the past month, and 39 mock public Facebook post screenshots. The participants were asked to rate the appropriateness of each mock post on a 5-point-Likert scale. Results: Among all participants (n=1,200), 63.4% had searched through Facebook profiles of physicians or medical students before and 53.7% had seen or heard of inappropriate contents. The characteristics of doctors’ and medical students’ Facebook posts which were rated as inappropriate or less appropriate by most participants were related to patients’ privacy, including de-identified patients’ data, substance use behaviours, negative criticism of patients, colleagues, hospitals or universities, and advertisement of their own private practice. Conclusion: Doctors and medical students should be aware of the public view towards their social media posts and be mindful of what they post and the potential negative consequences because they can impact the public image of medical professions. Considering professionalism guidelines and public’s perspectives may obviate the potential negative consequences of social media use