Tarang Kumar Jain, PT, DPT, CEEAA

Ethics and Social Media

Objectives 2

Define social media/networking & it's purpose. Discuss the types of social media and list the statistics associated

with various social media platforms. Identify the ethical and legal issues associated with social media

use.

Associate the ethical decision making analysis in relation to using social media.

Discuss considerations for developing a social media strategy for PT clinics.

Finally, identify social media do's and don'ts/steps for safer social networking.

Social Media 3

“Social” – refers to instinctual needs humans have to connect with other humans

“Media” – what we use to make connections with other humans “Social Media” – how we can use technology effectively to reach

out & connect with other humans, create a relationship, build trust

Media used for social interaction 2 way communication - interactive dialogue

Moving from monologue (one to many) to dialogue (many to many)

Changing people from content readers into contributors and publishers

Doesn’t require expensive equipment or a government-granted license

Social Media Landscape 4

Social Networking 5

“It's the way the 21st century communicates today.”

A social network service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building & reflecting social relations among people who share interests &/or activities

Essentially consists of a representation of each user (profile), social links, & other services

Most are web based; interact through internet, email, instant messaging(chatting), or phone applications

Social networking accounts for 22% of all time spent online in the U.S.

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Relationships between Social Media and Networking

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is disseminated through social interaction

Based on user participation and user-generated content

A shift in how people discover, share, and read news and information

SOCIAL NETWORKING

A focus on building social relationships among people

Building online communities

Interactive communication among participants

Why Social Media/Networking Matters for Physical Therapists?

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Become a better clinician

Contribute to the body of physiotherapy knowledge

Make professional connections

Influence healthcare conversations

Get educated

Promote better health among the public

Sell your services

Peer review research

Popular Social Media Platforms 8

Facebook 9

Twitter 10

Linkedin 11

Google+ 12

Ethical and Legal Issues 13

Despite the range of positive uses of social media for both individual PT’s and the profession as a whole, there are also a number of ethical and legal issues associated with its use

Social media sites, with user created content, are vehicles to share professional and private information

The concern with the rapid increase in rates of use is that knowledge regarding the potential dangers implicit in this digital behavior is not growing at the same speed

The increased rate of casual use couples with a lack of knowledge regarding the functionality of social media and platforms, begs for more uniform education on managing digital dangers.

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Ethical Issues

Physical Therapists should be mindful that social media activity can blur the boundaries between personal & professional lives

The line separating freedom of speech and inappropriate posting may be unclear.

Applicable ethical principles relevant to clinical care & social media: Patient – Clinician Relationship Minimizing Intrusions on Privacy – HIPPA, FERPA Maintaining Confidentiality Self-presentation (Implications of the nature and scope of

information available online)

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Ethical issues continued…

Ethical questions can be categorized according to 5 primary criteria:

Who is viewing the social media information?

How is the social media information accessed?

For what purpose is the social information used?

What are the criteria one uses for making judgments about social media information, and

What is the nature of “relationships” in social media

Legal Issues 16

Corporate use vs. Employee use of social media

Some unlawful activities that may be associated with use of social media Freedom of speech Search and seizure issues Copyright infringement and other intellectual property rights Breach of individual publicity and privacy rights Obscene or defamatory content/statements

Several legal risks associated with employee use of social media Claims of discrimination, disparate treatment of employees, hostile work

environment, defamation claims, and improper disclosure of protected/confident

Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants 17

DIGITAL NATIVES Students Fast Young Future Multi-tasking Images Playful Inductive learning Digital Action Constant connection

DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS Teachers Slow Old Past, or ‘legacy’ Logical, serial thinking Texts Serious Deductive learning Analogue Knowledge Isolation

The applicability of ethical guidelines might be very different for digital natives and digital immigrants.

Ethical Concerns and Recommendations 18

Challenge Recommendation

Managing your identity and professional image

• Perform “electronic self-audits” to monitor your online presence • Maximize online privacy settings for personal profiles and social

networking sites • Develop “dual citizenship” online with separate professional (public) and

personal (private) networking profiles • Develop a professional biography for patients and others to

preferentially find when using search engines Using social media in a professional manner

• Understand that all posted content should be considered public and permanent

• Encourage online behavior of PT’s, PTA’s, aids, and office staff to mirror the standards of behavior maintained in the clinic

• Refrain from posting potentially identifiable vignettes online unless you obtain patient consent

Communicating with patients electronically and professionally

• Preferentially use secure messaging for electronic communication with patients or, where not available, provide informed consent for e-mail

• Avoid direct communication with patients via third-party platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)

• Recognize that patients may have unequal access to electronic resources

Ethical Decision Making Framework 19

Get the Facts What are the relevant facts of the case? What facts are not known?

Can I learn more about the situation? Do I know enough to make a decision?

What individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome? Are some concerns more important? Why? What’s the usual and customary action? What are legal implications regarding this issues?

What are the options for acting? Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted? What is their belief/value system? Have I identified creative options?

Ethical Decision Making Framework… 20

Recognize an Ethical Issue Could this situation be damaging to someone or to some group? Is

there any barrier keeping one from doing what they know is right? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alternative, or perhaps between two "goods" or between two "bads"?

Could the situation be labeled as ethical distress, ethical dilemma or locus of authority challenge?

Is this issue about more than what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how?

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Use Ethics Theories or Approaches to Analyze the Problem(s) Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm?

(The Utilitarian Approach) Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The

Rights Approach) Which option treats people equally or proportionately? (The Justice

Approach) Which option best serves the community as a whole, not just some

members? (The Common Good Approach) Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be?

(The Virtue Approach) What principles of personal, professional, and global ethics are at

stake?

Ethical Decision Making Framework…

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Evaluate Alternative Actions What are the alternative actions that could be done? What are the

constraints in performing a specific action(s)?

Determine what are the ethical issues bearing including consequences (economic, psychosocial, social, legal-administrative, and clinical) on the possible alternative course of action?

What’s the benefit/risk ratio for each alternative? Are there any non-ethical considerations like rules that automatically invalidate alternatives? Benefits outweigh risks, then consider option Risks outweigh the benefits, then reject option

Considering all these approaches, which option best addresses the situation?

Ethical Decision Making Framework…

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ACT How can my decision be implemented with the greatest care and

attention to the concerns of all stakeholders?

Evaluate the Process and Outcome How did my decision turn out and what do the people involved

have to say about the decision?

What were the most challenging aspects? How did this situation compare with others encountered/heard about?

What have I learned from this specific situation?

Ethical Decision Making Framework…

Developing Social Media Strategy 24

Determine the purpose of social media campaign and marketing strategy.

Research your audience and the most appropriate social media channels to reach to them.

Set up your accounts and determine the best tools to manage those accounts.

Develop Social Media Policy and feel free to provide the policy to your patients/clients Example of Keely Kolmes, Psy.D. “My Private Practice Social Media Policy”

http://www.drkkolmes.com/docs/socmed.pdf

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Broadcast messages that resonates most with your audience and relay offline campaigns on the internet

Train internal staff on your clinic’s social media policy and how to manage those accounts using the tools.

Develop metrics and institute tracking devices to gauge success (return on investment – time, money).

Determine how to deliver promotional content and campaigns through the channels.

Monitor changes in social media technology, channels, and tools and make adjustments and provide training.

Social Media Strategy…

Do’s and Don'ts for social networking 26

Do’s

Use privacy settings to safeguard personal information and content

Maintain appropriate professional boundaries

Create and maintain separate personal and professional online identities

Bring unprofessional content to the attention of a colleague or appropriate authorities

Be aware of effects on reputation with patients and colleagues and the impact on the profession

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Don’ts Do not post identifiable patient information online Do not present yourself as an official representative of or

spokesperson for a place of employment. Do not display vulgar language Do not display language, photographs, or videos that imply disrespect

for any individual or group because of age, race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Be cautious about presentation of content that may reasonably be interpreted as condoning irresponsible use of alcohol/substance abuse

Do not post potentially inflammatory or unflattering material on another individual’s website for e.g. – “wall” on Facebook

Do’s and Don'ts for social networking…

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“We’re living at a time when attention is the new currency. Those who insert themselves into as many channels as possible look set to capture the most value.”

Pete Cashmore, Founder of mashable.com

References 29

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Association of Corporate Counsel. Workplace challenges associated with employees’ social media use. Legal Resources. 2010. Available at http://www.acc.com/legalresources/quickcounsel/wcawesmu.cfm. Accessed July 5, 2012.

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References 30

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