Social media for healthcare professionals: New ethical guidelines

The popularity and use of social media have grown at exponential rates over the past few years. Many healthcare professionals (HCPs) consider the use of social media in their daily practice as a positive, rather than a negative. However, concern is growing that HCPs may expose themselves unwittingly to ethical dilemmas when using social media. Although HCPs should not be discouraged from using the benefits of social media, they still need to be aware of any potential ethical pitfalls, even if such consequences of using social media are unintended. As a result, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) published the booklet: ‘Ethical Guidelines on Social Media’, which aims to help HCPs understand their ethical responsibilities when making use of social media.