Social media
General practitioners (GPs) and general practice staff are increasingly using social media for professional and business purposes. While there are clear benefits to using social media for business purposes, there are also potential risks associated with GPs and general practice staff participating in social media.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) resource Social media: How to meet your obligations under the National Law articulates professional and legal obligations when participating in social media.
Privacy requirements
Health practitioners and health organisations have a legal obligation to keep patient information confidential and protect the privacy of patients’ information. This obligation applies to the use of social media.
This means that when using social media, team members must not discuss patients or post pictures of procedures, case studies, patients or sensitive material. Such material posted online may identify patients without their informed consent.
For further guidance refer to the RACGP’s Privacy and managing health information in general practice
Security
Before participating in social media use, it is important for GPs and general practice team members to secure computers, digital technologies, and internet and Wi-Fi connections to ensure that your practice is protected against potential exposure to unauthorised access and theft or loss of personal information.
For guidance and a framework to evaluate risks, and solutions to improve competency and capacity in computer and information security, refer to the RACGP’s Information security in general practice.
Practice policy
If your practice intends to use social media, you must ensure that you have a social media policy in place and that team members are familiar with and comply with the policy and its relevant content. You should consider developing a practice code of conduct for the use of social media that reflects obligations outlined in Ahpra's Social media: How to meet your obligations under the National Law.
Testimonials & Ahpra Guidelines
The use of social media by GPs and general practice staff can be regarded as a form of advertising of a health service and is subject to the Ahpra Guidelines for advertising regulated health services. If anyone leaves a testimonial on your social media profile, it could breach the national law that imposes limits on advertising of health services delivered by registered health practitioners. Ahpra requires practitioners to take reasonable steps to remove testimonials that advertise their health services (this may include comments about the practitioners themselves). However, according to the guidelines 'practitioners are not responsible for removing (or trying to have removed) unsolicited testimonials published on a website or in social media over which they do not have control’.
It is up to your practice to ensure that the settings of your social media websites adhere to AHPRA and Medical Board of Australia guidelines. For all related codes and guidelines, refer to the codes, guidelines and policies outlined by the Medical Board of Australia.
AHPRA and the National Boards have published a self-assessment advertising and testimonial tool to help health practitioners comply with the national law.
The RACGP has also developed the resource Responding to online reviews, that provides further information about using testimonials.
Using Disclaimers
If the views displayed on your personal social media page do not directly reflect those of the general practice, boards, or committees that you are a part of, insert a disclaimer that explains this. For example, ‘This account reflects my personal views and not the views of my employer, or any businesses, committees or boards with which I am involved.’ However, you should be aware that disclaimers may be of little practical use in the absence of supporting or reinforcing activities.