Pitfalls and positives of social media in medicine today – EHSL Vitals Vitals News & Events Home Eccles Library COVID-19 Updates Announcements Library Services Events Yoga at the Library Employment Library Site Topics Technology Hub Priscilla M. Mayden Lecture Domestic & Sexual Violence Resources Powered by the University of Utah Powered by Search Campus EHSL Vitals News and Events Home Medicine Pitfalls and positives of social media in medicine today Pitfalls and positives of social media in medicine today April 13, 2012 | Todd Vandenbark A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) “surveyed the 68 executive directors of all medical and osteopathic boards in the United States and its territories about violations of online professionalism reported to them.” Of those that responded, 92% indicated at least one of a list of online professional violations had been reported to their board. The following graph depicts the number of state medical boards reporting violations, not the number of violations themselves: The number of incidents, when compared to the total number of disciplinary actions taken by medical boards, is small, but can be expected to grow as more physicians embrace and use social media. In contrast, at Ohio State University (OSU), instructors recognize that today’s learners rely more heavily on technology to gain knowledge for a future career. A pilot study showed how social media (in this case, Twitter and Facebook) can be used to “push” helpful information to students on a daily basis. More than half of the participants had not used Twitter previously, and upwards of 80% found it a useful and helpful addition to their course. Any tool can and will be used and misused, social media included. What is important is to learn from our mistakes, and remain open to new and novel ways to benefit all. Share this: Related Posts Virtual Anatomy Education Resources Feb 24, 2021 Philip B. Price, M.D. Digital Exhibition Jun 15, 2020 Teaching in Medicine Podcast: A New Podcast by School of Medicine Faculty Member Apr 1, 2020 Dermasphere: New Podcast by U Faculty Member Aug 28, 2019 Posted in Medicine, Social MediaTagged medical education, online professionalism, social media, violations of ethical standards Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah, brand Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library The University of Utah 10 N. 1900 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84112 Phone 801.581.5534 campus: A-Z Index Directory Map Events Employment partners: EHSL Site U Health U Policies Disclaimer Privacy