Social media has become an integral part in most of our personal lives. The HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) defines Social Media as including social networks (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and LinkedIn), content-sharing platforms (e.g. YouTube, Tik-Tok and Instagram), personal and professional blogs (including email, SMS, electronic journals as well as those published anonymously), internet discussion forums, and the comment sections of websites.
The use of Social Media by the health care professional is a contentious topic on the best of times, especially when we start questioning the ethics around it. In 2019 the HPCSA published guidelines for the use of social media. These guidelines are directed to all HPCSA health care professionals that use social media in their personal and professional capacity. The guideline was developed to help health practitioners understand their obligations when using social media.
In this webinar, we will unpack and discuss these guidelines to assist health care professionals to navigate social media in a responsible manner.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:
Understand the scope of what constitutes “social media” in healthcare contexts.
Identify ethical risks associated with online communication, advertising, and information sharing.
Apply core principles of the HPCSA’s 2019 guidelines to your own digital activity.
Explore how to manage dual relationships, client contact, and confidentiality in the online environment.
Learn practical strategies to create or update a personal and professional social media policy.
Reflect on your digital footprint and ethical responsibilities as a regulated practitioner.
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