Urologists and social media: pitfalls and perils and what to think about before hitting ‘send’

Objective

To summarise current guidelines from professional bodies relevant to urologists on social media, and to discusses a range of risks associated with social media use. These include the risk of a fitness to practise investigation, breaking the law, loss of employment, and personal risk in the form of harassment and doxxing.

Methods

Review of guidelines and recommendations published by professional bodies revelant to urologists and review of relevant case examples in the medical profession and other relevant professions.

Results

This article finds whereas most doctors will be aware of the risks of posting on public social media platforms, the recent case studies in medical and other contexts have highlighted the risks of disciplinary action from regulators and even criminal investigation in the use of private social media.

Conclusion

Although the majority of urologists are unlikely to violate ethical and good medical practice principles in their use of social media, this article serves as a reminder of the potential consequences based on real-life case examples.