Rural physicians in Quebec predominantly use social media amongst themselves, mainly email, for administrative purposes. They use social media cautiously to avoid impacting the patient-physician relationship, which they see social media as not well-suited for. Only 30% use social media, mainly email, with patients. While some physicians see value in practice guidelines for social media, others feel current professionalism standards suffice or are unsure if extra guidance is needed.

1. Rural
Physicians
in
Quebec
use
Social
Media
Predominantly
amongst
Themselves,
with
a
Spontaneous
Eye
to
Titre du document
Professionalism
and
the
PreservaCon
of
the
Doctor-­‐PaCent
RelaConship
Auteurs
Vander
Stelt,
Ruth1,2,
BA,
MD,
CCFP;
Nadon,
Robert2;
Archambault,
Patrick4,5,
MD,
MSc,
FRCPC
1-­‐
Centre
de
santé
et
de
services
sociaux
PonGac,
Shawville,
Québec;
2-­‐President,
Québec
Medical
AssociaGon;
3-­‐
Director
of
Professional
Affairs,
Québec
Medical
AssociaGon;
4-­‐
FRQS
Clinical
Scholar,
Université
Laval,
Québec;
5-­‐
Centre
de
santé
et
de
services
sociaux
Alphonse-­‐Desjardins,
Lévis,
Québec
Background
Table
1.
Demographic
informaCon
(N=27)
Ø Figure
2.
What
are
the
barriers
to
using
social
media
?
Female
gender
-­‐
N
(%)
8
(30)
Ø Social
media
are
increasingly
popular
and
widely
used.
Internet
problems
13%
Ø Although
several
jurisdicCons
have
developed
guidelines
for
their
use,
liHle
is
Mean
age
(years)
50
known
about
how
rural
physicians
perceive
and
use
them
in
their
pracCce.
Full
Gme
physicians
-­‐
N
(%)
27
(100)
Lack
of
interest
17%
Family
physicians
-­‐
N
(%)
22
(81)
ObjecGves
Lack
of
Gme
17%
Ø To
idenCfy
the
beliefs
and
uses
of
social
media
amongst
rural
physicians.
Surgeons
-­‐
N
(%)
3
(11)
Fear
of
being
overwhelmed
21%
Anesthesist
-­‐
N
(%)
1
(4)
Impersonal
33%
Internist
-­‐
N
(%)
1
(4)
Methods
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Ø In
April
2012,
verbal
interviews
were
conducted
amongst
all
27
full-­‐Cme
Ø Figure
1.
What
social
media
is
used
?
Ø Figure
3.
Reasons
for
using
social
media
physicians
in
our
health
centre,
including
22
family
physicians,
3
surgeons,
1
anestheCst,
and
1
internist.
10%
Social
media
used
with
colleagues
Ø ParCcipants
were
interviewed
about
their
interprofessional
usage
of
social
media
7%
as
well
as
any
usage
with
paCents:
what
they
saw
as
advantages
and
3%
3%
3%
Email
7%
7%
disadvantages;
any
spontaneous
or
structured
guidelines
they
use,
and
the
need
6%
Ruralmed
listserv
AdministraGve
for
addiConal
guidance.
Ø One
reviewer
compiled
and
analyzed
the
results
of
the
interviews
and
then
two
Facebook
Case
discussion
reviewers
drew
conclusions
based
on
the
informaCon
gleaned.
75%
Twi^er
79%
Clinical
LinkedIn
Knowledge
sharing
Nil
Results
Social
media
used
with
paCents
Ø Figure
3.
What
addiConal
guidance
is
required
?
Ø A
minority
of
physicians
uses
Facebook,
TwiHer
and
LinkedIn.
Ø A
larger
proporCon
uses
Ruralmed
listserve,
an
electronic
forum
for
rural
physicians.
30%
17%
PracGce
guidelines
Ø The
most
widely
used
social
media
amongst
colleagues
is
e-­‐mail,
used
by
75%
of
17%
physicians,
essenCally
for
administraCve
purposes.
Email
Secure
Ø 10%
of
physicians
reported
no
use
at
all
70%
Nil
66%
environment
Ø This
low
use
also
corresponded
to
pracCces
where
the
Advanced-­‐Access
model
is
Security
codes
acCvely
in
use
and
paCents
are
not
seeking
increased
access
to
their
physician.
Ø Only
30%
of
physicians
use
social
media
with
their
paCents
-­‐
this
is
limited
to
email
as
well.
Ø None
accept
or
offer
friend
status
on
Facebook.
Conclusion
Ø Reasons
for
this
low
use
of
social
media
include:
1)
perceived
impersonal
nature
Ø These
physicians
from
rural
Québec
are
generally
cauCous
faced
with
the
phenomenon
of
social
media,
which
they
perceive
to
be
of
social
media;
2)
lack
of
Cme
and
interest;
3)
fear
of
being
overwhelmed;
4)
currently
non-­‐adapted
to
the
doctor-­‐paCent
relaConship.
Internet
connecCon
problems.
Ø They
predominantly
use
email
amongst
themselves
for
administraCve
purposes.
They
spontaneously
adopt
a
framework
of
Ø Physicians
were
divided
as
to
the
need
for
addiConal
guidance,
with
44%
in
professionalism
and
respect
for
confidenCality.
favour,
15%
against,
and
41%
unsure.
Ø They
are
divided
as
to
the
need
for
addiConal
guidance.
Email:
ruthvanderstelt@storm.ca
www.amq.ca