Online Medical Professionalism
Authors: Jeanne M. Farnan, Lois Snyder Sulmasy, Humayun Chaudhry
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

LettersJuly 16, 2013Online Medical ProfessionalismJeanne M. Farnan, MD, MHPE, Lois Snyder Sulmasy, JD, and Humayun Chaudhry, DO, MS, SMJeanne M. Farnan, MD, MHPEFrom University of Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois; American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Federation of State Medical Boards, Euless, Texas.Search for more papers by this author, Lois Snyder Sulmasy, JDFrom University of Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois; American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Federation of State Medical Boards, Euless, Texas.Search for more papers by this author, and Humayun Chaudhry, DO, MS, SMFrom University of Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois; American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Federation of State Medical Boards, Euless, Texas.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-2-201307160-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We thank Drs. Devon and Ganai, and Ms. Lee and Dr. Wu for their letters on next steps for physician participation in the digital space. Although maintaining distinct professional and personal personas is challenging, we agree that examining the level of professionalism of online behavior is critical for trust in and societal perception of the medical profession. The house call is a useful analogy of a physician—in his or her professional, not personal, capacity—entering the patient's personal space. It also illustrates changing medical practices and the need to continually reaffirm principles of professionalism.We agree that the distinction ...References1. Greysen SR, Chretien KC, Kind T, Young A, and Gross CP. Physician violations of online professionalism and disciplinary actions: a national survey of state medical boards. JAMA. 2012;307:1141-2. [PMID: 22436951] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Greysen SR, Johnson D, Kind T, Chretien KC, Gross CP, Young A, et al. Online professionalism investigations by state medical boards: first, do no harm. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158:124-30 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Chretien KC, Farnan JM, Greysen SR, and Kind T. To friend or not to friend? Social networking and faculty perceptions of online professionalism. Acad Med. 2011;86:1545-50. [PMID: 22030752] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois; American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Federation of State Medical Boards, Euless, Texas.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M12-2111. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoOnline Medical Professionalism: Patient and Public Relationships: Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards Jeanne M. Farnan , Lois Snyder Sulmasy , Brooke K. Worster , Humayun J. Chaudhry , Janelle A. Rhyne , Vineet M. Arora , , , and Online Medical Professionalism Karen Devon and Sabha Ganai Online Medical Professionalism Joy L. Lee and Albert W. Wu Metrics July 16, 2013Volume 159, Issue 2Page: 158-159KeywordsBehaviorInternetMultiple sclerosisPerceptionPhysiciansSportsTaste ePublished: 16 July 2013 Issue Published: July 16, 2013 CopyrightCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...