Advice to the Profession: Maintaining Professional Obligations when Engaging on Public Platforms
CPSM recognizes there are many complex and important issues facing society, both locally and globally and registrants may feel an obligation to respond. As members of a self-regulating profession who serve the public, registrants must consider how their words and actions are perceived by others, including those who hold different views.
Understand the impact of your words on the public and the profession
All CPSM registrants —physicians, residents, clinical assistants, physician assistants, medical students, and physician assistant students— must be well informed of the professional obligations and the potential dangers and repercussions of posting personal views online.
While social media facilitates public dialogue and the expression of opinions, it also has the potential to harm the public’s trust in the profession.
Maintaining professional conduct
While your intent may be to offer good-faith support for a cause or group, publicly sharing your views online can have unintended consequences. As a medial practitioner, your words carry significant weight and have the potential to cause harm. If one registrant’s actions are perceived negatively, it can be damaging to the credibility, trust, and respect of the entire profession.
Social media and other public forums amplify this impact and your digital footprint may have long-lasting consequences. Your words can go viral quickly, their reach going far beyond your intended audience, and screenshots may capture your words forever.
Ensuring public safety
CPSM’s role is to focus on registrants' conduct and ensure that no individual patient, colleagues, or communities feel isolated, harmed, or unsafe.
While expressing your views online may not trigger regulatory action, if the way you express those views makes any individual or segment of the population feel unsafe or compromises public confidence in the medical profession, CPSM is obliged to look into the matter.
Due to diverging opinions on various medical, political, social, and economical issues, anything posted in the public domain may be contested and result in a complaint to the College. CPSM is obligated to treat each complaint matter seriously and fairly and in accordance with current regulations and complaints processes.
Privacy Considerations
Respecting colleagues, patients, and all persons with dignity and respect are core ethical obligations.
Publicly sharing private or identifying information about an individual without their consent undermines the Professional Code of Ethics and Professionalism. Exposing personal information about others including names of individuals, their workplace, or other personal details, can lead to physical harm, harassment, and threats.
Abiding by the Code of Ethics and Professionalism is the foundation upon which we build trust, and ensure the highest quality of care.
Your commitment to these principles is crucial in maintaining a safe, trustworthy, and respectful environment for patients.
RESOURCES
From CPSM
- CPSM Code of Ethics and Professionalism
- Standard of Practice – Social Media (includes contextual information)
- Patient Care Expectations
From the Canadian Medical Protective Association
- Good Practices Guide: Professionalism
- Participating in health advocacy
- Social media: The opportunities, the realities
From The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada