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“ You must maintain appropriate boundaries in the relationships you have with patients”


4.2) and proceed with extreme caution. Broadly, when gaining patient consent to share their information, it is important the patient fully understands: 1. The content being released and how it may be used 2. The reason for sharing the information 3. Where the information will exist 4.


The likely outcomes of releasing the information.


A record should also be made of whether or not the patient gave their permission.


Patient dialogue Many dental practices set up corporate accounts on the likes of Facebook or Twitter as a means to post relevant patient announcements or other useful information, with some also inviting patient feedback. Any practice account of this kind should state clearly that social media is not an appropriate means for patients to seek clinical help, and instructions for doing so (i.e. the practice phone number) should be posted prominently to avoid confusion. While inviting patient views may prove useful, bear in mind that this


can generate both positive and negative comments. Any dental professional unfortunate enough to receive an online patient complaint should think carefully before responding and it is advisable to first contact your dental defence organisation for advice.


Patient friend request Another important question for dentists using social media is: “What do you do if a patient sends you a Facebook friend request?” Or if they want to engage with you on any form of social media? A recent poll by GDPUK looking at the use of Facebook amongst dentists found that 72 per cent of them had a personal account. Of those, 47 per cent said their profile was public or only partially private and 31 per cent admitted to accepting one or more patient friend requests. The GDC advise: “You must maintain appropriate boundaries in the


relationships you have with patients. You must not take advantage of your position as a dental professional in your relationships with patients.” They say dentists should “think carefully” before accepting friend requests from patients. MDDUS Head of Dental Division Aubrey Craig goes one step further and advises dentists to “politely decline” any such request, explaining the need to maintain professional boundaries. As before, use your profile privacy settings to make your account as


secure as possible. Facebook allows users to block their profile from public searches which may help reduce contacts from patients. Social media will continue to be an inseparable and positive part of all


of our lives. We should think carefully before acting online, in order that we maintain our patient’s trust in us as dentists and in our profession as a whole.


Sameera Teli is a dentist and editor of SoundBite


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