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Cited by 26Social Media in Health EducationInnovations in Medical EducationImpact of Technology on Adolescents

Future healthcare providers and professionalism on social media: a cross-sectional study

Open access
Soubra, Rabih, Hasan, Ibrahim, Ftouni, Louna, Saab, Adam, Shaarani, Issam·2022·BMC Medical Ethics
DOI 10.1186/s12910-022-00742-7PMC PMC8781471
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Abstract

Background: Nowadays, social media have become central in the daily lives of people, including healthcare professionals. Fears arise that the accelerated growth of these social platforms was not accompanied by the appropriate training of the healthcare students and workers on the professional use of social media. This study primarily aimed to assess the awareness of the healthcare students at Beirut Arab University, Lebanon on the professional standards of social media. It also aimed to assess the presence of differences in the practices and attitudes of healthcare students according to gender and major. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed, and a paper-based questionnaire was distributed to healthcare students. Chi-Square test was used to analyse certain findings. Results: Out of 1800 students approached, 496 participated in the questionnaire. All participants used social media. Only 19.5% (96/496) of them had received a structured education on the professional use of social media during their university study. The majority of students (349/488, 71.5%) thought that the professional standards on social media are distinct from those established in face-to-face interactions. Female students were more likely to get adequate answers in accordance with international guidelines. There were statistically significant differences in the practices and attitudes of students belonging to different majors (p value < 0.05). Conclusion: The line between what is professional on social media, and what is not, remains blurred for healthcare students. This study uncovered the need for clear and updated evidence-based guidelines assisting students in making the most appropriate decisions in the various online scenarios faced in healthcare practice.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

A cross-sectional survey of 496 healthcare students at Beirut Arab University found that all used social media, but only 19.5% had received structured education on professional social media use. Awareness of online professionalism was limited and differed significantly by gender and major.

Key findings

  • Of 1800 students approached, 496 participated (response rate 27.54%); 56.6% (279/493) spent more than 3 h per day on social media, with Instagram (84.5%, 419/496) and Facebook (81.7%, 405/496) most used.
  • Only 19.5% (96/496) had received structured education on professional social media use during university; 80.5% (396/492) reported not receiving any structured education.
  • 71.5% (349/488) thought professional standards on social media differ from face-to-face interactions; 74.5% (360/483) considered mentioning a patient’s real name inappropriate, while only 51.2% (246/480) considered discussing anonymized patient matters in online forums inappropriate.
  • Female students were more likely to give answers aligned with international guidelines; statistically significant differences by major were found in practices and attitudes (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found between pre-clinical and clinical students overall (p = 0.907).

Methods

  • Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between August 2017 and December 2019 at Beirut Arab University, Lebanon, using a paper-based questionnaire distributed to healthcare students from Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Health Sciences (Nursing, Physiotherapy, Medical Lab, Nutrition).
  • Sample size was estimated at 385, adjusted to a minimum of 480 for incomplete questionnaires; 496 students participated, with ages ranging from 17 to 31 and 69.2% female.
  • The questionnaire covered demographics, social media use, practices, and attitudes; attitudes were compared with international guidelines, and data were analyzed in SPSS v25 using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Limitations

  • The paper states: single-university setting, convenience sampling, low response rate (27.54%), potential recall bias, inability to compare pre-clinical versus clinical students in Nursing and Nutrition due to curriculum structure, and findings reflecting the time and place of the study.
  • Evident from the text: the cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, and self-reported answers may be subject to social desirability bias; some practice questions had lower response rates because only eligible participants answered them (e.g., friend-request items had N = 227 or 124).

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1186/s12910-022-00742-7

Cites

42 of 42 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 70 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Female students were more likely than male students to give answers in accordance with international guidelines.

    “Female students were more likely to get adequate answers in accordance with international guidelines.”
    • Also stated in: § Attitudes of healthcare students towards various issues related to social media professionalism · plain
      “We found statistically significant differences in the attitudes of female and male students in six of eight questions, with answers of female students being more in line with the guidelines’ statements.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The international guidelines (GMC, GDC, NMC, GPC, RPS, BDA, CSP, CSMLS) are applicable to Lebanese healthcare students for judging the appropriateness of their attitudes.
  • Findingown data

    There were statistically significant differences in the practices and attitudes of students belonging to different majors (p value < 0.05).

    “There were statistically significant differences in the practices and attitudes of students belonging to different majors (p value < 0.05).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    The majority of students (349/488, 71.5%) thought that professional standards on social media are distinct from those established in face-to-face interactions.

    “The majority of students (349/488, 71.5%) thought that the professional standards on social media are distinct from those established in face-to-face interactions.”
    • Also stated in: § Attitudes of healthcare students towards various issues related to social media professionalism · plain
      “The majority of students (349/488, 71.5%) stated that the professional standards of healthcare providers through social media differ from those in traditional face-to-face interactions.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    All participants used social media.

    “All participants used social media.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Only 19.5% (96/496) of healthcare students had received structured education on the professional use of social media during their university study.

    “Only 19.5% (96/496) of them had received a structured education on the professional use of social media during their university study.”
    • Also stated in: § Social media usage · plain
      “Also, 80.5% (396/492) did not receive any structured education about the professional use of social media during their university study.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 22
  • May combine two claims. 32

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Most participants (343/496, 69.2%) were females.

    “Most of the participants (343/496, 69.2%) were females.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    The majority of participants were from the first three academic years.

    “the majority were from the first three academic years (Table 1).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    All participants used at least one social media platform, with Instagram and Facebook being the most utilized.

    “All the participants used at least one social media platform, with Instagram and Facebook being the most utilized.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    For mentioning a patient's real name in a post (p value = 0.009), physiotherapy students obtained the highest number of correct answers (87.2%), in contrast to 48.1% of nursing students.

    “First, for mentioning a patient’s real name in a post (p value = 0.009), physiotherapy students obtained the highest number of correct answers (87.2%), in contrast to only 48.1% of nursing students.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The international guidelines (GMC, GDC, NMC, GPC, RPS, BDA, CSP, CSMLS) are applicable to Lebanese healthcare students for judging the appropriateness of their attitudes.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Of 1800 students approached, 496 filled out the questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 27.54%.

    “We approached 1800 students from the healthcare faculties, of which 496 filled out the questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 27.54%.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The 496 respondents are representative of healthcare students at Beirut Arab University.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    No associations exist between answering questions correctly and belonging to any of the majors or being in a pre-clinical or clinical year.

    “No associations exist between answering questions correctly and belonging to any of the majors or being in a pre-clinical or clinical year (Table 5).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    There were statistically significant differences by major in willingness to provide medical advice to patients on social media (p value = 0.000); 78.2% of pharmacy students expressed desire, while medical students were least prompted (46.8%).

    “Finally, for willingness to provide medical advice to patients on social media (p value = 0.000), 78.2% of pharmacy students expressed their desire to provide such advices, while medical students were the least prompted to provide them (46.8%).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    There were statistically significant differences by major in responding to a patient's friend request (p value = 0.015); nursing and medical lab students accepted the highest number (100% each), in contrast to 40% of physiotherapy students.

    “For responding to patient’s friend request (p-value = 0.015), nursing and medical lab students accepted the highest number of requests (100% for each), in contrast to just 40% of physiotherapy students.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    There were statistically significant differences by major in sending friend requests to patients (p value = 0.022); 97.7% of pharmacy students refrained, while 16.7% of physiotherapy students had sent a request.

    “Regarding sending friend requests to patients (p value = 0.022), the vast majority of pharmacy students (97.7%) refrained from sending any request, while 16.7% of physiotherapy students have already sent a request.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    No statistical significance was found between genders for mentioning a patient's real name in a post (p value = 0.506) and mentioning patient information that might indirectly lead to their identification (p value = 0.112).

    “The two questions in which no statistical significance was found were related to mentioning a patient’s real name in a post (p value = 0.506) and mentioning patient information that might indirectly lead to their identification (p value = 0.112).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The international guidelines (GMC, GDC, NMC, GPC, RPS, BDA, CSP, CSMLS) are applicable to Lebanese healthcare students for judging the appropriateness of their attitudes.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    For complaining about attitudes and behaviors of faculty members (p value = 0.037), 81.8% of pharmacy students complied with the guidelines, while only 50% of nursing students answered correctly.

    “Second, for complaining about attitudes and behaviors of faculty members (p value = 0.037), 81.8% of pharmacy students complied with the guidelines, while only 50% of nursing students answered correctly.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The international guidelines (GMC, GDC, NMC, GPC, RPS, BDA, CSP, CSMLS) are applicable to Lebanese healthcare students for judging the appropriateness of their attitudes.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    There were statistically significant differences by major in receiving friend requests from patients (p value = 0.002); dentistry students were most liable (74.2%) compared to medical students (35.7%).

    “Concerning receiving friend requests from patients (p value = 0.002), dentistry students were the most liable to such requests (74.2%), compared to only 35.7% of medical students.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Each faculty was represented in approximately 25% of the participants.

    “Each faculty was represented in approximately 25% of the participants”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Despite opposing the idea of initiating an encounter with a patient online, around two-thirds of the participants affirmed that they would provide, in future practice, medical advice to a patient via social media.

    “Despite opposing the idea of initiating an encounter with a patient online, around two-thirds of the participants affirmed that they would provide, in future practice, medical advice to a patient via social media.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Students from different majors had variable answers to three out of eight questions related to online professionalism, with no major showing absolutely better knowledge over the others.

    “In our study, students from different majors had variable answers to three out of eight questions related to online professionalism, with no major showing absolutely better knowledge over the others.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    Guidelines have not clearly stated their position on political affairs on social media.

    “Although political affairs are frequently brought up on social media, guidelines have not clearly stated their position on this particular issue.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    These matters were either not discussed in some international guidelines or not clearly stated as right or wrong in others.

    “These matters, despite their importance, were either not discussed in some international guidelines or not clearly stated as right or wrong in others.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Patients were more likely to send a friend request to a healthcare professional, but the opposite seldom occurred.

    “The results of this study showed that patients were more likely to send a friend request to a healthcare professional, but the opposite seldom occurred.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Ambiguity prevails in the healthcare sector over moral principles on social media, and healthcare professionals face daily emerging ethical dilemmas.

    “However, ambiguity prevails in the healthcare sector over the moral principles on social media, and modern-day healthcare professionals are finding themselves facing daily emerging ethical dilemmas [10, 11].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [10] Brown J, Ryan C, Harris A. How doctors view and use social media: a national survey. J Med Internet Res. 2014;16(12):e267. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3589. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [11] Denecke K, Bamidis P, Bond C, Gabarron E, Househ M, Lau AYS, et al. Ethical issues of social media usage in healthcare. Yearb Med Inform. 2015;24(01):137–47. https://doi.org/10.15265/iy-2015-001. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    A form of vagueness has risen in adopting a professional approach on various social media platforms.

    “Consequently, a form of vagueness has risen in adopting a professional approach on the various social media platforms [12].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [12] Cork N, Grant P. Blurred lines: the General Medical Council guidance on doctors and social media. Clin Med. 2016;16(3):219–22. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.16-3-219. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Studies from the past decade showed that doctors have limited presence on social media and are unsure how to respond to modern ethical dilemmas.

    “Studies dating from the past decade showed that doctors have limited presence on social media and are unsure as to how to respond to modern ethical dilemmas [10, 13].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [10] Brown J, Ryan C, Harris A. How doctors view and use social media: a national survey. J Med Internet Res. 2014;16(12):e267. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3589. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [13] George DR, Rovniak LS, Kraschnewski JL. Dangers and opportunities for social media in medicine. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2013;56(3):453–62. https://doi.org/10.1097/GRF.0b013e318297dc38. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The questionnaire was developed after a thorough literature review, reviewed, and piloted.

    “We developed the questionnaire after a thorough literature review [10–12, 21, 22, 27–31]. We then carefully reviewed the questions and decided on answers that represent more ethical consensus [11, 22, 27, 28]. Lastly, we revised and piloted the final draft of the questionnaire.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 10 sources checked
    • cites [10] Brown J, Ryan C, Harris A. How doctors view and use social media: a national survey. J Med Internet Res. 2014;16(12):e267. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3589. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [11] Denecke K, Bamidis P, Bond C, Gabarron E, Househ M, Lau AYS, et al. Ethical issues of social media usage in healthcare. Yearb Med Inform. 2015;24(01):137–47. https://doi.org/10.15265/iy-2015-001. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [12] Cork N, Grant P. Blurred lines: the General Medical Council guidance on doctors and social media. Clin Med. 2016;16(3):219–22. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.16-3-219. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [21] Kang J, Djafari Marbini H, Patel P, Fawcett N, Leaver L. Survey of medical students’ use of social media. Clin Teach. 2015;12(6):373–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12320. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [22] Kenny P, Johnson IG. Social media use, attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of online professionalism amongst dental students. Br Dent J. 2016;221(10):651–5. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.864. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [27] Doctors’ use of social media General Medical Council (GMC). 2013. https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/doctors-use-of-social-media/doctors-use-of-social-media. Accessed 12 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [28] Guidance on using social media. General Dental Council (GDC). 2016. https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/student-faqs/guidance-on-using-social-media.pdf?sfvrsn=6ac9ebce_2. Accessed 12 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [29] Demonstrating professionalism online. General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC). 2016. https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/sites/default/files/demonstrating_professionalism_online.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [30] Benetoli A, Chen TF, Schaefer M, Chaar B, Aslani P. Do pharmacists use social media for patient care? Int J Clin Pharm. 2017;39(2):364–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-017-0444-4. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [31] Duke VJA, Anstey A, Carter S, Gosse N, Hutchens KM, Marsh JA. Social media in nurse education: Utilization and E-professionalism. Nurse Educ Today. 2017;57:8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.06.009. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Chi-Square test was not performed on Nursing and Nutrition majors because Nursing has no pre-clinical phase and Nutrition students do not interact with patients during their undergraduate years.

    “Chi-Square test was not performed on Nursing and Nutrition majors since in the former, there exists no pre-clinical phase (i.e., nursing students interact with patients from the very first year of their major), and in the latter, students do not interact with patients throughout the entirety of their undergraduate years.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    The undefined borders between private and professional life are compromising the patient-healthcare professional relationship due to private information gains on either side.

    “As one study has pointed out [11], the undefined borders between private life and professional life are compromising the patient-healthcare professional relationship due to private information gains on either side [14].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [11] Denecke K, Bamidis P, Bond C, Gabarron E, Househ M, Lau AYS, et al. Ethical issues of social media usage in healthcare. Yearb Med Inform. 2015;24(01):137–47. https://doi.org/10.15265/iy-2015-001. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [14] Jain A, Petty EM, Jaber RM, Tackett S, Purkiss J, Fitzgerald J, et al. What is appropriate to post on social media? Ratings from students, faculty members and the public. Med Educ. 2014;48(2):157–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12282. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Unpreparedness of healthcare providers to transition to virtual interactions with patients threatens professionalism worldwide, and the need to promote professionalism in medical education has risen.

    “One of the factors that threaten professionalism worldwide is the unpreparedness of healthcare providers to transition to virtual interactions with patients [15–17], hence the need to promote professionalism in medical education has risen and is constantly being modified [18–20].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 6 sources checked
    • cites [15] MP Project. Medical professionalism in the new millennium: a physicians’ charter. Med J Aust. 2002;177(5):263–5. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [16] Tallis RC. Doctors in society: medical professionalism in a changing world. Clin Med. 2006;6(1):7–12. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.6-1-7. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [17] Wynia MK, Latham SR, Kao AC, Berg JW, Emanuel LL. Medical professionalism in society. N Engl J Med. 1999;341(21):1612–6. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm199911183412112. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [18] Passi V, Doug M, Peile E, Thistlethwaite J, Johnson N. Developing medical professionalism in future doctors: a systematic review. Int J Med Educ. 2010;1:19–29. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4bda.ca2a. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [19] Schwartz B. An innovative approach to teaching ethics and professionalism. J Can Dent Assoc. 2009;75(5):338–40.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [20] Swick HM, Szenas P, Danoff D, Whitcomb M. Teaching professionalism in undergraduate medical education. JAMA. 1999;282(9):830–2. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.282.9.830. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Participant anonymity was ensured by not including any identifier in the questionnaire.

    “We ensured the anonymity of the participants by not including any identifier in the questionnaire.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The attitudes questions were compared to established international guidelines to identify whether students' attitudes conform to set standards.

    “We compared the questions in the attitudes section to those in established guidelines (General Medical Council “GMC”, General Dental Council “GDC”, Nursing and Midwifery Council “NMC”, General Pharmaceutical Council “GPC” and Royal Pharmaceutical Society “RPS”, British Dietetic Association “BDA”, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy “CSP”, and Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science “CSMLS”)”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The international guidelines (GMC, GDC, NMC, GPC, RPS, BDA, CSP, CSMLS) are applicable to Lebanese healthcare students for judging the appropriateness of their attitudes.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Some studies on healthcare students, mostly in Western and Westernized countries, showed the importance of implementing guidelines on professional social media use, but a limited number of studies targeted all categories of healthcare students.

    “Some studies on healthcare students [21, 22], the majority of which done in Western and Westernized countries, showed the importance of implementing guidelines on the professional use of social media, but a limited number of studies [23–25] targeted all categories of healthcare students.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 5 sources checked
    • cites [21] Kang J, Djafari Marbini H, Patel P, Fawcett N, Leaver L. Survey of medical students’ use of social media. Clin Teach. 2015;12(6):373–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12320. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [22] Kenny P, Johnson IG. Social media use, attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of online professionalism amongst dental students. Br Dent J. 2016;221(10):651–5. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.864. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [23] Henning MA, Hawken S, MacDonald J, McKimm J, Brown M, Moriarty H, et al. Exploring educational interventions to facilitate health professional students’ professionally safe online presence. Med Teach. 2017;39(9):959–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2017.1332363. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [24] Ramage C, Moorley C. A narrative synthesis on healthcare students use and understanding of social media: implications for practice. Nurse Educ Today. 2019;77:40–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.03.010. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [25] Usher K, Woods C, Casellac E, Glass N, Wilson R, Mayner L, et al. Australian health professions student use of social media. Collegian. 2014;21(2):95–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2014.02.004. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    The institution is expected to represent students from all the Lebanese population, in addition to reflecting the status of any healthcare student around the world who did receive any form of training or education regarding professionalism on social media.

    “Yet, we expect this institution to represent students from all the Lebanese population, in addition to reflecting the status of any healthcare student around the world who did receive any form of training or education regarding professionalism on social media.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    At Oxford University, when students received education on professional social media guidelines, their awareness remarkably improved and their compliance with the guidelines enhanced.

    “at Oxford University, when students, regardless of their year of study, received education on professional social media guidelines, their awareness remarkably improved and their compliance with the guidelines enhanced [21].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [21] Kang J, Djafari Marbini H, Patel P, Fawcett N, Leaver L. Survey of medical students’ use of social media. Clin Teach. 2015;12(6):373–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12320. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    The response rate (27.54%) is potentially considered low for direct questionnaires.

    “we acknowledge that the response rate (27.54%) is potentially considered low for direct questionnaires.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    This answer contrasted the findings of two studies, one on medical students and physicians, and the other on pharmacists, which were both against interacting and giving medical advice to patients online.

    “This answer contrasted the findings of two studies, one on medical students and physicians, and the other on pharmacists, which were both against interacting and giving medical advice to patients online [30, 48].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [30] Benetoli A, Chen TF, Schaefer M, Chaar B, Aslani P. Do pharmacists use social media for patient care? Int J Clin Pharm. 2017;39(2):364–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-017-0444-4. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [48] Bosslet GT, Torke AM, Hickman SE, Terry CL, Helft PR. The patient-doctor relationship and online social networks: results of a national survey. J Gen Intern Med. 2011;26(10):1168–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1761-2. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Multiple international guidelines support the importance of knowing one's privacy settings.

    “the importance of this knowledge is supported by multiple international guidelines [27, 28, 42–47].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 8 sources checked
    • cites [27] Doctors’ use of social media General Medical Council (GMC). 2013. https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/doctors-use-of-social-media/doctors-use-of-social-media. Accessed 12 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [28] Guidance on using social media. General Dental Council (GDC). 2016. https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/student-faqs/guidance-on-using-social-media.pdf?sfvrsn=6ac9ebce_2. Accessed 12 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [42] Professionalism in the Use of Social Media. American Medical Association (AMA). https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/professionalism-use-social-media. Accessed 15 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [43] ADSA Social Media and Communication Guideline. Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA). http://www.adsa.org.za/Portals/14/Documents/Branches/ADSA%20Social%20Media%20Brochure.pdf. Accessed 15 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [44] Social media as a professional tool. Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). https://www.rpharms.com/resources/toolkits/social-media-guidance/social-media-as-a-professional-tool. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [45] Social Media Use by Laboratory Professionals. Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS). 2016. https://www.csmls.org/csmls/media/documents/position_statements/SocialMediaUseEN062016.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [46] BDA Professional Guidance on Social Media. British Dietetic Association (BDA). 2017. https://www.bda.uk.com/uploads/assets/cf297a25-a6a4-4e78-af91b86b00ff51cc/bdaprofessionalguidancesocialmedia.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [47] Social media guidance for CSP members. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). 2019. https://www.csp.org.uk/system/files/publication_files/csp-social-media-guidance-may-2019-v02.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The cloudiness surrounding these concerns creates an ambiguity worldwide among healthcare professionals and unpreparedness to face such popular requests on social media.

    “The cloudiness surrounding these concerns creates an ambiguity worldwide among healthcare professionals and unpreparedness to face such popular requests on social media.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Online patient-doctor interactions are more often than not started by patients because healthcare workers do not feel at ease initiating interactions with patients through online platforms where privacy and security issues are far from ideal.

    “another study that showed that online patient-doctor interactions are more often than not started by the patients because healthcare workers do not feel at ease initiating interactions with patients through online platforms where privacy and security issues are far from ideal [48].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [48] Bosslet GT, Torke AM, Hickman SE, Terry CL, Helft PR. The patient-doctor relationship and online social networks: results of a national survey. J Gen Intern Med. 2011;26(10):1168–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1761-2. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Even with separate personal and professional accounts, absolute privacy and control over the personal account do not exist as any content posted online can remain available in perpetuity and be misused or inappropriately interpreted by colleagues and patients.

    “even with separate personal and professional accounts, absolute privacy and control over the personal account do not exist as any content posted online can remain available in perpetuity and be misused or inappropriately interpreted by colleagues and patients [3, 42, 53].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [3] Gagnon K, Sabus C. Professionalism in a digital age: opportunities and considerations for using social media in health care. Phys Ther. 2015;95(3):406–14. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20130227. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [42] Professionalism in the Use of Social Media. American Medical Association (AMA). https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/professionalism-use-social-media. Accessed 15 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [53] Farnan JM, Snyder Sulmasy L, Worster BK, Chaudhry HJ, Rhyne JA, Arora VM. Online medical professionalism: patient and public relationships: policy statement from the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158(8):620–7. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00100. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    The majority's view that professional standards differ between real and virtual worlds is perhaps due to widespread misguidance of healthcare students in numerous countries on the professional use of social media and the hasty transcendence of professionalism from face-to-face consultations to online interactions.

    “This is perhaps due to the widespread misguidance of healthcare students in numerous countries on the professional use of social media and the hasty transcendence of professionalism from face-to-face consultations to online interactions [3, 12].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [3] Gagnon K, Sabus C. Professionalism in a digital age: opportunities and considerations for using social media in health care. Phys Ther. 2015;95(3):406–14. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20130227. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [12] Cork N, Grant P. Blurred lines: the General Medical Council guidance on doctors and social media. Clin Med. 2016;16(3):219–22. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.16-3-219. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The indistinction in guidelines causes healthcare professionals and students to confuse personal with professional boundaries online, leading to inappropriate conduct and conflicts ending sometimes in dismissal from work or institution.

    “This indistinction causes healthcare professionals and students to confuse personal with professional boundaries online, leading to inappropriate conduct and conflicts ending sometimes in dismissal from work or institution.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Many guidelines emphasized the similarity between the professional standards on online platforms and face-to-face interactions.

    “While many guidelines emphasized the similarity between the professional standards on online platforms and face-to-face interactions [27–29, 45, 46, 51, 54]”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 7 sources checked
    • cites [27] Doctors’ use of social media General Medical Council (GMC). 2013. https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/doctors-use-of-social-media/doctors-use-of-social-media. Accessed 12 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [28] Guidance on using social media. General Dental Council (GDC). 2016. https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/student-faqs/guidance-on-using-social-media.pdf?sfvrsn=6ac9ebce_2. Accessed 12 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [29] Demonstrating professionalism online. General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC). 2016. https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/sites/default/files/demonstrating_professionalism_online.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [45] Social Media Use by Laboratory Professionals. Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS). 2016. https://www.csmls.org/csmls/media/documents/position_statements/SocialMediaUseEN062016.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [46] BDA Professional Guidance on Social Media. British Dietetic Association (BDA). 2017. https://www.bda.uk.com/uploads/assets/cf297a25-a6a4-4e78-af91b86b00ff51cc/bdaprofessionalguidancesocialmedia.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [51] Guidance for Pharmacists on the use of Digital and Social Media. Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI). 2019. https://www.thepsi.ie/Libraries/Folder_Pharmacy_Practice_Guidance/PPGF_04_1_Guidance_for_Pharmacists_on_the_use_of_Digital_and_Social_Media.sflb.ashx. Accessed 11 April 2020.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [54] A Nurse’s Guide to the Use of Social Media. National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN); 2018.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Since certain questions required recalling past information, there is a potential for recall bias.

    “Since certain questions required recalling past information, there is a potential for recall bias.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    A 2016 study revealed that patients with attitudes that disregarded the physician's political views were treated differently which creates an undesirable discrepancy in patient care.

    “a 2016 study [56] revealed that patients with attitudes that disregarded the physician’s political views were treated differently which creates an undesirable discrepancy in patient care.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [56] Hersh ED, Goldenberg MN. Democratic and Republican physicians provide different care on politicized health issues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016;113(42):11811–6. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1606609113. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    A study on pharmacists recruited from numerous countries found that most of them did not adopt separate accounts for professional and personal matters on social media, with resultant negative outcomes on the professional career of the individuals.

    “A study on pharmacists recruited from numerous countries found that most of them did not adopt separate accounts for professional and personal matters on social media, with resultant negative outcomes on the professional career of the individuals [52].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [52] Benetoli A, Chen TF, Schaefer M, Chaar B, Aslani P. Pharmacists’ perceptions of professionalism on social networking sites. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2017;13(3):575–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.05.044. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    The study was conducted in only one university and the sampling technique was performed by convenience.

    “We conducted our research in only one university and the sampling technique was performed by convenience.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    In some questions in the attitudes section, the responses of pre-clinical versus clinical students in the nutrition and nursing majors could not be compared because in nutrition the clinical phase starts after graduation, and in nursing the clinical phase begins in the first year of university studies.

    “Further, in some questions in the attitudes section, we were not able to compare the responses of the pre-clinical versus clinical students in the nutrition and nursing majors, because in the former, the clinical phase starts after graduation, and in the latter, the clinical phase begins in the first year of university studies.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The findings of this study reflected the situation at the time and place in which it was held.

    “as the field of social media is constantly evolving, it is practical to denote that the findings of this study reflected the situation at the time and place in which it was held.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
45 of 45

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The international guidelines (GMC, GDC, NMC, GPC, RPS, BDA, CSP, CSMLS) are applicable to Lebanese healthcare students for judging the appropriateness of their attitudes.

    “We compared the questions in the attitudes section to those in established guidelines (General Medical Council “GMC”, General Dental Council “GDC”, Nursing and Midwifery Council “NMC”, General Pharmaceutical Council “GPC” and Royal Pharmaceutical Society “RPS”, British Dietetic Association “BDA”, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy “CSP”, and Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science “CSMLS”)”
    “The correct answer to these questions is “inappropriate” according to General Medical Council (GMC), General Dental Council (GDC), Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC), Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), British Dietetic Association (BDA), Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS)”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The 496 respondents are representative of healthcare students at Beirut Arab University.

    “We approached 1800 students from the healthcare faculties, of which 496 filled out the questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 27.54%.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Self-reported practices and attitudes accurately reflect the students' actual behavior.

    “A small minority of participants (13/227, 5.7%) reported that they had sent a friend request to a patient (Table 3).”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No study has compared the differences in the attitudes and practices of students belonging to various healthcare majors.

    “To date and to our knowledge, no study has compared the differences in the attitudes and practices of students belonging to various healthcare majors.”

  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Students from all majors have comparable knowledge of social media professionalism.

    “we assume that students from all majors have comparable knowledge of social media professionalism”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    This study is the first of its kind in Lebanon and the first to be performed on healthcare students of different majors.

    “This study is the first of its kind in Lebanon and the first to be performed on healthcare students of different majors.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In the authors' review of the current literature, they could not find any study tackling the differences in the online professional conduct between the students of different majors.

    “In our review of the current literature, we could not find any study tackling the differences in the online professional conduct between the students of different majors.”
7 of 7

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • These guidelines differ greatly and provide no official consensus on the definition of professional social media use.

    “However, these guidelines differ greatly and provide no official consensus on the definition of professional social media use.”

    From Evaluating perceptions of social media professionalism by healthcare workers (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

    The Background describes ambiguity about professional social media conduct, and the Discussion says that almost all guidelines examined leave unclear whether rules apply to personal accounts, professional accounts, or both. The paper calls for standardized guidelines, but these passages do not establish that existing guidelines differ greatly or explicitly state that there is no official consensus on a definition. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Various guidelines have been published to establish professional norms and considerations for healthcare workers when using social media.

    “Various guidelines have been published in an effort to establish professional norms and considerations for healthcare workers when using social media.1–3”

    From Evaluating perceptions of social media professionalism by healthcare workers (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

  • There is no consensus on what constitutes professionalism in online behavior.

    “Although guidelines exist,1–3 there is no consensus on what constitutes professionalism in online behavior.”

    From Evaluating perceptions of social media professionalism by healthcare workers (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

  • Future friend-request acceptance percentage does not match its count

    Minor

    The table reports 228 yes answers among 487 respondents, which is 46.8%, not 59.1%.

    Reported 59.1 · recomputed 46.817248

1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Cambridge Dictionary. Social Media. 2021. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/social-media. Accessed 12 Dec 2021.
  2. Professionalism in the Use of Social Media. American Medical Association (AMA). https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/professionalism-use-social-media. Accessed 15 April 2020.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Soubra, R., Hasan, I., Ftouni, L., Saab, A., & Shaarani, I.
Affiliations
Beirut Arab University (LB)
Corresponding author
Shaarani, Issam
ORCID
Venue
BMC Medical Ethics
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-01-20
Volume
23
Issue
1
Pages
4-4
ISSN
1472-6939 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12910-022-00742-7
PMC
PMC8781471
OpenAlex
W4205480447
Semantic Scholar
99513568aea6afc1971194cccc5a33219296a4cb
Cited by
26
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5
FWCI
4.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Medical Ethics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Social Media in Health Education
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Keywords
social media, professionalism, health professions students, professional standards, social media in education, gender differences, medical specialties, online professional conduct
MeSH terms
Professionalism, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Personnel, Humans, Universities, Social Media

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-09.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-09.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

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