Cited by 190Social Media in Health EducationInnovations in Medical EducationImpact of Technology on Adolescents

Pharmacy Students' Facebook Activity and Opinions Regarding Accountability and E-Professionalism

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Cain, Jeff, Scott, Doneka R., Akers, Paige·2009·American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

Abstract

Objective To assess pharmacy students' Facebook activity and opinions regarding accountability and e-professionalism and determine effects of an e-professionalism education session on pharmacy students' posting behavior.Methods A 21-item questionnaire was developed, pilot-tested, revised, and administered to 299 pharmacy students at 3 colleges of pharmacy. Following a presentation regarding potential e-professionalism issues with Facebook, pharmacy students with existing profiles answered an additional question concerning changes in online posting behavior.Results Incoming first-year pharmacy students' Facebook usage is consistent with that of the general college student population. Male students are opposed to authority figures' use of Facebook for character and professionalism judgments and are more likely to present information they would not want faculty members, future employers, or patients to see. More than half of the pharmacy students planned to make changes to their online posting behavior as a result of the e-professionalism presentation.Conclusions There is high social media usage among pharmacy students and many do not fully comprehend the issues that arise from being overly transparent in online settings. Attitudes toward accountability for information supplied via social networking emphasize the need for e-professionalism training of incoming pharmacy students.

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  • Previous work on health care education interventions and experiences has noted how learners may be motivated to reduce the hazards of social media, revise social media confidentiality settings, or even terminate social media involvement upon realizing that online postings may have an enduring presence.

    “Previous work on health care education interventions and experiences has noted how learners may be motivated to reduce the hazards of SM, revise SM confidentiality settings, or even terminate SM involvement upon realizing that online postings may have an enduring presence [180,181].”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [180]

    The Methods and Results report that pharmacy students were asked about using privacy features and changing their posting behavior after an e-professionalism presentation; the Conclusions say awareness of online risks may change behavior. The paper does not report students terminating social media use or identify realization of postings’ enduring presence as the reason for those changes. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  1. [9]9. One in 10 employers will use social networking sites to review job candidate information [press release]. Bethlehem, PA: National Association of Colleges and Employers; September 22, 2006. http://www.naceweb.org/press/display.asp?year=&prid=244. Accessed May 12, 2009.

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Authors
Cain, J., Scott, D. R., & Akers, P.
Affiliations
  • University of Kentucky (US)
  • Lipscomb University (US)
Venue
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-09
Volume
73
Issue
6
Pages
104
ISSN
  • 0002-9459 (ISSN-L)
  • 1553-6467
OpenAlex
W1973627684
Cited by
190
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 15
FWCI
13.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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
pharmacy students, Facebook, social media use, e-professionalism, professional accountability, online posting behavior, teacher professionalism, social networking, gender differences
MeSH terms
Communication, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Disclosure, Social Desirability, Social Perception, Social Responsibility, Social Support, Software Design, Students, Pharmacy, Truth Disclosure, Internet, Professional Role, Friends, Young Adult

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