Physician, Protect Thyself

Abstract

Modern psychiatric practice requires the use of the Internet, and the current pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology in clinics. Psychiatrists receive significant education on protecting patient privacy and medical information when using these tools. However, they receive little training regarding protecting their own personal privacy in the Internet era. Private information, often without one's knowledge, is frequently available online and accessible by patients. The work of physicians and psychiatrists creates additional unique vulnerabilities to privacy. Given the essential nature of the Internet in modern clinical practice, physicians should understand how to monitor and protect personal privacy and safety online. We provide advice to minimize vulnerability to a privacy breach, with a focus on areas unique to psychiatrists and psychiatric practice. We review the literature on physician safety online and offer guidance to get started.

From posts to protection: Ethical considerations regarding forensic psychiatrists and a duty to warn based on social media

“…Evaluees may have expected the social media posts to remain private, opening questions of privacy concerns and the requirements for informing the evaluee about the limits of confidentiality (Pirelli et al, 2016). Alternatively, social media often exists in the public MACINTYRE ET AL. domain, and it has been argued there is no expectation of privacy on the Internet (MacIntyre & Appel, 2021). In this context of publicly posted data, a psychiatrist or the courts may not feel confidentiality exists at all when they come across information that may pose a public risk.…”