Social media and cadaveric dissection: A survey study

Abstract

The use of social media opens content to the general public and, as a result, places images of cadaveric dissection in an open forum. This raises the question: should the general public have access to such material? A survey was conducted examining whether the general public should have access to gross cadaveric dissection images and videos for educational purposes via social media. Both medical and laypersons were queried. Questions included in the survey considered whether images were too graphic, whether online cadaveric content should be age‐restricted, and whether consent by the deceased was necessary. A link to the survey was accessible to 63,562 followers through the Seattle Science Foundation's Facebookpage for 3 weeks. Among 300 responders, 89% (267/300) agreed that portrayals of cadaveric specimens/dissection on social media should be accessible by the general public for anatomical education, and 84.67% (254/300) stated that cadaveric dissection is not too graphic for untrained eyes. There was agreement by 60.33% (181/300) that an age restriction should be in place for the viewing of cadaveric dissection on social media, and 39.33% (253/300) of responders suggested restriction to 18 years and older. No statistically significant association was noted between a prior or current history of anatomy education and the frequency of positive responses to the survey questions. Social media is an innovative tool for dispensing anatomical education. The use of cadaveric images and videos provides accessibility to the general public who wish to learn more about human anatomy and their own body. Clin. Anat. 32:1033–1041, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social Media Guidelines for Anatomists

“…A majority of respondents (85%) stated that such content was not too graphic for untrained eyes, however, it is unclear from their results where healthcare providers and students stood on this matter (Rai et al, 2019). It is plausible that the healthcare providers with more experience and awareness of codes of conduct were the 18% of respondents who felt the use of cadaveric specimens was too graphic for Facebook and Instagram (Rai et al, 2019).…”

“…Hildebrandt (2019) has compared sharing cadaveric material on social media to the continued use of unclaimed bodies (Bernstein, 2016a,b) and the for-profit or "body brokers" at work in the United States (US) (Champney, 2019) and has termed these "abusive practices" because there is a common lack of informed consent gathered from the deceased individuals regarding how anatomists use the bodies in question. However, some anatomy educators have argued that sharing cadaveric dissections on social media maximizes the wishes of donors (that their bodies are used for education) due to the fact that a greater potential audience can be reached, and believe that this, in turn, negates any ethical concerns regarding sharing cadaveric dissections on social media (Rai et al, 2019).…”

“…4). Rai et al (2019) surveyed 300 members of the public who follow the Seattle Science Foundation's Facebook page and reported that 98% agreed that cadaveric material including dissection should be accessible by the public for anatomy education. However, regarding the respondents of this survey, 18% were healthcare providers and 76% were students (Rai et al, 2019).…”

“…Rai et al (2019) surveyed 300 members of the public who follow the Seattle Science Foundation's Facebook page and reported that 98% agreed that cadaveric material including dissection should be accessible by the public for anatomy education. However, regarding the respondents of this survey, 18% were healthcare providers and 76% were students (Rai et al, 2019). A majority of respondents (85%) stated that such content was not too graphic for untrained eyes, however, it is unclear from their results where healthcare providers and students stood on this matter (Rai et al, 2019).…”

Acknowledging the use of human cadaveric tissues in research papers: Recommendations from anatomical journal editors

“…The recommendations reported herein provide the anatomical researcher with straightforward and concise approach for explicitly acknowledging donor cadavers in published studies. Additionally, such acknowledgment standards can be used for oral and poster presentations, books and book chapters, and various forms of social media (Rai et al, 2019) where cadaveric tissues are exhibited. Moreover, anatomical journals and journals publishing studies that use cadaveric tissues might recommend a cadaveric donor acknowledgement in their author guidelines.…”