Social media platforms can be used by physicians to share valuable information, engage with current or prospective patients, provide context to health-related stories in the media, and dispel dangerous health disinformation.
Many physicians may be apprehensive to use social media professionally, citing liability issues or privacy matters. Despite these valid concerns, social media can be an enormously powerful platform for physicians when used appropriately.
These resources provide informative and succinct tips and how-to articles for physicians to gain tactical and strategic insight into the uses and benefits of social media, as well as ways to protect oneself while posting on social channels.
- How to Skillfully Navigate Social Media: DOs and DON’Ts for Physicians,
Cynthia S. Peng, MD, MMS Committee on Communications, Vital Signs November-December 2022 issue – Massachusetts
Medical Society
- Preventive health: 4 ways social media could be a game-changer,
American Medical Association, Sara Berg, MS, October 2020
- Professional Guidelines for Social Media Use: A Starting Point,
AMA Journal of Ethics, Terry Kind, MD, MPH, May 2015
- Seven best practices for doctors on social media: FPM Editors,
American Academy of Family Physicians, February 2020
- Experts Weigh in on Ethics of Social Media Success - To some extent, physicians on social media must rely on their own best judgment informed by professional standards of conduct,
By Janet Colwell, May 2021
- Social Media for Doctors: Taking Professional and
Patient Engagement to the Next Level - Some
of the top family physicians on social media share their best practices for
building a following and avoiding common pitfalls, American Academy of Family Physicians, Bich-May Nguyen, MD, MPH, FAAFP, Emily Lu, MD, Natasha Bhuyan, MD, Kenny Lin, MD, MPH, FAAFP, AND Mike Sevilla, MD, FAAFP, January/February 2020
- 5 reasons why physicians should use social media professionally,
American Medical Association, Kevin B. O’Reilly, April 2019
- Social media guidance for physicians taps timeless principles,
American Medical Association, Staff Writer, October 2018,
- When does physicians’ online branding, advertising go too far?,
American Medical Association, Staff Writer, April 2018
- Insights on Residency Training, NEJM Journal Watch, April
2022
- #MedTwitter: An Open Source Medical Community [version 2], MedEdPublish, September 2022
- How physicians can engage on social media, Medpage Today (KevinMD.com), Alpa Patel,
Shah, DO, February 2021
AMA Social Media Overview Resources
Social Media Engagement with the MMS
The MMS is fortunate to have engaged and influential members on social media. The Society encourages members to interact with and amplify the Society’s social media activity via the social media channels the MMS has established and to share the organization’s
work with their personal and professional networks.
Social media provides platforms for multi-media communications in nearly real-time, allowing MMS members to connect with colleagues across organizations and disciplines and directly contribute ideas and content in support of the broader MMS community.
The Society invites Committee and Section members to tag the MMS’s main and Presidential Twitter and Instagram accounts (MMS Twitter: @MassMedical; MMS Instagram:
@massmedicalsociety: Presidential Twitter: @MMS_President;
Presidential Instagram: @MMS_President). MMS members should leverage interesting and relevant content they want to share with MMS colleagues, especially
if the content amplifies the MMS position on a key issue or a member quoted in the media.
