Online professionalism: A synthetic review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Health
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• Social media has blurred personal and professional boundaries for medical professionals.
• The applicability of traditional professionalism principles to online spaces is unclear.
• Understanding online professionalism is crucial in the digital age.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review original peer-reviewed research on online professionalism (2000-2014).
• To assess methodologies and approaches in existing studies.
• To provide insights for future research in this evolving field.

Main Methods:

• Synthetic literature review of 32 studies.
• Searches of three databases and manual bibliography searches.
• Analysis of methodologies including cross-sectional surveys and online content analysis.

Main Results:

• Most studies originated in the USA.
• Common research areas include online use/privacy, unprofessional behaviors, and education/policy.
• Study quality was variable, with mixed response rates in surveys.

Conclusions:

• Medical trainees are frequently studied regarding online professionalism.
• Future research should explore public perspectives and patient trust.
• Investigating productive social media use for medical professionals is recommended.