Should psychiatrists 'Google' their patients?

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Digital Health Ethics
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• The internet's pervasive influence contrasts with healthcare professionals' apprehension towards its use.
• Research and regulatory focus often emphasize risks (e.g., confidentiality breaches) over benefits in clinical settings.
• Existing literature extensively covers areas like email, social media, and telepsychiatry, but neglects online patient information seeking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the under-researched issue of physicians searching for patient information online.
• To explore the clinical scenarios prompting the question: "Should I Google the patient?"
• To identify key questions for future research in this domain.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of clinical scenarios.
• Literature review focusing on online patient information seeking by physicians.
• Ethical considerations of internet use in patient care.

Main Results:

• Physicians' anxiety regarding internet use in practice is noted.
• A significant gap exists in research and guidance concerning physicians "Googling" patients.
• Clinical examples illustrate the complex situations where this query arises.

Conclusions:

• The practice of physicians searching for patient information online presents unique ethical challenges.
• Further research is crucial to develop evidence-based guidelines for navigating this aspect of digital healthcare.
• Understanding physician behavior and patient implications is essential for responsible internet integration in medicine.