Anaesthesiologist and social media: Walking the fine line

Social media use is pervasive in society and has been rapidly amalgamated into the lives of anaesthesiologists. Using social media as an educational resource and ensuring an appropriate online presence is essential for professional growth. However, there are huge lacunae in editorial responsibility, peer review, and accountability of educational content on social media networks. The anaesthesiologist needs to be aware of the numerous shortcomings and must use social media responsibly. Following etiquettes, adopting a code of conduct and a high sense of professionalism is expected from the anaesthesiologist while posting on social media. Anaesthesiologists need to decide on their social media goals, like interaction with colleagues, continuing medical education or patient education, and then register for social media accounts accordingly. The need of the hour is comprehensive social media guidelines for anaesthesiologists, endorsed by institutions, societies, and professional health-care associations in India.