This week we discussed social media and how it can positively and negatively affect the relationship between clinician and patient. In our nation, social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives. Social media is also used widely throughout healthcare settings to promote and de-stigmatize mental health treatment, create connections to online support groups, and increase access to patient information.
However, with the use of technology also comes negative implications that it can have on patients and healthcare professionals. We discussed what would happen if as a clinician, a patient sent a friend request on Facebook, would you accept this request? As a professional we must first consider the implications. For example, think about how it could affect your ability and willingness to self-disclosure and how it could ultimately alter the relationship you have with patient. In my opinion, when I become a clinician, I believe I will not choose to interact with patients on social media. I believe that there are certain boundaries to maintain with patients and sometimes these can be blurred through the use of social media. For example, I thought it was very interesting to think of what would happen if a health professional became friends with a patient on a social media outlet such as Facebook and the patient posted concerning information such as thoughts of harming themselves or information regarding their disorder. Would the clinician be able to view these posts and take that into account in forming treatment for the patient? I believe in these cases it would be at the discretion of the specific clinician since everyone has specific thoughts on how these choose to connect with patients. Therefore, it is very important that if we choose to become connected with patients through social media we must create boundaries. Then it is beneficial to express our thoughts about these boundaries with the patient before engaging in the use of social media with them.
Although the use of social media can connect us in ways other outlets cannot, it is important that we consider how we want our relationships with our patients to be before we engage with them through these various portals.
I agree. I feel as if a patient-client relationship is one that has very specific guidlines and that these guidelines should be strictly adhered to. Perhaps this is part of our culture as Americans, but to stray too far away from the strict professional relationship seems risky. Having your patients on social media makes things much more complicated and may perhaps send mixed messages to the patient. Obviously we have seen many uses for technology in mental healthcare, however I don't think we should stray away from patient- client relationships on social media. However, social media does a great job at connecting people with certain diseases, building communities, and ending stigmas
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