Archive for the 'Medical Careers' Category
January 11th, 2012
Use social networking sites with care, says Sara Williams of the MPS.
The saying goes “what happens on tour stays on tour”, but when posting online bear in mind that what happens on Twitter stays on Google forever. Doctors should exercise caution when making entries on social networking sites – the internet is not a private space and nothing is truly anonymous.
Photo by Florian SEROUSSIMPS is aware of cases where junior doctors have discussed patients on social networking sites, assuming that they would not be identified – but they were exposed and those involved were disciplined.
The Journal of the American Medical Association uncovered many online breaches of patient confidentiality on social networking sites. The study found explicit postings from trainee doctors that revealed private patient information. Most were in blogs, including one on Facebook, containing enough clinical information that a patient could be identified.
Social networking sites blur the boundary between an individual’s public and professional life. Be wary of posting inappropriate material on social media sites, such as photos that may bring your professionalism or that of colleagues into question, even if they are taken in your free time.
However, tight privacy settings can create a false sense of security. Comments about your day-to-day work and the patients you have seen, even if anonymous, still pose a risk, as the information may be identifiable and so may breach confidentiality.
Protect yourself
Follow these tips from Sophos to protect yourself when using social media:
- log out when you move from one terminal to another
- check what levels of privacy you have set up
- enable secure browsing using https. This can be found under the account settings tabs of most social networking sites.
- choose a password with a mixture of upper and lower case letters and other characters, and change it as regularly as is practical.
Things to remember:
- Your ethical and legal duty to protect confidentiality applies equally on the internet.
- Do not accept current or former patients as friends/followers.
- It is inappropriate to post informal, personal or derogatory comments about patients or colleagues on public internet forums.
- Defamation law can apply to any comments posted on the web made in either a personal or professional capacity.
- Ensure that you do not inadvertently breach your contract of employment, by being aware of your local commissioning body or health board’s policy on blogging, etc.
- Be conscious of your online image when posting images on the web and consider how it may impact on your professional standing.
- Doctors and medical students who post online have an ethical obligation to declare any conflicts of interest.
The appetite for social networking can only get bigger, so doctors should take advantage of its many benefits, as long as they are balanced against the risks.
This is a summary, read the full article here. The BMA has also produced useful guidance here.
January 9th, 2012
On the 31st of October 2011, the General Medical Council in the UK launched a consultation to produce guidelines for doctors and healthcare professionals when using social media. Why is this needed, and why now? The simple answer is – to stop you from getting into hot water when using Twitter and Social Media!
Top time for Hot Water in 2012?
“Personal profiles on Facebook and other social-networking sites are a trove of inappropriate and embarrassing photographs and discomfiting breaches of confidentiality. You might expect that from your friends and even some colleagues — but what about your doctor?” Time Magazine
This is current news in 2012, but if you look at the date of publication of this time article, it’s September 2009. Although this was published over two years ago, we think medical students are going to be coming under increasing scrutiny as the year unfolds.
It’s happened before, in the UK…
Remember people playing the lying down game? Roll back to Swindon, UK. A number of junior doctors were suspended for what many medical students and doctors considered hijinks: posing for photographs whilst lying down in unusual places. See our example of the latest MRI-PET scanner here:
It’s happening now…
A research paper from 2010 looked at a small group of medical students in Liverpool, UK. Over half had witnessed unprofessional behaviour by their colleagues on social media.
Dr Amy Cunningham, a lecturer from Cardiff University recently highlighted on Twitter and her blog about doctors using slang on social media, e.g. referring to ‘mad-wives’ instead of midwives. For her efforts, both she and the doctors in question were both applauded and criticised by healthcare professionals and different elements of the national press.
Help is at hand…
If things seem a bit blurry and you dont know who to turn to for advice, fear not – as we have compiled a handy list of references:
- From Your Institution – Check if you have guidelines at your University, and follow them!
- From Professional organisations
- Help From Within – We think ‘use your moral compass’ is a great adage. See the moral compass example of one experienced GP below.
Advice from an experienced user of social media
One of our medical professionals says this:
“I use this principle. If I wouldn’t be happy with any of: my mother, friends, work colleagues, peers, nurses, receptionists, patients, friends of patients, children of patients, professional licencing bodies, line manager seeing it, don’t post it. Do not post anything relating to your workplace, patients, or patient care online. If you have a grievance, use formal channels.”
What about anonymity online, protected tweets, protected postings?
“Just be careful. Is it worth risking your professional status over such minutia? The security of these areas is becoming increasing difficult to police. Don’t go there.”
Happy – and safe – tweeting in 2012!
November 9th, 2011
The average medical student debt on graduation has risen from £23,909 to £24,092, the British Medical Association (BMA) reports.
Photo by upsuportsmouthPoorer medical students’ debts have also soared. Those from low-income backgrounds graduate over £13,000 more in debt than better off students – graduating with a projected debt of £37,588 (up from £26,324 in the past 12 months).
The survey from the BMA also reports that the number of medical students from the lowest income brackets is in decline over the past 12 months.
Co-chairwoman of the BMA Medical Student Committee Elly Pilavachi said:
“Medical students are now facing extremely high levels of graduation debt. Many are clearly heavily dependent on financial support from their families and friends to get through the intensive, five to six-year medical course. However, the picture for those from low-income backgrounds is particularly alarming with their debt levels a staggering £13,000 higher than those from higher income brackets.”
Clearly there is a lot to think about if you are planning on becoming a medical student, or already are one. What do you think about the current financial plight of med students?
October 26th, 2011
Good doctors are good communicators – it’s that simple.
The more traditional “communication skills” teaching has focused on the doctor–patient relationship, yet communication between colleagues in hospital and primary care settings is equally important.
Photo by Skype NomadMPS’s experience over many years is that some of the biggest mistakes in hospitals are the result of poor communication. Although there are often many factors leading to adverse outcomes, it is undoubtedly the case that poor communication and handover can result in inappropriate prescriptions, incorrect diagnoses and patients lost to follow-up. These have clear potential for patient harm, and an associated impact on the team arising from complaints, claims and disciplinary investigations.
Developing both your teamwork and communication skills at medical school will stand you in good stead as a doctor. The GMC emphasises this in its guidance, Medical Students: Professional Values and Fitness to Practise, stating that: “Medical students need to be able to work effectively with colleagues inside and outside of healthcare in order to deliver a high standard of care and to ensure patient safety.”
Communicating well in a team demands more than merely listening and passing on messages. Doctors must work within their competence, seeking advice and assistance from senior clinical colleagues where appropriate.
On occasion, doctors may need to act to protect patients from potential harm caused by inadequate systems or procedures, or as a result of a colleague’s behaviour, performance or health. MPS recognises that this is never an easy decision. If you need advice on the appropriate action to take, you should usually raise this with your educational supervisor and you can always access expert medicolegal advice via MPS’s helpline.
Survival tips for good communication
- You may feel as if you are at the bottom of a long chain – but in fact you are part of a wide communication network within primary and secondary care, including the voluntary and social sectors. Try to think about your individual role – what information should you convey to assist in protecting the patient’s health?
- As a student, the GMC expects you to demonstrate that you are developing teamwork and leadership skills. Be willing to work as a team and take on appropriate responsibility.
- However, never work outside your competence. If in doubt, always ask.
- If you are concerned about a fellow student, colleague or other health worker, raise your concerns with the appropriate person – this is usually your educational supervisor, consultant or GP trainer.
September 18th, 2011
What’s that coming over the hill – it’s a night shift!!
The first night shift stalks you, you see it coming from a distance, creeping closer along the rota and suddenly it’s the weekend before your first shift. Monday to Thursday night, 4 days, and then a day off. How hard can it be?
Honestly, it can be anything from a breeze to a true beat down. That will largely depend on where in the hospital you are covering – Medical ward cover, Surgical Admissions and Ward Cover or A&E. All have their benefits – ok, maybe Medical ward cover doesn’t!
Photo by icatusAs an F1, I found A&E the best place to do the night shift. Please note I didn’t say it was the easiest, nor did I enjoy it, but it is certainly the BEST place to do a night shift. Yes I was SHATTERED by the time morning came around, but I had been SUPPORTED through the night.
In A&E, whenever there is a problem, you can lean over; have a quick chat to a senior, get some advice or reassurance and carry on. The work is constant, but it’s varied and you stand a good chance of learning, and learning a lot if you’re lucky.
Note again, I’ve not actually said it’s hard. Yes you are doing a 12 hour shift, and that is always tiring, however the work is pure back to basics medicine, even down to the opening line “Hello what’s brought you to A&E tonight?” Ok to be fair, that line is not quite what I’d call chirpy at 3am, but still.
In terms of surviving the night shift, I’d advise yet again, make sure you have plenty of food, but there is something that I’m not going to advise, but might give a health warning to, Caffine.
In my experience it doesn’t work. Well not how I’d hoped anyway.
My first night shift, I’d not been able to sleep during the day, which made for a very difficult second half of a shift. 4am had rolled round and I was monumentally tired. Even my eyelids feel tired. But I’d come prepared, or so I thought. Two cans of RedBull, to see me through the night. The work load lessened, and I look towards my caffeinated saviour.
I downed a can, 30mins later, I’m still feeling dead on my feet, no effect, second can, no effect, and then it started. I began to feel very unsettled and agitated. Not a pleasant feeling, but the worst part – I was still half asleep, but now the half of me that was wake felt terrible! So remember, caffine isn’t always the answer.
Plus A&E also has a fantastic sense of camaraderie that’s hard to fault, as everyone fights/works through the night together. To put it simply, even from someone who doesn’t want to have a career in A&E, it is a very unique place in the hospital, and if you approach your night shift with the right approach, you’ll do final – especially if you’ve worked out how to use blackout curtains and sleeping pills to help you sleep through the bright summer days!
Our guest blogger James Gill is an F1 doctor writing about his personal experiences of starting out on the wards as an F1.