What is my purpose for this? Although the internet can be a rich source of important collateral information, there exists great potential for blurring professional and personal boundaries. 1 Thus, before reaching for your laptop or smartphone, consider the following questions:ġ. While anything your patient has posted on the internet is considered to be in the public domain, viewing information that your patient hasn’t specifically shared in a treatment setting requires careful ethical consideration. If the whole world can access a patient’s information, shouldn’t his or her psychiatrist have it as well? What only a few years ago would have been considered confidential (and arguably off limits) is now available to the general public-much of it having been posted by the individuals themselves. This ease in obtaining information can, however, prove to be a dilemma to physicians in general-and to psychiatrists in particular-when it comes to the question of whether this ease in access to information should also extend to information regarding patients. One need only grab the nearest internet-enabled device and “Google it” to find more information about any topic than anyone could possibly ever want. It is no longer necessary to spend time trying to remember mundane facts or to go to a library to obtain information. “I’ll just Google it.” What started out simply as the name of an internet search engine, “Google” has now become an everyday part of our lexicon and our lives. Note: The information and recommendations in this article are applicable to physicians and other healthcare professionals so “clinician” is used to indicate all treatment team members. For legal advice, contact your personal attorney. The information in this column does not constitute legal advice. Other risk management consulting companies or insurance carriers may provide different advice, and readers should take this into consideration. The answers published in this column represent those of only one risk management consulting company. (a manager of medical professional liability insurance programs with services that include risk management consultation, education and onsite risk management audits, and other resources to healthcare providers to help improve patient outcomes and reduce professional liability risk. This ongoing column is dedicated to providing information to our readers on managing legal risks associated with medical practice.
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