Bioethics Grand Rounds- Katelyn Bennett- Social Media and the "Medutainment" Phenomenon

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Wed, March 28, 2018, 12:00pm
Location: 
Univerisity Hospital Ford Auditorium

Social media is characterized by online spaces of rapid communication, advertising, professional development, and advocacy, and these platforms have revolutionized the way we interact with people and our culture. In surgery, platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are especially attractive for practice promotion and instantaneous connection with potential patients. However, considerable risks and ethical dilemmas lie in wait for the surgeon who attempts to use patient photographs and videos for advertising. It is critical for surgeons to facilitate fully informed consent, consider both context and the patient-physician power differential, and put patients’ interests ahead of their own.