Guardian UK article, Doctors could soon face action over ‘misleading’ social media posts, April 2022

[Simbindi]

Doctors who share “misleading” information on social media could face regulatory action, according to planned new guidelines.

Posts made on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are among those that could be scrutinised by the General Medical Council (GMC) if a doctor is reported.

The council is to update its Good Medical Practice guide, seen by some as a modern-day Hippocratic Oath, for the first time in almost a decade.

The latest draft says that doctors must “be honest and trustworthy, make clear the limits of their knowledge [and] make reasonable checks to make sure any information given is not misleading”.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...ocial-media-could-soon-face-regulatory-action

 

[Sean]

Doctors who share “misleading” information on social media could face regulatory action, according to planned new guidelines.

That could cut both ways. What is regarded as 'misleading' depends on who has the power to make that call.

The latest draft says that doctors must “...make clear the limits of their knowledge...”.

Good. Though enforcement could be tricky.

 

[rvallee]

I fully assume that everything biopsychosocial will be excluded, as it's "not settled" yet. Even though it's "settled enough" to impose it coercively. And that it will actually be used against us, even though we actually have the truth on our side.

Good grief how medicine is political. And few of the good features of politics either.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

I feel conflicted about this, I'm a strong believer in free speech but have also been a victim of the misinformation spread about ME by the medical profession.

I guess I would say they should not be fired for what they say via social media, however I would add that the GMC should be firing or disciplining doctors for the way they treat ME patients at the moment.

 

[Arnie Pye]

From the article :

The latest draft says that doctors must “be honest and trustworthy, make clear the limits of their knowledge [and] make reasonable checks to make sure any information given is not misleading”.

I wonder if this will stop doctors and endocrinologists from telling patients that

1) T3 is just like heroin or cocaine or speed.

And the only reason so many women want to be allowed to have T3 is because

2) it's addictive and

3) it helps them get through their housework more quickly.

None of these things are true. And every vertebrate on the planet has T3 flowing through its veins, and that includes doctors.

https://www.msdvetmanual.com/endocrine-system/the-thyroid-gland/the-thyroid-gland-in-animals

 

[Kitty]

I guess I would say they should not be fired for what they say via social media

I guess it depends whether they're speaking in their professional capacity or not. We can all witter on about anything we like as private individuals, but when we're on the clock, the rules change.

 

[JemPD]

I guess it depends whether they're speaking in their professional capacity or not. We can all witter on about anything we like as private individuals, but when we're on the clock, the rules change.

Exactly Kitty.

And i think a factor is whether their twitter (or whatever) account is

'Joe Blogs 129'
with a photo of him in a beanie hat with a rucksack, & the description reading "keen hiker & lover of red wine"

or

'Dr Joe Blogs MD'
with a phot of him in white coat with stethoscope, with the description reading "professor of cardio thoracic medicine at BlahBlah University Hospital"