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September 21, 2021; 97 (12) Special Article

Use of Social Media in Health Care—Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations

A Position Statement of the American Academy of Neurology

Katharina M. Busl, Michael A. Rubin, View ORCID ProfileBenjamin D. Tolchin, Dan Larriviere, Leon Epstein, Matthew Kirschen, View ORCID ProfileLynne P. Taylor, on behalf of the Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee, a joint committee of the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and Child Neurology Society
First published September 20, 2021, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000012557
Katharina M. Busl
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Michael A. Rubin
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Benjamin D. Tolchin
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Dan Larriviere
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Leon Epstein
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Matthew Kirschen
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Lynne P. Taylor
From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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From the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery (K.M.B.), College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville; Department of Neurology (M.A.R.), UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; Department of Neurology (B.D.T.), Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (D.L.), Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LA; Department of Pediatric Neurology (L.E.), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Department of Pediatric Medicine (M.K.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA; and Department of Neurology (L.P.T.), University of Washington, Seattle.
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Use of Social Media in Health Care—Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations
A Position Statement of the American Academy of Neurology
Katharina M. Busl, Michael A. Rubin, Benjamin D. Tolchin, Dan Larriviere, Leon Epstein, Matthew Kirschen, Lynne P. Taylor, on behalf of the Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee, a joint committee of the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and Child Neurology Society
Neurology Sep 2021, 97 (12) 585-594; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012557

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The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Code of Professional Conduct (CPC)1 formalizes the standards of professional behavior for AAN members. The CPC provides the ethical principles and professional standards that neurologists and other neuroscience professionals should or must observe in their clinical and scientific activities. While ethical principles do not change with time, developments in technology and social structure may lead to a change in how these principles are applied. One such technological development is social media—a class of communication tools that has rapidly grown in number and popularity in recent years. The AAN developed this position statement to review in-depth how social media use has transformed clinical practice, with a particular focus on neurologic practice, and, by exploring the relevant principles in the CPC,1 to provide an ethical framework for neurology professionals and trainees to consider when engaging in social media. This statement complements the CPC; it is not a replacement for the AAN Web site's Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, or Terms of Service.

Footnotes

  • Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.

  • This statement was approved by the Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee, a joint committee of the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and Child Neurology Society, in April 2020; by the American Academy of Neurology in January 2021; by the American Neurological Association in February 2021; and by the Child Neurology Society in February 2021.

  • Received April 1, 2021.
  • Accepted in final form June 30, 2021.
  • © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
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Letters: Rapid online correspondence

  • Author Response: Use of Social Media in Health Care—Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations
    • Lynne P. Taylor, Neuro-oncologist, University of Washington, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
    Submitted November 29, 2021
  • Reader Response: Use of Social Media in Health Care—Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations
    • Divyani Garg, Neurologist, Neo Hospital
    • Venugopalan Y Vishnu, Neurologist, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
    Submitted October 31, 2021
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