The study authors cited two similar studies from Urology (2017) and General Surgery (2014). Why the backlash now and not then?
Every year our malpractice company makes us attend these seminars to avoid getting sued. The one I went to a couple years ago highlighted possible issues with social media. They showed an example of an on-call pediatrician getting paged by a mom about something seemingly benign. Pediatrician gave reassurance, told mom to monitor symptoms and to call the office the next day if still having problems. Mom never called the next day and three days later kid is rushed to the hospital. Ended up having a complication. Doctor never documented the encounter. Mom sued a year later.
Turned into a he said she said situation until the lawyers found the pediatrician's facebook profile....with pics of her partying it up at her sister's birthday party at a bar the same night of the call. Doctor holding some sort of unknown colored beverage with ample booze in the background. Pictures time stamped to the phone records of the phone call. Doctor swears she didn't drink but no way to prove her drink was not EtOH. Lawyers made case that doctor partying it up and possibly impaired at the time of the phone call directly linked to kid's complication. Mom claimed the doctor said everything was fine and not to worry. Conveniently didn't recall the part about needing follow up. Since no documentation of the phone call except for the FB pics, doc lost case. I'm all for people posting things on-line, but understand that what's acceptable today might not be acceptable tomorrow. That stuff stays on the internet forever.
