There is no denying that social media has had an impact in many areas. One of these areas includes healthcare. In a recent article, entitled “Blurred lines: the General Medical Council guidance on doctors and social media,” Nick Cork and Paul Grant explore the risks and benefits of social media in healthcare, how social media can change the role of the physician and what it ultimately means to be a medical professional.

Digital technology in the early 21st century has introduced significant changes to everyday life and the ways in which we practise medicine. It is important that the ease and practicality of accessing and disseminating information does not intrude on the high standards expected of doctors, and that the boundaries between professional and public life do not become blurred through the increasing adoption of social media. This said, as with any such profound disruption, the social media age could be responsible for driving a new understanding of what it means to be a medical professional.”

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