Table 2.
E-professionalism (the dangers aspect of SNSsa) descriptives (N=753).
| Danger aspects | Never, n (%) | Rarely, n (%) | Occasionally, n (%) | Often, n (%) | I have never been in a situation where this could happen, n (%) |
| 1. I asked a colleague’s permission to mention them in the post.b | 170 (22.6) | 117 (15.5) | 71 (9.4) | 50 (6.6)c | 345 (45.8)c |
| 2. I shared some information about the patient that I received through SNS with other people. | 368 (48.9)c | 61 (8.1) | 26 (3.5) | 3 (0.4) | 295 (39.2)c |
| 3. I posted a photo of my patient without their knowledge. | 492 (65.3)c | 14 (1.9) | 7 (0.9) | 2 (0.3) | 238 (31.6)c |
| 4. I included information about the patient I found through SNS in the medical documentation without their knowledge. | 484 (64.3)c | 3 (0.4) | 2 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 264 (35.1)c |
| 5. I shared medical/dental advice on SNS without my name being visible. | 503 (66.8)c | 39 (5.2) | 6 (0.8) | 4 (0.5) | 201 (26.7)c |
| 6. Depending on the appropriateness of the content of my posts, I determine to whom they will be visible.b | 295 (39.2) | 99 (13.1) | 93 (12.4) | 71 (9.4)c | 195 (25.9)c |
| 7. If I notice that someone else has published something about me (eg, my picture, location, or similar), I control who will see it.b | 209 (27.8) | 106 (14.1) | 104 (13.8) | 177 (23.5)c | 157 (20.8)c |
| 8. I have published content that shows informal situations at my workplace (eg, drinks with colleagues or parties at work). | 354 (47.0)c | 181 (24.0) | 84 (11.2) | 17 (2.3) | 114 (15.1)c |
| 9. I published some information about my patient. | 579 (76.9)c | 22 (2.9) | 5 (0.7) | 2 (0.3) | 145 (19.3)c |
| 10. I communicate with patients regarding medical/dental problems and treatment from a private profile. | 423 (56.2)c | 133 (17.7) | 64 (8.5) | 14 (1.9) | 119 (15.8)c |
| 11. On SNS, I choose which patients I will make contact with and which I will not. | 293 (38.9)c | 74 (9.8) | 65 (8.6) | 76 (10.1) | 245 (32.5)c |
| 12. In my posts, I am cautious that my expression is entirely professional.b | 51 (6.8) | 61 (8.1) | 111 (14.7) | 366 (48.6)c | 164 (21.8)c |
| 13. A curse word or some other vulgar expression occasionally slips out in my posts. | 494 (65.6)c | 86 (11.4) | 23 (3.1) | 2 (0.3) | 148 (19.7)c |
| 14. Have you ever sent a “friend request“ to a patient or a member of the patient’s family from a private profile on an SNS?d | 699 (92.8)c | 33 (4.4) | 3 (0.4) | 18 (2.4) | N/Ae |
aSNS: social networking site.
bItem represents professional behavior on SNS.
cResponse represents professional behavior on SNS.
dThe options were “no,” “yes, to a patient,” “yes, to a family member,” and “yes, both,” respectively.
eN/A: not applicable.