Ethical Behavior of Dentists and Oral Health Specialists in Electronic Social Networks: Publication of Photographs of Clinical Cases.

Background: the use of electronic social networks (ESN) enables healthcare professionals to establish relationships through electronic devices, transforming social practices. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are platforms whose behavior patterns favor the exchange of professional information, which is classified as inappropriate conduct compromising professionalism and ethics, violating the privacy and confidentiality of patients. Purpose: to assess the ethical behavior on ESN of dentists and oral health specialists regarding the publication of clinical case photographs. Methods: a descriptive observational study evaluated the ethical behavior on ESN of dentists and oral health specialists regarding the publication of clinical case photographs. A structured survey was conducted to gather information about the use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: out of 127 participants, 60 % publish photographs of clinical cases on their ESN without knowledge of any ethical protocol. 18.11 % have read the Code of Ethics of the Colombian Dentist, and 18 % have read the internal policies of ESN. 7 % do not believe they are committing any ethical breach when publishing photographs that could identify the patient. Conclusions: some participants in this study are unaware of the ethical and legal implications of publishing clinical case photographs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, associated with the violation of privacy, confidentiality, and the professional medical secret. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]