Revisiting Social Network Utilization by Physicians-in-Training.

OBJECTIVE: To measure and compare the frequency and content of online social networking among 2 cohorts of medical students and residents (2007 and 2009).
METHODS: Using the online social networking application Facebook, we evaluated social networking profiles for 2 cohorts of medical students (n  =  528) and residents (n  =  712) at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Objective measures included existence of a profile, whether it was made private, and whether any personally identifiable information was included. Subjective outcomes included photographic content, affiliated social groups, and personal information not generally disclosed in a doctor-patient encounter. We compared our results to our previously published and reported data from 2007.
RESULTS: Social networking continues to be common amongst physicians-in-training, with 39.8% of residents and 69.5% of medical students maintaining Facebook accounts. Residents' participation significantly increased (P < .01) when compared to the 2007 data. Individuals in the 2009 cohort had significantly more "friends" (P < .01), belonged to more "groups" (P < .01), and were more likely to limit public access to their profiles through the use of privacy settings (P < .01) than the individuals in the 2007 cohort. DISCUSSION: Online social networking application use by physicians-in-training remains common. While most now limit access to their profiles, personal profiles that still allow public access exhibited a few instances of unprofessional behavior. Concerns remain related to the discovery of content in violation of patient privacy and the expansive and impersonal networks of online "friends" who may view profiles.