Perspectives: Managing professional boundaries and staying safe in digital spaces

Abstract

Healthcare professionals who engage in social media face new challenges in maintaining boundaries in online platforms. The online environment has the potential to threaten and subvert these boundaries, in particular the boundary between the personal and the professional. Using DoH Guidance ‘See, Think, Act' provides a useful template for maintaining boundaries. Understanding the potential risks in social media is a key competency for social media healthcare professionals. Knowing how to act in situations which may be risky is a critical skill for those who engage in innovative social media practice.