Social Media – Appropriate Use by Physicians – Preliminary Consultation (CLOSED)

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario recognizes that we are experiencing unprecedented circumstances in the wake of COVID 19. However, as we move towards creating a “new normal” for the way we work, the CPSO is beginning to resume some of our engagement activities. The feedback you provide on our policies, regulations, by-laws and other initiatives that are in development is essential to our processes, and as such we invite you to participate in this consultation.

The CPSO is currently seeking feedback on its Social Media – Appropriate Use by Physicians statement.

The statement is not a policy and does not set any new expectations for physicians. Rather, it provides general guidance and recommendations based on existing professional and legal obligations and their application to social media usage. This includes:

• Maintaining appropriate boundaries;
• Protecting patient privacy and confidentiality; and
• Using social media in a manner that upholds the reputation of the profession and of the individual physician.

We are reviewing this statement to ensure it is helpful, up to date, comprehensive, and provides the right regulatory mechanism for guiding appropriate physician conduct in this space.

Read the current Social Media – Appropriate Use by Physicians statement.

View the feedback received through our online survey.

View the feedback received through our online discussion page.

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Have Your Say

We want to hear your thoughts on the statement. For example, we are interested to know:

• Are physicians looking for guidance from the CPSO on appropriate social media usage? 
• Has social media use by physicians evolved since the statement was developed? 
• How could the statement be improved?

The deadline to provide feedback is September 7, 2020. However, we recognize that the current circumstances relating to COVID-19 may make participating in this consultation more difficult. If you are unable to respond to the consultation before the closing date, please let us know and we can accommodate any delays you may be facing in responding. We are committed to making sure that individuals and organizations who wish to respond to this consultation have the ability to do so.

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Next Steps

Comments received during the consultation will be carefully reviewed and used to evaluate the Social Media – Appropriate Use by Physicians statement and help inform next steps.

We value your feedback and thank you for participating in this process.