Il therefore urges them to be cautious when writing comments on Twitter or Facebook.
This reminder was released on Wednesday by press release.
The College claims to have been notified by its Investigations Directorate that doctors were using social media to make their opinions known in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He thus reminds physicians that their ethical obligations still hold “even when they express themselves from a personal point of view” on social media.
There can therefore be no question of using these communication platforms to express opinions or disseminate messages that are inadequate or contrary to scientific standards, specifies the College.
He reports that statements were notably published on Twitter by doctors who denied the importance of the virus, or who encouraged rapid deconfinement, “which goes against public health directives,” he says. .
The Code of Ethics for Physicians provides that when giving medical opinions in a news medium, they must comply with current data in medical science on the subject. If it is a question of a new diagnostic method or insufficiently proven treatment, physicians should mention “the appropriate reserves”.
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