Harassment of Docs on Social Media A Growing Problem

BY ETHAN COVEY

One-fourth of physicians report being personally attacked on social media, with many experiencing death threats, verbal abuse and sharing of personally identifying information, according to a new study.

Additionally, one in six female physicians reported online sexual harassment.

“It is important that in an era when physicians are engaging in advocacy and education on public health on social media that they risk being attacked,” said Vineet M. Arora, MD, a Herbert T. Abelson professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Dr. Arora and her colleagues conducted the study as a way to test a hypothesis that harassment and personal attacks were prevalent among physicians engaging with social media (JAMA Intern Med 2021;181[4]:550-552).

“I have been an active social media user for years with the primary focus of disseminating evidence-based information so patients can make informed decisions,” said co-author Shikha Jain, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago. “With more health care workers and physicians utilizing social media in this manner over the years, we conceptualized this study to get a better understanding of how other physicians across the country used social media, and what their experiences were in the digital space.”

The team developed a survey that was distributed via Twitter from Feb. 6 to March 20, 2019. Respondents were asked to answer yes or no to two questions: Have you ever been personally targeted or attacked on social media? Have you ever been sexually harassed on social media? A comment box was included for respondents to describe such incidents.

A total of 464 participants who self-reported as U.S.-based physicians completed the questionnaire. Of the respondents, 57.8% were women or nonbinary, and 42.2% were men. The median age was 39 years.

Reports of attacks on social media were widespread, with 23.3% acknowledging abuse. Common themes for harassment included anti-vaccination, anti-gun control and anti-abortion comments, as well as personal attacks based on physicians’ race

or religion. Sexual harassment frequently included receipt of inappropriate and sexually explicit messages or comments. “The thing that was most surprising for me was the intensity of the attacks and sexual harassment incidents described that included things like death threats and threats of rape,” Dr. Arora said. “I also think it’s important to note that women physicians, in particular, face a double hit: They could be attacked and also face the risk of being sexually harassed.” The authors noted that their research was completed before c health on the outbreak of COVID-19, but the pandemic makes the d,” said findings even more relevant. elson “Over the last year, we have truly seen the of importance of disseminating evidence-based factual information founded in science,” Dr. Jain said. “Physicians and other health care workers have been using social media effectively to disseminate facts and science, but unfortunately there has also been a parallel ‘infodemic’ where we have seen misinformation and false information spread. We a have seen our scientific leaders attacked and of bullied for advocating for public health meama- sures that would save lives. Now more than ever, eci- we need to trust our scientists and public health officials, and this is one of the first studies to show conclusively that those individuals who use their platforms to disseminate information are targeted, bullied and harassed.” In an effort to increase social media advocacy, Drs. Arora and Jain founded an organization called IMPACT4HC (Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team), a group of health care workers with social media presence who are actively advocating and educating as part of a team. They have also created a tool kit to help health care professionals navigate how to properly and safely use social media. “We have found that having others to support you and your messaging can be very helpful in the social media space,” Dr. Jain said. “When engaging on social media, I remind people that the amount of energy you expend is up to you. While having a spirited discussion with someone who thinks differently than you can result in a productive exchange of ideas, if the person is simply attacking you or trying to get a rise out of you, there is no need to continue to engage.” ■ Dr. Arora reported funding from the Journal of Hospital Medicine as a social media editor, the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Joint Commission, and is a founding member of TIME’S UP Healthcare.

the outbreak finding “O im f f h bu su we ‘We have seen our ffi scientific leaders attacked and bullied for advocating for public health measures that would save lives.’ —Shikha Jain, MD