Ethical Healthcare Communication in the Digital Age: Best Practices for Social Media Engagement

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Activity Overview

Throughout the journey, you'll hear from course creator Dr. Adam Goodcoff, an emergency medicine physician and co-founder of MedFluencers, and Josh Opitz, co-founder of MedFluencers and online content production veteran.Healthcare professionals increasingly use social media and digital platforms to communicate health information, engage in professional dialogue, and contribute to public education. However, many clinicians lack formal training in evidence-based digital communication principles, regulatory compliance requirements, and professional standards governing online engagement.

In the absence of structured education, clinicians may face challenges applying evidence-based communication strategies and regulatory considerations when engaging on digital platforms, fail to apply appropriate privacy safeguards, or engage in communication practices that do not align with professional or regulatory expectations. There is a demonstrated educational need to improve clinician competence in applying ethical, compliant, and evidence-informed communication strategies in digital environments.

This activity is designed to address identified competence gaps by providing practical, evidence-informed strategies to support ethical digital engagement, accurate information dissemination, and adherence to professional and regulatory standards.

Learning Objectives

After participating in this activity, learners should be able to:

  • Apply principles of ethical, regulatory-compliant, and evidence-informed communication when developing social media content for patient and professional audiences.

  • Develop clear, accurate, and audience-appropriate messaging that translates complex medical information into short-form digital formats.

  • Assess the effectiveness of digital communication strategies using engagement and comprehension metrics to inform improvements in educational outreach.

  • Integrate professionalism, privacy protections, and regulatory standards into digital communication planning and execution.

  • Incorporate technical production and accessibility considerations to enhance clarity and inclusivity in digital health communication.

  • Evaluate the impact of digital communication practices on professional credibility, public trust, and responsible information dissemination.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who use or plan to use social media and digital platforms for professional communication.

Activity Format

  • Format: Enduring Online Activity (Video-Based)

  • Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 7 hours

  • Release Date: March 15, 2025

  • Expiration Date: March 15, 2026

Educational Content Overview

The educational content focuses on improving clinician competence in ethical, compliant, and effective digital health communication.

Digital Platform Fundamentals for Healthcare Communication

  • Techniques for translating complex medical concepts into clear, accurate, audience-appropriate messaging

  • Structuring short-form educational content to improve comprehension and retention

  • Strategies to support clear, accurate public-facing health communication and reduce misunderstanding.

Audience Engagement and Educational Evaluation

  • Approaches to encourage appropriate audience interaction while maintaining professional boundaries

  • Use of communication metrics and feedback to evaluate effectiveness and guide continuous improvement

Content Production Principles

  • Best practices for delivering clear, professional communication in digital environments

  • Techniques to enhance clarity, credibility, and accessibility

  • Visual presentation considerations that support comprehension and professionalism

Technical Production and Accessibility

  • Basic lighting, filming, and audio practices to enhance clarity

  • Accessibility strategies, including captioning and visual clarity considerations

Use of Digital Tools and Artificial Intelligence

  • Appropriate use of digital tools to improve efficiency and consistency in content development

  • Ethical considerations, bias awareness, and accuracy verification when using AI-assisted tools

  • No specific digital platform, AI tool, or commercial service is endorsed.

Platform Editing and Distribution Practices

  • Editing processes to ensure accuracy, professionalism, and alignment with evidence-informed standards

  • Post-production safeguards to support responsible dissemination

Professional Well-Being and Digital Boundaries

  • Recognition of the impact of digital engagement on clinician workload and professional sustainability

  • Strategies to maintain healthy boundaries in online environments

Professionalism and Regulatory Considerations

  • Patient privacy protection and confidentiality requirements in digital settings

  • Appropriate response strategies for online inquiries

  • Risk mitigation approaches to support professional and institutional compliance

Faculty

Adam Goodcoff, DO

Emergency Medicine Physician
Social Media Educator & Healthcare Content Creator

Co-Founder, Medfluencers

Joshua Opitz

Healthcare Content Creator & Digital Media Specialist

Co-Founder, Medfluencers

Patrick O’Malley, MD

Emergency Physician

Newberry Health, Newberry, SC

Accreditation Statement

Oakstone Publishing is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Joint Providership Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Oakstone Publishing and HSMA, LLC.

Credit Designation

Oakstone Publishing designates this enduring material for a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Non-physician participants will receive a certificate of completion. The designated AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may be accepted by their credentialing body.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

All planners, faculty, and individuals in control of content have disclosed relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies within the past 24 months. All relevant financial relationships have been identified, reviewed, and mitigated prior to the activity in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

Adam Goodcoff, DO — ownership interest in Medfluencers, a company that provides consulting services to healthcare companies, some of which manufacture medical products

Joshua Opitz — ownership interest in Medfluencers, a company that provides consulting services to healthcare companies, some of which manufacture medical products

Patrick O’Malley, MD — no relevant financial relationships

Commercial Support

This activity did not receive commercial support.

Educational Integrity Statement

This activity is designed to provide independent, evidence-informed education. Content is designed to be free of commercial bias and does not promote specific proprietary business interests.

Disclosure of Unapproved or Investigational Use

This educational activity does not include discussion of off-label or investigational use of FDA-regulated drugs or medical devices.

Discussion may include general reference to digital communication tools or platforms that are not regulated by the FDA. No endorsement of any specific product or service is made or implied.

How to Participate and Claim Credit

To receive credit, participants must:

  1. Review the educational content.

  2. Complete the post-test with a passing score of 80% or higher.

  3. Complete the activity evaluation.

Credit must be claimed online prior to the expiration date.

Contact Information

For questions regarding this activity, please contact:
info@hsmacademy.org