title: Leading article: Use of smartphones to pass on information about patients - what are the current issues?
abstract: Many doctors now use mobile devices such as smartphones to communicate with one another about their patients, and sometimes this is without the knowledge and approval of their employer. We know of little information about the use of texting and other web-based messaging services by doctors in hospitals, so we reviewed relevant published studies to assess the safety and usefulness of current methods of digital communication.
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Unit, Northwick Park and Royal Marsden Hospitals, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rokadiya
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Unit, Northwick Park and Royal Marsden Hospitals, London, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCaul
authors.affiliation: Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Unit, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, PO6 3LY, UK. Electronic address: peter.brennan@porthosp.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003219:Confidentiality; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians; D000068997:Smartphone; D060145:Text Messaging
keywords: SMS.; Texting; communication; patient; safety; social media