title: Current Uses (and Potential Misuses) of Facebook: An Online Survey in Physiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent years, the use of social media such as Facebook has become extremely popular and widespread in our society. Among users are health care professionals, who must develop ways to extend their professionalism online. Before issuing formal guidelines, policies, or recommendations to guide online behaviours, there is a need to know to what extent Facebook influences the professional life of physiotherapy professionals. Our goal was to explore knowledge and behaviour that physiotherapists and physical rehabilitation therapists practicing in Quebec have of Facebook.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used an empirical cross-sectional online survey design (n=322, response rate 4.5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that 84.3% of physiotherapy professionals had a Facebook account. Almost all had colleagues or former colleagues as Facebook friends, 21% had patients as friends, and 27% had employers as friends. More than a third of workplaces had clinic pages with information intended for the public. Regarding workplace Facebook policies, 37.3% said that there was no policy and another 41.6% were not aware whether there was one or not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There appears to be a need to establish guidelines regarding the use of social media for physiotherapy professionals to ensure maintenance of professionalism and ethical conduct.
authors: École de réadaptation; Département de médecine sociale et préventive, École de santé publique; Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR).
authors: Maude
authors: M
authors: Laliberté
authors: Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal.
authors: Camille
authors: C
authors: Beaulieu-Poulin
authors: École de réadaptation.
authors: Alexandre
authors: A
authors: Campeau Larrivée
authors: École de réadaptation.
authors: Maude
authors: M
authors: Charbonneau
authors: École de réadaptation.
authors: Émilie
authors: É
authors: Samson
authors: École de réadaptation; Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR).
authors: Debbie
authors: D
authors: Ehrmann Feldman
keywords: Facebook; ethics; professional; social media; survey