Social Media Do's and Don'ts for Doctors - Part 1

In this episode, Dr Ramya Raman interviews Dr Maria Li, a GP from New South Wales extensive experience in health communication and social media. Dr Maria describes how she began sharing health information on Instagram during the early COVID-19 lockdowns, a role which has grown to include collaborations with national health bodies, advisory positions, and public health campaigns.

They focused on how GPs are increasingly using social media for professional and brand-building purposes, along with the associated risks, responsibilities, and opportunities. Dr Maria emphasises contributing credible medical voices to counteract health misinformation and addresses the regulatory expectations set by AHPRA.

Dr Maria Li shares her first two practical principles for GPs using social media:

• Treat Social Media as Media: Social media is a public forum. Apply the same professionalism online as you would offline. Before posting, ask yourself if you would be comfortable saying it in a public interview with your name and title attached.
• Popularity Is Not the Same as Respect: High engagement does not always mean credible or appropriate content. Algorithms often reward provocative posts. Always consider if a post enhances your professional credibility before sharing it.

These tips help GPs use social media effectively while protecting their reputation and complying with regulatory standards.

Links & Resources:

• https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Social-media-guidance.aspx
• https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/14/social-media-is-media-a-crucial-reminder-for-doctors
• https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/21/social-media-for-doctors-popularity-is-not-respect
• https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/27/social-media-for-doctors-your-posts-should-reflect-your-judgement-not-your-stream-of-consciousness
• https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/30/social-media-for-doctors-making-fun-of-patients-is-never-ok
• https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/38/social-media-for-doctors-your-comments-and-messages-count-as-your-content

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