Twenty-two percent of physicians said inappropriate behavior outside the workplace has increased in the past five years, according to Medscape's new report, "Physicians Behaving Badly: Has It Gotten Worse?"
Medscape surveyed more than 2,000 physicians for a report on the extent and nature of bad behavior among physicians in the past five years.
Here are six key details on physicians' online behavior:
1. Average number of instances of inappropriate behavior by physicians seen on social media: 8
2. Inappropriate acts online
- Making inappropriate comments about themselves, friends, politics, etc.: 80 percent
- Posting inappropriate pictures of themselves unrelated to patients: 39 percent
- Posting inappropriate comments about patients: 31 percent
- Posting sexualy suggestive material: 21 percent
- Posting inappropriate pictures of patients: 13 percent
- None of the above: 4 percent
3. Where most instances of inappropriate behavior occur
- Facebook: 54 percent
- Instagram: 19 percent
- None: 13 percent
- Twitter: 8 percent
- TikTok: 2 percent
- Snapchat: 2 percent
- Other: 1 percent
4. Thirty-one percent of surveyed physicians said inappropriate behavior in the workplace has decreased, while 12 percent said it has increased.
5. Twenty-two percent of surveyed physicians said inappropriate behavior outside the workplace has increased, while 15 percent said it has decreased.
6. Thirty-three percent of those surveyed said physicians most commonly misbehave on social media.