From the Social media use by health professionals occurs in a digital environment where etiquette has yet to be solidly defined. The objectives of this study were to explore veterinarians’ personal use of Facebook, knowledge of privacy settings, and factors related to sharing personal information online. All American Animal Hospital Association member veterinarians with a valid e-mail address (9469) were invited to complete an online survey about Facebook (e.g., time spent on Facebook, awareness of consequences, types of information posted). Questions assessing personality dimensions including trust, popularity, self-esteem and professional identity were included. The response rate was 17% (1594 of 9469); 72% of respondents (1148 of 1594) had a personal Facebook profile. Veterinarians were more likely to share information on Facebook than they would in general. Trust, need for popularity, and more time spent on Facebook predicted more disclosure of personal information on Facebook. Awareness of consequences and increased veterinary experience predicted lesser disclosure. As veterinary practices use Facebook to improve client services, they need also to manage risks associated with online disclosure by staff. Raising awareness of reputation management and consequences of posting certain types of information to Facebook is integral to protecting the individual, the practice, and the veterinary profession.
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July/August 2014
Special Commentary|
August 01 2014
Reputation Management on Facebook: Awareness Is Key to Protecting Yourself, Your Practice, and the Veterinary Profession
Cynthia A. Weijs, BA, MPH;
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College (C.W., J.C.), and Psychology Department (A.M., E.C., S.D.), University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Correspondence: [email protected] (C.W.)
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Jason B. Coe, PhD, DVM;
Jason B. Coe, PhD, DVM
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College (C.W., J.C.), and Psychology Department (A.M., E.C., S.D.), University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Amy Muise, PhD;
Amy Muise, PhD
*
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College (C.W., J.C.), and Psychology Department (A.M., E.C., S.D.), University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Emily Christofides, MSc;
Emily Christofides, MSc
†
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College (C.W., J.C.), and Psychology Department (A.M., E.C., S.D.), University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Serge Desmarais, PhD
Serge Desmarais, PhD
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College (C.W., J.C.), and Psychology Department (A.M., E.C., S.D.), University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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J Am Anim Hosp Assoc (2014) 50 (4): 227–236.
Citation
Cynthia A. Weijs, Jason B. Coe, Amy Muise, Emily Christofides, Serge Desmarais; Reputation Management on Facebook: Awareness Is Key to Protecting Yourself, Your Practice, and the Veterinary Profession. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 1 July 2014; 50 (4): 227–236. doi: https://doi.org/10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6069
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