Jose-Moral and Safety Consequences of Open Blogging on the Web

 

Blog Entry 4: Moral and Safety Consequences of Open Blogging on the Web 

Jose Pereira (Group 4)

Title: Confidentiality In Health and Social Care

Introduction

In the era of the digital revolution, when social media and blogging resources are rapidly developing, healthcare practitioners are resorting to the virtual space to share worthwhile information, personal experience, and the most recent information on health and social care. As much as these platforms present greater opportunities to reach the masses and create community awareness, they also come with some serious ethical concerns that can be easily found on troubled ground when approached unthoughtfully. Of all these, the risk to patient confidentiality is the most critical issue, as the topic carries serious connotations not only for individual patients but also for the image of the health care profession in general.

Confidentiality 

Acts as one of the building blocks of the patient-provider relationship in the medical field and forms a bond of trust within the relationship, leading to free communication. As patients enter the offices of a clinician, they give them highly sensitive information that can be highly personal but pertains to the medical history and the present state of health simultaneously. This confidence creates a situation whereby individuals feel safe to share crucial information, thus leading to informed decisions that are made to suit the individual needs of the patients by the providers. 

Take an example:

A clinician explaining a case of an unusual autoimmune disorder; due to the uniqueness of the history, treatment process or even geographic position, one may find that he or she is readily identifiable by others. These accidental revelations may lead to tormenting changes in the patient, placing them in the face of unnecessary scrutiny and stigmas within their personal and social life. 

Besides the ethical issue of confidentiality

Healthcare professionals need to struggle with the notion of beneficence as providers are expected to act in the best interest of the patients. The ability to spread experiences or professional views on open platforms exposes healthcare bloggers to using language or tones that can be construed as negative or judgmental, thus damaging the reputation of the people involved. 

An example is where a provider has publicly criticised the decision-making of a patient in terms of the available treatment options, which may not only damage the self-esteem of a patient but also may make other people unwilling to get the care they need due to fears of getting such criticism again. 

Navigating the Exciting Landscape of Public Online Blogging in Health and Social Care. 

 

Misinformation

 

We are at the crossroads between opportunity and responsibility. As healthcare professionals, we are adapting more to the colourful world of public online blogging. It is a powerful digital environment that enables us to transfer our knowledge, create awareness in our communities and interact with people who seek support and direction. However, we should also remember the possible difficulties and security aspects that are associated with this potent means. Misinformation spreading can be considered one of the most vital challenges that we have to deal with. Although this might be with the best intentions of education and empowerment, with respect to vital health matters may obscure the path of tolerance among the masses, which is very dangerous to both the health and well-being of the patient.  

There is a list of possible sources of misinformation:

1. The improper interpretation of medical studies, 

2. Anecdotes which are not supported by scientific evidence, 

3. Positive comment given out of context.

 As an illustration, a healthcare giver can convince the readers that one of their treatments miraculously worked on a single patient when he/she talks about it, and the reader gets the wrong idea that the same method will be effective with anyone.

For example:

 

When what heuristic people lean on is the availability heuristic, they may overestimate the probability of rare side effects when such anecdotes are told in a dramatic manner. This fear-stigmatising may stop required medication compliance, which would eventually adversely affect wellness and well-being.

 

In order to negotiate such complexities, we, as health practitioners, need to approach online blogging in the public intentionally and carefully. 

The misinformation can be significantly reduced by making sure that the information we provide is supported by evidence and that it is researched properly. It is also necessary to inform the readers about the shortcomings of our own experience and actively refer them to professional consultation instead of consulting the online information only. 

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Risk Factor and Safety Dilemma

Public online health and social care blogging has significant risks, as it could be a breach of confidentiality and hurt trust, despite the perceived use of the anonymous mode or personal accounts. Online parks and the Confidentiality and Identifiability.

The first threat is accidental loss of confidentiality of service users when blogging about the work or experience. Although the names may be changed, the interplay of the information, like the age, diagnosis, place of the event, and time of occurrence, may make an individual easily traceable to himself, her family, or his community, especially in small services or specialized settings.

Digital content can quickly be shared, take the form of a screenshot, be cross-linked across numerous platforms, and be shared with the author of a post that is meant to reach a small group. The shareability and everlastingness of online content enhance the impact of any such exploitation and the likelihood of distress on the service user and a destabilising impact on the organisation.

 

Legal, Ethical, and Professional Repercussions

In health and social care, confidentiality is a legal requirement and also an ethical duty. They may result in complaints, disciplinary action, and, in worst cases, fitness-to-practise sanctions or professional dis-registration. The regulatory guidelines on nurses and allied health professionals highlight the fact that nurses should never discuss service users in a non-clinical environment, such as in blogs and social media, and in any case, they should not do so.

 

 

Boundaries and professional image are difficult to distinguish

Blogging also officially pushes the boundaries of personal and professional as the majority of posts consist not only of remarks on practice, but also personal views, humor, or irritation. Material seen to be unprofessional, discriminatory, or hostile (not targeting a particular service user) has the potential to undermine the trust of the population in the profession and raise questions about the judiciousness of the practitioner. Professional organisations advise practitioners to think twice before posting content and ensure that information is true, respectful, and not against duty in professions as a way of promoting health to the population and upholding the image of the profession.

 

This scenario puts away the safety dilemma

Despite the potential to use blogging for learning, advocacy, and support, good redaction, careful avoidance of case-specific information, and adherence to organisational regulations on the use of social media make the activity safe.

Reflective and Classmate Feedback

 The critical reflection on how digital communication is impacting professional ethical responsibility was triggered by my blog post about the moral implication of public online blogging about health and social care. The issues of confidentiality and beneficence and misinformation are the main aspects I pay attention to and they are closely associated with the professional codes which focus on the provision of privacy of the service users and the responsibility of communication online (HCPC, 2024; NMC, 2025). The post is what made me start thinking more about individual responsibility in disclosing professional experiences in online social places.

One of the main lessons I have learnt in the blog is that confidentiality forms a core of compassion in health and social care. The situation in which a clinician accidentally discloses identifiable information about a patient on an online case discussion can serve as an example of how all it takes sometimes to violate confidentiality even without mentioning the name of a patient. This is a regulatory advice that practitioners are prohibited to post any information, which could enable a service user to be identified without necessary explicit consent and consider such information private in all media, including social networks (HCPC, 2024; BMA, 2024).

My study of beneficence also went a long way. He points out the illogical or judgmental nature of language dispatched through blogs that can damage the self-esteem of patients and discourage others to seek care. This is connected to the professional expectations according to which online communication should be respectful and should not include any rude or disrespectful remarks about individuals who are offered care (NMC, 2025). 

Considering this, it has become evident that the concept of beneficence is not restricted to direct clinical choices but also the tone of voice, context, and connotation of professional remarks in the mass media. The concept of digital professionalism, as such, demands constant mindfulness of how other people, particularly people with an elevated vulnerability, might perceive or apprehend what is being said.

Another crucial learning outcome was the discussion of the topic of misinformation. It discusses how the falsely interpreted evidence, single-case studies, and miracle accounts can confuse the masses and loss faith in health services. This is in line with recommendations that health practitioners must make sure that online information is precise, supported by evidence and is not misguiding the people who lack adequate knowledge in the medical field (BMA, 2024). My personal reflections on this have helped me realise the danger of making generalisations based on personal experiences and the necessity to signpost readers on the need to refer to professional consultation instead of promoting self-management on the basis of reading blogs.

Reflective and Classmate Feedback

Feedbacks of classmates were favorable. M. Jones has commended how the dangers of confidentiality and misinformation have been explained clearly, and the content is easy to follow due to the examples provided. Cynthia K stated that she enjoyed reading my blog because I was clear and worked hard to make it appealing.

Conclusion

The experience of reading my blog and pondering over the content in the blog has enhanced my cognition of digital professionalism in health and social care. The post is well-considered to show how the ethical principles of confidentiality, beneficence, and truthfulness are used when it comes to online blogging, which explains the necessity to preserve the identity of service users, keep the communication respectable, and not to share misinformation. In the future, these lessons will guide the practice of online in the future by promoting more strict anonymisation, evidence-based content, and awareness of the possible effects of social professional communication.

Ethical Issues for Online Health & Social Care Bloggers

 

Ethical Issues for Online Health & Social Care: Bloggers  entry 4

Cynthia Kana

Introduction

The digital revolution of health and social care practise has seen the online blogging move being an effective tool which may be exploited by professionals with the aim of knowledge, experience, and insight sharing (Murphy et al., 2020). This is assuming the projection of digital transformation of communication and this has been accompanied by a chance and challenges and practitioners must navigate through complex ethical and safety concerns. The work of medical bloggers significantly influences the prevention of diseases and the population of healthy individuals, and the responsibility of online presence should be viewed as an important issue, as it is stated by Russkikh et al. (2024). It is the process of turning into such a so-called thoughtful practitioner who has to engage in critical contact with such digital realities and brings the technical adequacy into the ethical consciousness and professional accountability. Two aspects of health and social care blogging, that can be deemed important, will be addressed in the essay, namely the ethical dimension of patient confidentiality and their privacy, and the safety dimension of the professional boundaries in the virtual world. 

Ethical Consideration: Confidentiality and Patient Privacy in Online Blogging 

One of the pillars of health and social care practise is confidentiality, and patient confidentiality is facing unprecedented challenges due to the durability and scope of digital platforms. This also complicates finding the boundary between the professional knowledge being shared on online blogs and breach of confidential information. This is an ethical concern that demanded an acute degree of reflexive practise in which even good intentioned posts could easily result in violation of patient anonymity or the violation of trust. 

 

Figure: Understanding Patient Confidentiality And Privacy (Beauchamp and Childress, 2019)

      Theoretical Framework and Analysis

Professional codes of conduct including the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code and the Standards of Conduct of the Health and Care professions council (HCPC) entrench the idea of confidentiality. These models support the necessity to protect the patient information and to maintain the trust relations. In addition, the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provide the legal framework within the framework of which treatment of personal health information in the digital space can take place. The deontological ethical theory assists in supporting the imperative of confidentiality because it suggests that some duties cannot be breached regardless of the rewards that can be received (Beauchamp and Childress, 2019).

Health blogging is an area that has very high conflict between sharing information and privacy. The social support and health education can be facilitated using such tools (blogs) although there is a chance of unintentional disclosure as well (Rains and Keating, 2011). Digital content is never lost, is searchable and it may be traceable, i.e even anonymized cases could be identified by aggregated data. The article by Tsai and other researchers about chronic pain blogging demonstrates that even though personal health storeys are valuable in community-building and support, there are two sides of the topic that should be taken into account the aspects of authenticity and privacy. 

Reflexive Engagement with Practice

When reflecting on my case in my professional setting, I realise that there is the desire to share impressive clinical storeys that can educate or inspire other individuals. However, this fact introduces another ethical dilemma; it is the very things that make storeys captivating and easy to connect with that are also the easiest to use in order to distinguish people. One of them is the risk of confidentiality being broken in smaller communities where the practitioners operate by explaining a certain set of circumstances a patient has. The realisation has become the focal area that has led me to perceive the meaning of professional responsibility in the online space as the ethical blogging does not merely relate the news anonymization to technical aspects of the matter but also attentively the context identifiability. 

Safety Dilemma: Professional Boundaries and Dual Relationships in Digital Spaces

A key safety concern in health and social care blogging is professional boundaries, where online services are casual, therefore, accidentally leading to mingling the two worlds and blurring of the professional and personal identity. Unlike in the traditional clinical setting where there is a clear definition of space and time, online blogging introduces the aspect of unlimited availability and lack of role demarcation that is highly risky to both the consumers and the practitioners of the service. It is a safety dilemma since the digital boundaries are permeable and need to be researched on critically and addressed proactively. 

                              Figure: Professional boundaries (Peek et al., 2015) 

Theoretical Framework and Analysis

The theory of professional boundary stresses the necessity to keep the relationship parameters within the proper limits to serve vulnerable people and ensure the effectiveness of the therapy (HCPC, 2016). The social media policy of regulatory bodies emphasizes that the same standards of professionalism should be employed in a digital context, but the informal aspect of blogging platforms may lead to the illusion of informality or friendship. In digital communication, the risk management frameworks emphasise the possible outcomes such as the violation of boundaries, role confusion, and impaired professional judgement (Murphy et al., 2020).

The risks associated with safety are multiple. To start with, there are chances of inappropriate dual relationships through blogging as the content related to a practitioner is made available to service users or their families, and hence, it creates a risk of role confusion or dependency problems. The authors illustrate that mental health professionals advocating via social media have to negotiate the complicated boundary issues to preserve therapeutic relationships (Peek et al., 2015). Secondly, professional misconduct allegations are a risk to the practitioners whose personal opinions or informal content may be misunderstood in professional situations. Digital footprints are here to stay, making personal posts that have been made by individuals subject to examination regarding professional conduct. Third, the availability of bloggers can promote unwarranted contact by service users not through the existing care channels, which could pose a risk to both parties. 

Critical Analysis and Consequences

According to the study by Heponiemi et al. (2020) regarding digital health services, online platforms positively impact accessibility, but also establish the expectations of unlimited availability that may result in professional boundaries being broken. Moreover, Hu (2019) discovered that bloggers in mental health can traverse between helping and an adequate professional distance with their audience. The impact of the violation of boundaries is not limited to the individual practitioners but it also spills over to the trust people have in health and social care professions. As the line is crossed, power distance existing on the basis of practitioner-patient relationships may be used unfavorably, which may harm vulnerable people.

Integration of Peer Feedback

The group discussion with other colleagues on the blog platform was invaluable in enhancing my knowledge on ethical and safety aspects of health and social care blogging. Peer feedback illuminated the views that I had not given enough attention especially on the intersectionality of confidentiality breaches and boundary violations. One of my colleagues made it clear that seemingly harmless posts about the hard days might unconsciously convey the information about certain patients with people that are aware of care situations, which makes the concept of privacy even more complicated. Another peer disagreed with my original stance of sufficiency of anonymization stating that contextual information and timestamps pose the potential risks of identification even in the absence of specific patient information. Elements of intersections became apparent concerning the need to take proactive control of boundaries with colleagues expressing the same concern regarding role confusion in the cyberspace. There was however a differing feeling on where practitioners were supposed to censor themselves with some of them suggesting that this is too restrictive and yet some felt that this avoids sharing of quality knowledge. 

Rearrangement into Compelling Argument

The ethical aspect of privacy and the safety issue of professionalism are two interrelated concepts that constitute two sides of the same issue: how to secure vulnerable people without invading their privacy and upholding professionalism in the digital environment. The breach of confidentiality is most likely to happen by means of boundary violation because informal online communication may allow the practitioner to reveal information that would not have been disclosed during the formal interaction. On the other hand, indistinct boundaries have the potential to undermine privacy in the event that practitioners do not understand that personal online information is professionally liable. Peer discourse enhanced my awareness that both problems are the result of digital platforms having permanent, accessible, and informal properties that pose risks where there are none in the context of standard practice.

Learning for Future Practice

This theoretic interaction and collective consideration has produced a lot of learning in my future health and social care practice. The first thing is that ethical digital practice is intentional; I cannot guess that well-meaning and anonymization, in general, is enough to ensure confidentiality or boundaries. In practice, this would be applying specific measures: creating clear personal social media guidelines, consulting supervisors prior to posting practice-related materials, and having two different online personas (professional and personal). On the downside, I have come to understand that the dangers of online involvement can be greater than those associated with its advantages, and acting cautiously is necessary instead of engaging in some online debates. On the positive side, being aware of these aspects of ethics and safety will enable me to be an active participant in the digital advocacy and knowledge exchange when the boundaries are set.

Conclusion

This essay has critically examined confidentiality as one of the core ethical considerations and professional boundaries as one of the major safety dilemma in health and social care blogging. Theoretical interaction, with the help of regulatory frameworks and empirical studies, shows that digital platforms are exceptionally challenging and demand proactive management of ethical issues. Peer feedback contributed to the learning process as it demonstrates the interdependency of these issues and the fact that reflexive practice needs a context. The significance of the responsible and safe blogging practice cannot be overestimated; as online communication becomes an inseparable part of health and social care, the practitioners should acquire advanced skills to find their way in online ethics and safety.

References 

Heponiemi, T., Jormanainen, V., Leemann, L., Manderbacka, K., Aalto, A.M. and Hyppönen, H., (2020) Digital divide in perceived benefits of online health care and social welfare services: national cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(7), p.e17616.

Hu, Y., (2019) Helping is healing: examining relationships between social support, intended audiences, and perceived benefits of mental health blogging. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 12(2), pp.112-120.

Keating, D.M. and Rains, S.A., (2015) Health blogging and social support: a 3-year panel study. Journal of Health Communication, 20(12), pp.1449-1457.

Murphy, E., Donohue, G. and McCann, E., (2020) Exploring mental health issues through the use of blogs: A scoping review of the research evidence. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 41(4), pp.296-305.

Peek, H.S., Richards, M., Muir, O., Chan, S.R., Caton, M. and MacMillan, C., (2015) Blogging and social media for mental health education and advocacy: a review for psychiatrists. Current Psychiatry Reports, 17(11), p.88.

Rains, S.A. and Keating, D.M., (2011) The social dimension of blogging about health: Health blogging, social support, and well-being. Communication Monographs, 78(4), pp.511-534.

Russkikh, S.V., Tarasenko, E.A., K.D., Gorbacheva, N.A., Vasiliev, M.D., Zagdyn, Z.M., Drobizhev, M.Y. and Rotov, V.M., (2024) Impact of medical bloggers' activities on the prevention of disease risk, public, population and individual health: the opinion of social media users. Оригинальные исследования, 44(2), p.173.

Tsai, S., Crawford, E. and Strong, J., (2018) Seeking virtual social support through blogging: a content analysis of published blog posts written by people with chronic pain. Digital Health, 4, p.2055207618772669.

Melanie Jones blog entry 4 Ethical Reflection in Practice

Ethical Reflection in Practice

Ethical reflection is imperative to resolving problems and making informed decisions. Beauchamp and Childress (2019) emphasise the importance of balancing principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. In everyday practice, I have seen situations where these principles were in tension.

During my observation of a service user initially refusing cataract surgery, I experienced conflicting emotions. On one hand, I respected her autonomy; on the other, I felt concerned for her safety due to deteriorating vision and associated risks, including falls and social isolation. Using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988), I explored my feelings of frustration, empathy, and concern. I critically analysed the dilemma, questioning if the patient fully understood the implications of her decision and how communication could influence outcomes.

Through reflection, I noticed that ethical decision-making needs careful consideration of multiple factors: the patient’s values and beliefs, professional responsibilities, legal frameworks such as the Mental Capacity Act (2005), and collaborative problem-solving within the team. This experience reinforced my understanding that ethical practice is not about achieving a single “right” answer but navigating complex situations thoughtfully and with integrity (Johnstone, 2016).

Emotional Resilience and Professional Judgement

Care work often involves exposure to diversity of challenging situations which bring to mind strong feelings, such as empathy, frustration, or moral distress. Therefore, maintaining emotional resilience is imperative for effective practice. Without resilience, these emotions could cloud thoughts and compromise professional conduct.

Reflecting on my own experiences, I have developed strategies to enhance emotional resilience. These include:

• Regular reflective practice: Reviewing challenging situations to identify personal triggers and biases.
• Seeking feedback from colleagues: Engaging in groups about ethical dilemmas to gain diverse perspectives.
• Setting personal limits: Understanding when to step back from emotionally demanding situations to keep professional objectivity.

For example, watching the patient who initially refused cataract surgery highlighted the need for emotional support. I consciously managed my feelings of concern, then I could observe the team’s approach objectively and learn from their empathetic yet professional handling of the situation. This reflection strengthens my ability to respond to future ethical dilemmas with clarity and professionalism.

Application To Future Practice

 Reflecting on professional boundaries, ethical dilemmas, and emotional resilience informs my ongoing growth as a thoughtful practitioner. I have learned that:

• Keeping professional boundaries protects both the practitioner and service user.
• Ethical reflection ensures decisions align with professional standards, legislation, and the values of care.
• Emotional resilience supports professional judgement, lowering the risk of over-involvement or ethical compromise.

Moving forward, I plan to continue engaging in structured reflective practice, finding supervision, and applying ethical frameworks to guide my practice. This will enable me to maintain professionalism, safeguard service users, and provide person-centred care in all areas.

Conclusion

 

This reflective entry blog has demonstrated the intertwined roles of professional boundaries, ethical reflection, and emotional resilience in health and social care practice. I will keep critically examining my experiences and values, I have developed a stronger understanding of how ethical factors influence professional judgement. Reflective practice remains an imperative tool for personal and professional growth, helping me to understand complex situations ethically and compassionately. Ultimately, this ongoing reflection supports my development as a responsible, thoughtful, and competent health and social care practitioner.

References

Beauchamp, T.L. and Childress, J.F. (2019)

Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 8th edn. New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Gibbs, G. (1988)

Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Oxford Polytechnic.

 

Johnstone, M-J. (2016)

Bioethics: A Nursing Perspective. 6th edn. Sydney: Elsevier.

 

UK Government (2005)

Mental Capacity Act 2005. London: The Stationery Office.