Want To Be Viral Without Being Shy About Being A Doctor? Check This Social Wise Ethical Fatwa From IDI!

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Honorary Council of Medical Ethics (MKEK) of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) issued a decision letter regarding the ethical fatwa of doctors in their activities on social media.

This is the aftermath of Kevin Samuel's Tiktok video upload in the @ dr.kepinsamuelmpg account.

In the video, Kevin makes a parody video that narrates the midwife as if asking him to check the opening of the uterus in a female patient who is about to give birth.

Kevin's video went viral on social media and received negative responses from netizens. The reason was that the video was indicated to contain elements of sexual harassment against women.

Chairman of the MKEK IDI Pukovisa Prawiroharjo said the fatwa on medical ethics on social media is binding on all doctors in Indonesia.

"MKEK at all levels should conduct socialization. MKEK has the authority to clarify any information on suspected ethical violations, guidance, and / or hospitality processes to Indonesian doctors that do not match the contents of the fatwa," said Pukovisa when confirmed by VOI, Saturday, May 1.

The fatwa contains rules for doctors to prioritize positive values when doing activities on social media.

In addition, doctors are also asked to avoid excessive self-promotion and are prohibited from disclosing the identity of patients.

The following is the complete content of the MKEK IDI fatwa:

1. Doctors must be fully aware of the positive and negative sides of social media activities in all health efforts and must comply with applicable laws and regulations.

2. Doctors always prioritize the values of integrity, professionalism, fairness, politeness, and professional ethics in their activities on social media.

3. The use of social media as a promotive & preventive health effort has high ethical value and needs to be appreciated as long as it is in accordance with scientific truth, general ethics, professional ethics, and applicable laws and regulations.

4. The use of social media to eradicate hoaxes / misinformation related to health / medicine is a noble act as long as it is in accordance with scientific truth, general ethics, professional ethics, and applicable laws and regulations.

In this effort, doctors must be aware of the potential for debate with the public. In debating on social media, doctors need to be self-controlled, not to retaliate with evil, and to maintain the noble spirit of the medical profession. If there is a statement demeaning the figure of a doctor, health worker, or doctor / health professional / professional organization, the doctor must report this to the social media authority through the features provided and other steps in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

5. In the use of social media, doctors must guard themselves from excessive self-promotion and practice and advertise a product and service according to the IDI Central MKEK Decree No. 022 / PB / K.MKEK / 07/2020 concerning Doctor Ethics Fatwa in Advertising and Selling Multi Level Marketing issued by IDI Central MKEK on July 28, 2020.

6. In the use of social media for the purpose of consulting a medical case with another doctor, the doctor must use special types and features of end-to-end encrypted social media and a good level of security, and use a private line to the consulted doctor or on a special group containing only doctors.

7. In the use of social media, including in terms of loading pictures, doctors are required to follow the applicable laws and professional ethics. Images that are loaded may not reveal directly or indirectly the patient's identity, medical secrets, patient / family privacy, privacy of fellow doctors and health workers, and internal hospital / clinic regulations. In presenting the patient's clinical condition or patient investigation results for educational purposes, it may only be done with the patient's consent and the patient's identity, such as an obscured face and name. This is excluded from the use of social media for the purpose of consulting a medical case as stipulated in point 6.