Predictors of e-Professional Behavior of Doctors of Medicine and Dental Medicine in Croatia on Social Networking Sites

E-professionalism refers to a form of professionalism that involves the implementation of the principles of "traditional" professionalism in online activities. The research, understanding, and monitoring of e-professionalism are of great interest not only to the healthcare professions but also to medical sociology and the sociology of professions. To achieve broader results and applicability of the findings to more than one healthcare profession, this study included two healthcare professions: doctors of medicine (MD) and doctors of dental medicine (DMD).

The aim of this study is to measure the e-professional behavior of MDs and DMDs in Croatia and to identify predictors influencing their e-professionalism.

The study was conducted on a purposive sample of MDs and DMDs in Croatia who were users of at least one social networking site (SNS). Data collection took place in 2021 through an online survey, yielding a total of 1,013 responses, of which 753 were from users of social networks. E-professionalism was measured using validated instruments based on a defined normative framework constructed from relevant sources.

The results show that a stronger acceptance of attitudes toward the ethical use of SNS in interactions with patients is the strongest predictor of unprofessional behavior on SNS, followed by the frequency of SNS access (those who access more often exhibit unprofessional behavior more frequently). In contrast, established predictors of the benefits of SNS, such as the potential for proactive posting of professional information of public health interest, show that the most important predictors are age and attitude toward SNS, with older doctors and those with positive attitudes engage in such activities more frequently. There were some differences between MDs and DMDs that support the existence of two types of professionalism: organizational and occupational.