Medical Code of Ethics: Essential Safeguards in Digital Practice

Medical practice through telemedicine raises important ethical questions related to privacy, patient safety, and professional responsibility, all of which are guided by the Medical Code of Ethics.

Understanding the regulations governing this practice is essential for delivering reliable care aligned with current legal requirements. Beyond telemedicine, there is also the growing presence of medical professionals on digital communication channels, particularly on social media.

In this context, it is crucial to understand best practices for positioning oneself in these media.

In this article, we address the key practices necessary to ensure privacy, respect for patients, and legal security during remote consultations. Read on!

Medical Code of Ethics: Principles Guiding Healthcare Professionals’ Digital Practice

Digital transformation has profoundly changed the way doctors interact with their patients. This new reality has required important adaptations in the application of the Medical Code of Ethics.

Learn about the principles that should guide medical practice in the digital environment, particularly with regard to telemedicine.

Respect for Patient Dignity

Respecting patient dignity remains a central commitment for healthcare professionals, even in digital settings.

This means ensuring autonomy in decisions regarding treatments and procedures carried out remotely.

Physicians must ensure that online consultations offer the same conditions of respect and care as in-person visits.

Confidentiality of Information

Maintaining professional confidentiality is an ethical obligation that becomes even more critical in digital environments due to the risk of data breaches.

Professionals must use secure tools and encrypted platforms for virtual consultations.

In addition, it is necessary to clearly inform the patient about the risks related to digital environments and how their data is being protected.

Informed Consent in Virtual Consultations

In remote care, informed consent remains mandatory and must be properly documented.

The physician must explain in detail how the teleconsultation will work, the expected benefits, and any potential limitations.

The patient’s explicit authorization—recorded digitally or in writing—ensures legal protection for both parties.

Medical Responsibility in Digital Guidance

Medical responsibility extends beyond in-person consultations and fully applies to digital interactions.

Doctors must provide guidance based on scientific evidence and clearly acknowledge the limitations of online care. Whenever necessary, the patient should be advised to seek in-person care, ensuring safety in the delivery of healthcare services.

Clinic managers should also ensure that professionals are trained to work with digital tools.

Digital Presence and Social Media: Best Practices for Physicians and Healthcare Professionals

The digital presence of healthcare professionals has grown rapidly in recent years. Many physicians now have social media profiles, personal websites, and participate on online platforms.

With this expansion, questions have emerged about how to maintain ethical and responsible conduct. Learn the limits and best practices required by the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM).

Self-Promotion and Ethical Advertising

Doctors must avoid any kind of exaggerated self-promotion or misleading advertising on social media. The CFM prohibits expressions such as “best treatment,” “exclusive,” or any promise that guarantees results.

Advertisements must be objective, transparent, and informative—always based on scientific evidence—to avoid misleading patients.

Proper Use of Images and Selfies

Posting patient images on social media requires clear, express, and properly documented consent.

Photos showing “before and after” results are prohibited by the Code of Ethics. Selfies taken in the workplace, especially during medical procedures, are also forbidden in order to ensure respect for patients and maintain professional confidentiality.

Consultations and Prescriptions in Digital Environments

Doctors may not conduct consultations, diagnoses, or prescribe treatments directly on public social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook.

These public environments do not meet the conditions required to ensure confidentiality and security of patient information. Encrypted and specialized platforms are recommended for remote services authorized by the CFM.

Transparency in Professional Identification

All professional content shared through digital channels must include clear identification of the responsible physician, such as full name, CRM number, and Specialist Qualification Registry (RQE).

Clinics or hospitals must also disclose the name of the technical director responsible for the establishment. This practice ensures transparency and strengthens trust between physicians and patients.

Ongoing Updates on Digital Regulations

The Federal Council of Medicine maintains the Commission for the Disclosure of Medical Matters (CODAME) to monitor technological developments and emerging digital practices.

Professionals must regularly follow these updates. Being familiar with current regulations helps prevent ethical issues and ensures legal security in digital medical practice.

5 Online Practices Doctors Should Avoid

Inappropriate behavior on social media can seriously damage the reputation of a physician or their clinic.

Below are five actions that healthcare professionals must avoid according to the Medical Code of Ethics:

1. Diagnosing or Prescribing Medications on Social Media

Providing consultations, diagnoses, or prescriptions on social media is prohibited by the Medical Code of Ethics. Sharing prices for consultations or procedures on these platforms is also not allowed.

Social media should be used exclusively for informative and educational interaction, while clinical matters must be addressed in a private setting, such as the doctor’s office.

2. Damaging the Image of Another Professional

Social media must not be used to damage the reputation of colleagues in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Such behavior constitutes unfair competition and harms the image of the physician engaging in it. Patients generally disapprove of negative attitudes between professionals, which can result in unfavorable consequences.

3. Mixing Personal and Professional Content

Blending personal and professional life on social media may lead to discomfort and ethical concerns. The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends that doctors maintain separate accounts.

Personal topics such as family, politics, and religion should be reserved for private profiles, while professional pages should focus solely on medicine.

4. Sharing Patient Images

As mentioned above, posting images or information about patients without clear and documented consent directly violates the Medical Code of Ethics.

Such actions may lead to legal proceedings by the exposed patients and even dismissal from involved clinics or hospitals. Protecting the privacy and dignity of patients is absolutely essential.

5. Sharing Inaccurate or Unverified Medical Content

Many patients seek health information online before consulting a physician. For this reason, doctors should only share content that is evidence-based and from trustworthy sources.

Spreading inaccurate information can negatively affect patient health and well-being, and undermines the professional’s credibility.

Telemedicine practice requires that doctors follow clear regulations and respect ethical principles, ensuring patient privacy and delivering safe remote care.

Recognizing these challenges and implementing consistent solutions reduces errors, ensures safety, and improves service quality.

About Pixeon

Pixeon is the company with the largest software portfolio for the healthcare market.

Our solutions serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and diagnostic imaging centers, covering both management (HIS, CIS, RIS, and LIS) and diagnostic processes (PACS and Laboratory Interface), ensuring high performance and top-tier management in healthcare institutions.

The HIS/CIS software for hospitals and clinics, Pixeon Smart, is a complete solution that integrates the entire institution into a single system. It is also certified with the highest level of digital maturity by SBIS (Brazilian Society of Health Informatics).

We already have over 3,000 clients in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia, serving millions of patients annually through our platforms.

Want to know if Pixeon’s technologies offer everything you’ve always wanted for your hospital or clinic?

Request a commercial consultation and be amazed by everything our management system can provide!