The Medico-Legal Society of Victoria

Manager Medico-Legal and Advisory Services, MDA National

Sara has worked in the medico-legal area since 1998 and she is currently the Manager, Medico-legal and Advisory Services with MDA National. In this role, she assists medical practitioners and their staff in dealing with a variety of medico-legal issues arising in practice, including medical negligence claims, complaints, coronial inquiries and other investigations.

Sara’s background is in general practice, having worked as a general practitioner in Sydney for over 10 years. Sara has a particular interest in clinical risk management and she is the author of the Medicolegal Handbook for General Practice.

Googling your name, or your patient’s name, can bring surprises. Traditional concepts of professionalism are being stretched and strained as the use of social media by doctors and their patients becomes widespread. And the increasing use of social media in medicine represents a challenge for our regulators.

The role of social media in medicine will be examined from the perspective of a Medico-legal Adviser. What could possibly go wrong? Well, lots.

• What are the issues that doctors seek advice about?
• What are the common legal problems and pitfalls?
• How can doctors minimise the medico-legal risks?