About this Activity
In South Africa, as with many developing countries, WhatsApp is fast emerging as one of the most widely used messaging platforms across various sectors, including healthcare.
While WhatsApp's convenience cannot be denied, its use in healthcare raises significant legal, ethical, and professional concerns, particularly regarding patient confidentiality and privacy.
This Accredited article offers an overview of the legal and ethical frameworks governing WhatsApp use in South African healthcare, highlighting the healthcare professionals' responsibilities for legal and ethical compliance. It discusses practical use cases and associated challenges, detailing the implications for healthcare providers in implementing and utilising WhatsApp effectively in clinical practice settings.
What You Will Learn
This module intends to provide you with insight into the use of WhatsApp in your practice. On completion, you will:
- Understand the legal and regulatory frameworks governing WhatsApp communication in clinical settings
- Gain insights into the effective use of WhatsApp in patient care and interprofessional communication
- Identify potential challenges and risks associated with WhatsApp usage, including confidentiality concerns and miscommunication
- Understand practical considerations for integrating WhatsApp into daily practice, ensuring efficiency and compliance
- Comprehend the ethical responsibilities and best practices for maintaining professionalism while using WhatsApp for patient interactions
CPD Accreditation Information
This activity is Accredited for 2 Level 1 Ethics points. To receive your accreditation points, you must complete both the article and the associated questionnaire.
HPCSA-registered healthcare professionals
On completion of both activities, HPCSA registered healthcare professionals will receive 2 Level 1 CPD points.
The Medical Education Network will submit a record of your completed activities to the HPCSA at the end of each month.
Non-HPCSA-registered healthcare professionals.
If you are a non-HPCSA registered healthcare professional, this activity may contribute to your accreditation requirements. Please keep a record of your certificate obtained on passing this questionnaire for submission to your respective Registration Council. For more details regarding how many points you will be awarded, kindly contact your Council directly.
About the Medical Education Network
About Us
The Medical Education Network is an independent, free-for-use resource for healthcare practitioners in sub-Saharan Africa.
We provide a range of quality clinical information sourced from peer-reviewed journals and original articles to facilitate continued medical education and knowledge sharing.
If you would like to be involved with our programs or contribute to our site, please contact us
Our Policies
Your information and the quality of our content are important to us.
Our policies are listed below. If you have any concerns, please contact us
Privacy Policy
Acceptable Use Policy
Cookies and how we use them
General Information relating to your data
Fact-Checking and General Content Disclaimers
Contact Us
Sign-up for our Newsletters
General Site Queries
Advertising & Sponsorship Queries
Contributors & Authors
Follow us on our Social Media platforms
