Finding a patient's blog

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

If you found a blog written by one of your longer-term patients, would you feel comfortable reading it? What about showing it to other's? After all, they're the ones that posted it on a public website.

I'm just curious how you would feel about this. I have actually found a patient's blog (and I'm positive it's their's as they use their real name and the name of the hospital, their doctor's, etc), but the rest is hypothetical.

[lpnstudentin2010, LPN]

If one of my docs or nurses found my care page I would not mind them reading it, it would show that they care what is happening with me and want the whole picture.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

I kind of think it is like reading someone elses diary--yes, granted they are using thier real name and posting it on the internet, but still...

It is human instinct to read it, but I would not show it to anyone else. How did you find it anyways??

I guess the question is should you tell the patient you found it?

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

If they're posting it on the internet for the whole world to see, then they must not care if you read it.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I found it from a google search for a fundraising event their family is quite involved with. I wasn't cyber-stalking or anything.

[MB37]

I'd feel a little uncomfortable, but I'd probably read it anyways. It's not quite the same as reading someone's diary as long as it's posted on an open public forum. Just as if JustaPatient was my patient, but used his/her full name when posting to this board.

[llg, PhD, RN]

If you put something up on a billboard along the highway, don't be surprised or offended if people driving by read it.

I feel the same way about the "information super highway," i.e. the internet. If you post something on the internet, don't be surprised or offended that people read it.

Unless you had to "hack" in to read it, it's posted for the public to read.

[ICRN2008, BSN, RN]

A lot of kids' parents, especially those with cancer or other chronic/ serious conditions, put up websites for their families and friends to update them on the child's progress. We would look them up when I worked in peds- most of the time the parents were the ones telling us about the sites.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I mentioned it at work to one of the other nurses last night, and apparently I was one of the last nurses to find out about it! The family has been very open about it and knows the staff sometimes read.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

I agree with most of the posters, it is a public document, if you

hacked into a private blog that would be a different issue. If it makes you

feel uncomfortable don't read it.