Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Social networking sites (SNS), the modern mainstay of adolescent expression, may provide vital information to physicians. The Emergency Department (ED) is a setting where SNS may be helpful. A reticent 19-year-old in the ED prompted a search for pertinent information on the Internet, where a profile on www.myspace.com relayed a troubled post. The patient was admitted for psychiatric evaluation due to intentional overdose. These SNS may provide a venue for physicians to learn about risky behaviors and life stressors that would help identify underlying medical issues in young adults. We provide a guideline on how to utilize SNS with privacy rights in mind. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(1):31–34.]