Surrogate decision making in the internet age

[Note: The slides are not available from this event.] The technology revolution has had an enormous effect on all aspects of the practice of medicine, from record-keeping to scheduling to billing to treatments to research. But although there have been efforts to create online decision-aids to facilitate informed consent, little thought has been given to the role of social media in surrogate decision making. Many people have been using various outlets for years, and left significant electronic documentation of their preferences. As social media users age, questions of how and whether to use social media to assist surrogate decision making will become more prevalent. This presentation considers the ethical and legal issues involved in the use of social media -- such as Facebook and Twitter -- in determining medical treatment preferences for surrogate decision making.