Nearly 50% of healthcare workers experience some form of violence in the course of their careers. And in today's transparent digital world, the risks to health professionals extend beyond the boundaries of the workplace. A recent Doximity survey of over 2,000 physicians found that 85% are concerned about a patient finding their personal information online, and 35% confirmed this has already happened to them.
Enter DocDefender, a new, free service from Doximity designed to protect physician privacy by helping them take control of their online information. DocDefender scans the highest visibility people finder sites—where home addresses, private phone numbers, and even names of family members are often publicly exposed—and submits removal requests wherever it finds details a physician wants to protect.
“Though we care for the public, physicians also have a right to privacy and safety,” said Alex Blau, MD, Medical Director at Doximity. “Our vision for DocDefender is to help our physician colleagues feel better protected and remain undistracted in their focus on patient care.”
DocDefender monitors the web on behalf of enrolled physicians throughout the year, sending them privacy reports as their personal information is identified and purged. And while similar services for corporate executives and celebrities charge up to hundreds of dollars a year, DocDefender is entirely free of charge for all physicians on Doximity.
“Taking control of your online privacy early on, ideally during residency, can have a significant impact on your safety and long-term career satisfaction,” said Jasdeep Gill, MD, a psychiatrist based in Seattle. “DocDefender makes removing sensitive personal information a matter of a few clicks. It’s a simple measure to keep yourself and your family safe.”
U.S. physicians can enable their free DocDefender monitoring at doximity.com/docdefender. Setup takes less than 2 minutes, after which DocDefender does all the work.
