{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T01:27:23Z","timestamp":1780450043031,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,6]],"date-time":"2025-01-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736121600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Digit. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>The ubiquity of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) personal smartphones, Instant Messaging (IM), and third-party apps, has made these technologies compelling for efficient communications between clinicians regarding patient care. However, the sensitivity of patient-related information necessitates secure, GDPR compliant modalities that prevent unauthorised access and ensure confidentiality. This scoping review explores existing guidelines, policies, and regulations that advise clinicians in the UK and Ireland on the secure use of these digital communication tools.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) updated Framework for Scoping Reviews and the PRISMA ScR guidelines, this review examines the literature to identify relevant guidelines, policies, and regulations informing current clinical practice on the use of this technology. Academic databases including OneSearch, Embase, EBSCO, PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL were searched, in addition to hand searches of professional entities' websites, including trade unions, regulators, two national health systems, and several employers. Direct inquiries were made to 69 professional entities via telephone, email, websites, and X (formerly known as Twitter).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The review identified 18 papers that broadly recognise the importance of secure communication however, a lack of information on the appropriate selection or configuration of these popular technologies was evident. Most guidelines emphasise general security and data protection standards rather than providing clear actionable recommendations for technology use, thereby leaving a significant gap in technical guidance for clinicians.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>There is a distinct lack of detailed, specific, consistent technical guidance available to clinicians. This review evidences an urgent requirement for enhanced guidelines that specify the most secure platforms, appropriate features, and configuration to maximise the security and confidentiality of clinical communications. Further research is recommended to develop comprehensive, actionable advice for clinicians.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fdgth.2024.1457848","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,6]],"date-time":"2025-01-06T07:01:35Z","timestamp":1736146895000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Navigating the wild west: a review of guidance on clinical communications using personal BYOD, IM and third-party apps in the UK and Ireland"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Bernadette","family":"John","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ciara","family":"Heavin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anthony","family":"Roberts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","article-title":"Regulation (EU) 2016\/679 of the European Parliament and The Council of the European Union of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95\/46\/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), 216\/679","year":"2016"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104905","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmedinf.2022.104905","article-title":"Creation of a core competency framework for clinical informatics: from genesis to maintaining relevance","volume":"168","author":"Davies","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Med Inf"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdent.2022.104112","article-title":"Smartphone technology for communications between clinicians\u2014a scoping review","volume":"122","author":"John","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Dent"},{"key":"B4","first-page":"2","article-title":"Smartphone and mobile technology use among the dental profession","author":"John","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Ir Dent Assoc"},{"key":"B5","article-title":"Big banks to pay millions in fines for using WhatsApp","volume-title":"The Irish Times","author":"Bain","year":"2023"},{"key":"B6","volume-title":"ICO reprimands NHS Lanarkshire for Sharing Patient Data via WhatsApp","year":"2023"},{"key":"B7","volume-title":"HSE Social Media Staff Use Guidelines. 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