Changing practices of physicians in digital network society

Since the middle of the 20th century, the globalization, nationalization and localization of neoliberal policies in all dimensions of social life has brought about profound changes in the field of medicine and health services. The investment of private entrepreneurs in the fields of medicine, medical supplies and care, and the emergence of big companies specializing in these areas have led to the commercialization of medicine and the formation of a health services market where medical products and services have become commodities. The integration of technological developments into medicine and health services has both supported this commodification process and accelerated and deepened it further. Some of these technologies are aimed at developing and presenting new medical products and services. Another part is new communication technologies that will reach and market these products and services to much wider audiences and thus increase demand. The widespread use of digital platforms like YouTube and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook by institutions and (affiliated or unaffiliated) physicians in the recent period, which is becoming more and more common every day, is the most popular, accessible and used aspect of these technological developments by the masses. The commercialization, commodification and technologization of the health field has profoundly affected physicians' positions and working conditions in the health system, as well as their relationships with patients, service delivery methods and motivations. Whether or not they have institutional affiliations, all physicians, to varying degrees and forms, remain between the principles required by professional ethics, professional identity and status, and the competitive pressure imposed by market rules and technological developments. This thesis focuses on the motivations and forms of using these areas by affiliated and unaffiliated physicians who use publicly accessible digital platforms and social media tools. If we think of the content producers of these physicians on a scale, at one end is developing and sharing professional experience and knowledge with the public, while at the other end is increasing their visibility and recognition, thereby increasing the number of patients and their income. Based on the data obtained from semi-structured in-depth interviews with physicians, this thesis examines the stories of physicians' participation in digital platforms and social media channels, the change in their existence in these channels over time, and the conflicting dilemmas such as professional ethics and commercial gain, begin a physician and social media influencer in this process, and how they manage/navigate these dilemmas. In-depth interviews with physicians with different working conditions, age groups, social rights and economic conditions will provide an understanding of the experiences of physicians in the context of a marketized, commercialized and technologized health system and the trajectory of the medical profession.