Cybercivility in Health Professions Education: A Qualitative Exploration of Perception and Experiences of Postgraduate Medical Students and Faculty

Introduction: In digital environments, anonymity and the absence of body language cues often result in individuals behaving differently, sometimes inappropriately. Given cyberspace’s increasing integration into education, our collective responsibility is to exhibit civil online behaviors, upholding an environment of respect, cooperation, and professionalism. This study aimed to qualitatively explore postgraduate medical students' and faculty’s perceptions of cybercivility and experiences of cyberincivility. Methods: An exploratory qualitative phenomenological study was conducted. Semi-structured Zoom interviews involved a maximum-variation purposive sample of nine faculty members and twelve postgraduate students in Health Professions Education. Recorded sessions were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was done manually following Braun and Clarke's methodology, with codes, subthemes, and themes established from transcripts. Results: Thematic analysis yielded five themes: professional online conduct, cyberincivility manifestations, its negative impact, barriers to cybercivility, and strategies for promoting cybercivility. All interviewees identified challenges in cultivating cybercivility and addressing cyberincivility. Participants proposed strategies to mitigate these challenges and promote civil online conduct. Postgraduate students and faculty shared similar perceptions regarding cybercivility and experiences of cyberincivility. Discussion: While participants recognize the necessity of cybercivility, its implementation is hindered by unclear boundaries, lack of awareness, inadequate training, and the absence of institutional policies. Cyberincivility negatively impacts emotional well-being, professional relationships, and educational outcomes. Promoting a cybercivility culture requires targeted training, clear norms, and institutional support structures. Future research should encompass a variety of health professions and develop quantitative tools for evaluating cybercivility.