Yes. In fact, every health care entity should have one!
It is important for all for hospitals, large group practices, and health care facilities to be up-to-date on social media. Even if the business doesn’t participate in social media, odds are the majority of their employees have personal social media accounts. And sometimes, in using social media, employees inadvertently breach the boundaries between the personal and professional, thereby creating an unprofessional “social media presence” at work -- without their employer’s knowledge or approval.
When social media is left unmonitored, medical offices or hospitals face the risk of violating federal privacy laws by breaching patient confidentiality, which can incur substantial fines and permanently damage the group’s professional reputation.
To get started:
Review social media policies from major medical centers, there are numerous examples of health care social media policies available online that can serve as a template. Evaluate your specific needs and how you might tailor one of these policies. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel!
Be certain to address the following in your policy:
- Define social media and include examples of social media sites (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, etc.) and the type of information the policy will cover.
- Determine who can access social media from the office on one’s personal device and/or the office computer.
- Emphasize that patient privacy is paramount; explain HIPAA privacy rules and the consequences for violations (fines of up to $1.5 million).
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Explain the importance of maintaining professional boundaries with patients, for example:
- Never “friend” patients on Facebook.
- Never, for any reason, post photos of patients.
- Never post any details of their work day that relates to patients.
- Describe what information employees are allowed to post online and what is off limits. They should first ask their supervisor if they have questions about the appropriateness of content.
- Reinforce that employees are responsible for maintaining a professional image of the business, physicians, coworkers, and themselves.
- Identify the consequences of noncompliance with the social media policy and make sure they are held responsible for their actions.
Inform the staff:
After this policy has been created, it is imperative that employees are educated so they understand office expectations. One of the best tips continues to be to always pause before hitting the send key. If something does not look right, makes you question the rules, or think twice - get approval.
Author Kimberly Danebrock, RN, JD, is a Senior Risk Management & Patient Safety Specialist at the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP).
If you have questions about this article, please contact us. This information should not be considered legal advice applicable to a specific situation. Legal guidance for individual matters should be obtained from a retained attorney.