Yes. In fact, every office should have one!
Even if the business does not participate in social media, most employees use social media in their personal lives. Sometimes, employees inadvertently breach the boundaries between the personal and professional, thereby creating an unprofessional "social media presence" for the medical office -- without their employer's knowledge or approval.
When social media is left unmonitored, medical offices also face the very real risk of violating federal privacy laws by breaching patient confidentiality. Another cause for headaches is the excessive time employees waste accessing social media websites during work hours. Creating a social media policy to clarify the standards for permissible and prohibited content for both personal and professional social media is one way to protect your patients, your productivity, and your business reputation.
There are numerous examples of health care social media policies from major medical centers available online that can serve as a template for your office policy - so there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Be certain to address the following in your policy:
(1) Define social media and include examples of popular social media sites (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, etc.).
(2) Determine who can access social media from the office as well as any restrictions on posting and the use of office equipment.
(3) Emphasize that patient privacy is paramount. Explain the HIPAA privacy rules and the serious consequences for violations (fines of up to $1.5 million) and provide examples of content that constitutes breach. Employees should ask for clarification if they have questions about the appropriateness of content.
(4) Identify the consequences of noncompliance with the social media policy. Be clear that employees are held responsible for their actions and that violators will be subject to disciplinary action including a written reprimand or termination of employment.
After this policy has been created, educate employees so they understand office expectations. Emphasize the importance of maintaining professional boundaries with patients and remind them that they should not "friend" patients on Facebook. Inform them that posting photos of patients, for any reason, is strictly prohibited. Employees should never post any details of their workday that relates to patients, even if the information seems generic. When employees post on social media, not only do they represent themselves, they represent the employer, the office, and all health care professionals.
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.
Authored by
Kimberly Danebrock, RN, JD
Senior Risk Management & Patient Safety Specialist
For more information, download The Physician's Online Reputation Action Guide.
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.